Mental Hell!

or: the 7 point checklist that will pull you back to safety

One of the scariest things about mental health issues is the feeling of being utterly and hopelessly lost. 

You know how it is. Life gets busy. So many moving parts. If you’re not mindful, it’s easy to get swept away in the whirlwind. 

Some of us have more sensitive shut-off valves. But if you’re anything like me, you find it harder to detect when things are getting a bit too much. 

Perhaps it’s something to do with having more defined boundaries. More sophisticated coping mechanisms. 

Personally, I’ve always suffered from what my friend Seba and I like to call a ‘superhero complex’. 

You think you can do it all. Take on any task. 

So naturally, when it feels like you might have bitten off a bit more than you can chew- you just override it. You simply ignore the alarm bells and you keep going. 

Well let me tell you. This type of behaviour will lead you for sure to some pretty interesting places. Places like burnout. Places that will leave you dazed, confused and open to gaslighting. To doubting yourself at every turn. 

See, when you get caught up in the blizzard, it’s almost impossible to see clearly. 

I’ve been there- so many times before. And so with time, I began to create a sort of guide rope. My very own Ariadne’s thread. I started to come up with a series of default reasons why I was feeling the way I was. And good news- it’s often less complicated than we think. 

As a creative, people assume it’s relatively normal to be a little bit ‘messy’ around the edges. It’s expected of you. 

Alas, we’re still succumbing to a common cliché regarding creative people- the ‘tortured artist’. The ‘creative chaos’ of her or his mind, which is then inevitably reflected upon her or his personal space- apartment, job, relationships…

So the next time you catch yourself going down a particular rabbit hole, here are 7 little gems you can drop along the way, making it easier for you to return to safety. 

1. Have you been getting enough sleep?

Number one on the list because it still amazes me how something that is so simple and obvious is still being overlooked by most of us. Scratch that- ALL of us. 

We don’t need to go into detail about this one, as you probably know exactly what needs to be done. You just need to DO IT, ffs! 

Just know that if you’re not feeling 100%, this should be the very first question on your mind. 

2. Have you been eating nutritious foods?

This doesn’t need to be Whole Foods/ Daylesford/ Erewhon-grade, ultra-premium, ‘organic’ goodies picked 23 minutes ago from the Garden of Mother Nature herself. 

Just, you know, your basics- fresh veggies, fruits, nuts. Good protein. Fresh fish. Some eggs. That’s it. 

Keep it simple, but make sure that what you’re putting in your body is ‘adding value’. 

3. Have you been exercising lately?

Again, no need to throw a (cross) fit over this one. 

But even 20 min/ half an hour of jogging, or swimming, or cycling, or even walking daily will do wonders for your mental health. 

Not to mention your physical health, but d’uh. 

The key to this one is in the daily though. The consistency of the effort is where the magic happens- not running a marathon once a year. 

4. Have you been in nature lately?

This is an easy one to combine with the previous point. 

You don’t have to find a spot of virgin, enchanted forest. Or an uncharted beach. 

Even your local park will do. Somewhere where there’s bees and things and flowers (season permitting, of course). And hopefully some sunshine.  

If you combine exercising with being in nature- boom! Two birds with one stone. Super(sun)set. Next.

5. Have you seen your friends or family lately?

It should be a given, but how easily do we let this one slip sometimes?

As we pile on more work, ‘superfluous’ activities such as socialising and being around those who love you are generally the first to go with the bath water. 

Because strictly speaking, these aren’t ‘productive’ endeavors, right?

Don’t. London can be a very isolating city. Get coffee with a friend. 

If they’re not in your city- call your folks. Your sister. 

Also, if you aren’t feeling quite yourself, trust me- these people will remind you exactly what a piece of work you are. They’ll ‘ground’ you in no time.  

6. When was the last time you had a (proper) break?

And I don’t mean that little coffee run to your local between ‘deep work blocks’. 

I mean days-plural. Preferably somewhere far away and warm. 

This one’s a 5 second rule kind of question, really. 

If you have to think about it for longer than that- chances are you need one. 

7. Have you been connecting to (your) source?

This can take on many different forms. Generally speaking, I’m referring to something spiritual here. 

It may be meditation. Or prayer. Or even intentional breathing exercises. 

It could be as simple as listening to music or singing in the shower. 

Or maybe it’s a combination of the above. Whatever it is that centres you back to a more balanced, more powerful emotional state. 

Now, this is no exact science. 

But if you’ve answered negatively to 2 or more of the 7 points above- your mental health may be compromised. 

The beauty of a simple checklist like this one is that it makes it so much easier to pinpoint the whys. 

It breaks down incredibly complex emotional or mental states into parts. 

Parts that you can then attend to individually. 

Ultimately, when you find yourself all at sea, you want to be able to grab onto something immediately. Anything to pull you out of that situation as quickly as possible. 

And I’m hoping this list can be that lifesaver for you. 

So here it is, in bullet point format, ready to print/ screen grab/ share. 

Take care you guys! 

MB @ LGJ.