Saturday, October 14, 2017

DEALING WITH A DOWN DAY


I’ve never ever wanted to write about my mental health on my blog. I always wanted to keep it lighthearted and happy and fun, but with it being World Mental Health Day last Tuesday, I wanted to finally open up about my struggle with depression over the last few years. 

I can’t pinpoint exactly when I started to notice I wasn’t feeling quite ‘right’, but I have my suspicions. And anyway, often mental illness isn’t even stemmed from a particular life event, and most of the time it’s down to a blip in the brain’s wiring. It isn’t anyone’s fault. 

I’ve been diagnosed twice and put on antidepressants both times. I’ve got a terrible habit of not being able to see a course of medication through, and I’m so reluctant to go to CBT or counselling through a fear of dragging up all my emotions. 

I like to think I know when I’m up and when I’m down. And in order to stop this from being the saddest of all the blog posts on my blog, I thought I’d share what I do when I’m having a ‘down day’. (spoiler: I’m having one today!)


I really like to start off a down day with a tidy round the flat. I know it might not be the most expected action to take, but when I do get up, I like to tidy up. This morning I put my new bed sheets on, loaded the dishwasher and stuck some laundry in.



Then I went to the M&S garage down my road for a takeaway coffee and to pick up some snacks. I absolutely have to have about 7 cups of tea on a down day. They make me feel warm and comforted and the copious sugar intake keeps me slightly more motivated to get things done.


When it comes to snacks, I TRY not to eat complete shit. I’m absolutely obsessed with anything from the M&S garage because there’s plenty of ready-to-eat stuff, because I promise I’m not going to be cooking today. It’s not the healthiest selection ever chosen, but again, I eat for comfort and these nibbles do the trick. Also, Pink Lady Apple juice, can I get an amen?


Prepare for a cliche, but #stayhydrated! #fitnessguru #healthblogger. I’m trying to drink lots of water at the moment because I know that I usually don’t drink nearly enough, and that will make me feel worse in the long run. Then I’ll read some blogs, watch some YouTube videos and I’ll always eventually end up watching RuPaul’s Drag Race or playing The Sims 4.


The whole point of this blog post is to try to encourage other sufferers with little things they can do in order to alleviate the pain when it’s getting too tough, rather than to think about doing something damaging or irreversible. Each day is a challenge for people who suffer with this illness, but each day is an opportunity to beat it. 

Lots of love,
Jasmine x
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