• Recovery: Four major dimensions support a life in recovery:
• 1. Health: Make informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being.
• 2. Home: It is important to have a stable and safe place to live.
• 3. Purpose: Engage in meaningful daily activities, such as a job or school, volunteering, caring for your family, or being creative. Work for independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
• 4. Community: Build relationships and social networks that provide support.
  (Source: mentalhealth.gov) 

It is important to remember that everyone is different in the way that they manage and process stress, anxiety, and depression. Their experiences in life drastically vary from person to person and understanding / accepting that is the first step to knowing that how one human improves their mental health through a form of self-care may not be the right approach for another. 

What moves you? Where do you find a state of flow or get lost in something? Is it taking time to read a book? Getting outside and going on a hike? Or a different mode of activity like biking, kayaking, sports, or otherwise? Maybe it's art or building that puts your mind and body at ease. Maybe it's something entirely different.

Whatever it is, be sure to spend more time doing it. If you don't know exactly what that is yet, explore different activities or delve deeper in to what feels good to you (and I don't mean by means of media or technology). When you take time for yourself, your well-being, and mental health through self-care and "you time", you can then become your biggest advocate and have a better understanding of how to take care of yourself even in the roughest of times. If you can't help yourself, then you certainly aren't in a mental state to help others in need. And if you can't move past your mental blockers with your 'flow state activities', perhaps it's time to consider talking to an unbiased party or individual who will simply listen and ask questions to help you get to the right side of mental well-being.

Utilize our partner, 7Cups of Tea (https://www.7cups.com/) for free listeners who can be an unbiased party to help listen to your problems, or talk through a rough patch. New users can use code 25OFF7COT for $25 off their first month of online therapy.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has resources to help if you need to find support for yourself or a loved one. 

As always, thank you for reading along, and stay tuned for more on mental health and ways to take care of yourself.

-Alex and the rest of the Collective Minds team