I’ve had a pretty intense few weeks work wise and as a result I’m expecting my mental health to take a bit of a battering. Once I’ve got this week out of the way things should calm down but history has taught me it’s the period after the storm that seems to be when I’m at my most vulnerable and susceptible to an attack.

I wrote about my experiences with anxiety in a post last year which explains my own personal history with it. Basically, in times of stress I can experience ectopic heart beats which often trigger panic attacks. I’ve experienced them long enough now that I have developed my own self care routine. It’s not fool proof, but it’s a good way of attempting to deal with them when they come.

Headspace

I’m a big fan of this app and use it a lot when I need to try and refocus and calm down. For those who haven’t heard of it it’s a resource for meditation and you can use it as much or as little as you like. You can visit their website here. During periods of stress I lock myself away in a quiet room, usually our sun room once we’ve put the Daughter to bed, and spend ten minutes on their basic meditation course. I find it’s a great way of switching off and genuinely feel better after having done a session.

Keeping myself busy

It might seem strange that when I’m feeling anxious due to being busy at work that I actively seek more work. But I find it’s a great way to distract myself. If my mind is concentrating on something it seems to help my subconscious from going crazy. I’ll throw myself into housework, undertake little projects, try to be creative in my bullet journal, catch up on an audiobook. Anything that keeps me distracted from either thinking of work, or letting my subconscious mind wander.

Exercise

Most well-being advice will suggest exercise as something to focus on and I agree. I try to go to the gym three times a week during my lunchtimes which works well for me and usually puts me in a good mood for the afternoon shift which I’ve always struggled with. When I really need to focus on self care I’ll also just head outside and walk whilst listening to an audio book. It’s a great way of switching off.

Playing with my Daughter

I mean I do this anyway, but as part of a self care routine there’s nothing like just concentrating on play time with my Daughter. She’s my one girl cheering squad, always making me smile (well, most of the time…) and she gives me so much joy. We still play the same games we’ve played for the last three years or so. She doesn’t care about work or life stresses or anything like that. She just wants her Daddy to play Jelly Nursery with. And that’s good enough for me.

Embracing the darkness

All the above being said, sometimes I have to accept that no amount of self care will completely ward off my anxiousness and panic attacks. When they occur I’ve learned to almost embrace then. I focus on my breathing and keep reinforcing myself with the knowledge that they will pass. It’s very difficult sometimes but they always do.

OneDadsView

Mental health and anxiety is something that’s become more prevalent not just for me but for society as a whole. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things and I’ve read a lot of others’ self care routines in the past. Hopefully, if you’ve read this looking for any kind of mental health information you can take a little something away.

Do you suffer with mental health? What kind of self care do you do? I’d love to know in the comments below.