Therapist Brain, Human Heart: 4 Ways I Manage My Own Mental Health

    Being a therapist doesn’t mean you have perfect mental health. I find that a lot of therapists are drawn to this field because they already have some experience in it, whether it be with something they personally struggle with or with someone they hold dear. We celebrate our clients wins and support them with their losses every day and that can sometimes take a toll on us. Sometimes, the stories you hear affect you too.

    This is not to discourage anyone from disclosing to their therapist. I can’t explain the feeling you get when someone trusts you enough to tell you about the worst experiences they’ve ever had. It’s a humbling and awe-inspiring feeling. Everyone is different, so that’s not the way everyone expresses their gratitude and trust toward their therapist, but it’s a very impactful way of doing it. Never hold yourself back because you don’t want to “hurt the therapist.” We are here to help you process those hard feelings, and when we go home, we can process our own.

    Right now, I work in geriatrics. There are many of my residents who are declining both physically and mentally. It can be hard to watch. The other day, I had a resident forget their last name. They were able to remember it with some prompting but when it came to writing the date, they could not do it, even when being told what it was. They just wrote their last name again. This was upsetting to see, but I put the feeling in its little box to be processed later. I spoke with my supervisor before I left and felt better about the situation.

    So how do I manage my mental health, especially with a chronic disability?

    1. Food is very important for me.

    As a vegetarian, I really notice when I have not had enough protein or when I need more fruits and vegetables.

    I struggle to plan meals, so I am lucky that Mr. Plant-Powered Therapist likes to cook. He will always make me something too if I want it, which is so helpful. If I am making something on my own, I have different “tier-levels” of foods that I can choose from depending on how much energy I have. These are foods that we always make sure to have at home, easy things that will be decently good for me without me having to expend too much energy on it.

    Ramen noodles with an egg, a bagged salad with some kind of protein, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, soups, easy stuff I can throw together. I am guilty of picking up take out food more often than I should, but I try to make sure that I’m buying almost entirely healthy foods (with McDonald’s fries every once in a while; we all have our vices!). If I’m really in a pinch, I’ll make a cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or I’ll make some Huel Hot N Ready food. The Huel food isn’t hard to make and if you dress it up some, it can even taste pretty good.

     Meal replacement drinks help with protein intake. Some of them are tasty, like the Walmart pre-mixed Equate brand.

    2. Drinking enough water helps substantially.

     I get migraines and my blood pressure goes up if I don’t drink enough water, so I’ve been working on drinking at least one Stanley cup worth of water a day. Those cutsie little apps work for a day or two, then I forget about them. They don’t help me remember to drink water that much. I find that carrying the Stanley cup with me reminds me that I need to drink more water… and that I need to balance my coffee intake. Everything is a work in progress.

    3. Taking time out of my day to do things I like to do helps my mood.

    Some days, I feel up to doing more intensive hobbies like taking a walk or painting, but I haven’t done those in a while.

    Every day, I play with my cats and spend time with them. They do cute, funny things that you just can’t help but laugh at. They all have their own personalities and preferences. I spend a lot of time with Mr. Plant-Powered Therapy. We have a good relationship and he is my biggest support. I recently got into WWE wrestling (random but fun if you’re into it) and we’ve been watching a lot of that recently. I like to read and play video games.

    Laughing triggers what my doctor believes to be cataplexy (a loss of muscle function) but I make a point to laugh every day. Joking helps me feel more optimistic about my situation and makes me feel better.

    4. Pacing myself is essential. The Visible app (free) has been a big game changer. In short, it works through your smart watch and measures things like your heart rate variability and self-reported symptoms to give you a “pacing score.” 1 is an indicator that you need to take it very easy today because you’re low on energy. 5 is an indicator that you’re feeling great and have extra energy to use that day.

    You use the app every morning while you’re still lying in bed or sitting down and put your index finger over your camera. The app turns on your flashlight and measures the visible pulse through your finger, which leads to your pacing score. It has made my conservation of energy easier to manage.

    Another app that I find very helpful is the StressWatch ($29.99/year). It checks your heart rate variability multiple times a day instead of just one. Before I even realize I am tired, my watch will notify me of my current heart rate variability and let me know my body is getting stressed and overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s because I’m hungry, or need a nap, or for some other reason I haven’t figured out yet. It’s a good indication that I need to address something.

    What are ways you manage your mental health?

I was not sponsored by either of these apps, I actually use them and enjoy them.