15 Mental Health Victories Worth Celebrating

Today, I found myself congratulating my friend for taking her new meds and getting enough sleep. “You’re doing great,” I told her. “I’m so proud of you for taking care of yourself.”

As those words left my mouth, I realized that I am doing a lot better at taking care of myself, too. But instead of giving myself a congratulatory high-five, I keep focusing on the negatives and the things I didn’t do. I have an anxiety disorder. It causes me to overanalyze and overthink just about everything. It sends a barrage of interrupting thoughts to distract me from my own success. The negative voices blot out the positive ones, but not today.

To make up for being extra hard on myself lately, I’m writing down 15 mental health victories worthy of celebrating this week.

1. I took my meds today.
2. I slept through the night.
3. I got out of bed not long after I woke up.
4. I took a shower at least three times this week.
5. I moved more and sat less.
6. I didn’t drink excessively.
7. I laughed.
8. I spent time with a friend this week.
9. I shared how I was feeling with someone I trust.
10. I didn’t stuff my face with every carbohydrate I could find.
11. I put good food in my body.
12. I drank more water and less soda.
13. I did not get irrationally angry when my fitness watch told me to get up and move.
14. I snuggled on the couch with my partner.
15. I remained calm and used my self-soothing techniques to avoid a panic attack in the slowest check-out line ever!

This may not seem like stuff worth celebrating, but there have been periods of time when I did none of these things. None. So, right now I’m shutting down the negative inner voices and unleashing fearless, teenage me. She snaps and says, “You go, girl.”

Thank you. I will.