Self-care

Growing up, I had little knowledge or understanding of what it meant to take care of my mental health—that is, until I had to make it a priority. Even now, it still surprises me how much effort, support, energy, and confidence it takes to remain resilient. Sometimes I feel incredibly tired and exhausted from keeping up with my treatment and care.

What about you?
What’s something you’ve found surprising?

Feel free to share your thoughts below. 🙂

#BipolarDepression #BipolarDisorder #PTSD #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Schizophrenia #ADHD #Parenting #ChronicIllness #SchizoaffectiveDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Anxiety #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Depression #MentalHealth #Selfcare #EatingDisorders #CheckInWithMe #CheerMeOn

When reflecting on our own personal strengths, there are two lenses we can look through: the ones we’ve only recently developed, and the strengths we’ve practiced over time. The strengths and skills that fall into that latter category are a reflection of your growth!

Let’s think back to the past five years. What’s something you can do now that you’d never thought you’d be able to do back then? 🤔

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks said her strength is consistently and intentionally loving herself, considering herself and her needs, and growing in self-awareness.

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

When you have a physical and/or mental health condition, sometimes you have to learn to adjust, adapt, and build certain types of strengths in order to manage the changing demands of your health needs. (This flexibility is what makes us Mighty FOR SURE! 💪)

What’s a strength that your health "forced" you to develop?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Has someone’s 👀 ever gotten wide when they found out you could do something well?

There are so many unique skills and talents that each and every one of us has (even when depression tells you the opposite), and sometimes those skills and talents may even come as a surprise to others!

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks says people are often surprised by her problem-solving skills and how quickly she can think on her feet to come up with solutions or work through challenges.

What about you?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Strength can be defined in a myriad of ways and look different for each of us. From a person’s abilities, skills, talents, and character traits, to how they carry themselves, learn, grow, overcome obstacles, and interact with others — endless characteristics and actions (both big and small) can equate to or reveal what strength can look like.

How would you define it? What does strength look like to you?

Finish today’s prompt in the comments below! ⬇️

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Let’s take a peek into our toolkits, treatment plans, and support systems today. Take a moment to make a list of the things you need for your mental health and wellness—right now, this week, this month, and throughout the year.

I’ll go first!
☀️ Sunlight
🗣️ Therapy
📋 Organization
🩷 My family
🫂 Connection to community
📝 Self-expression
🌅 A sense of freedom
📚 Learning
🧘‍♀️ My own spirituality

Feel free to share what’s important for you below! ✨

#BipolarDepression #BipolarDisorder #PTSD #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Schizophrenia #ADHD #Parenting #ChronicIllness #SchizoaffectiveDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Anxiety #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Depression #MentalHealth #Selfcare #EatingDisorders #CheckInWithMe #CheerMeOn

The clear-cut benefit of forgiveness is pretty obvious: the weight it can lift of off both parties. We don’t know about you, but it can hard and heavy to hold onto resentment, and vice versa for the helplessness that others may feel when they’ve done us — or someone else — wrong.

But this comes with a caveat: forgiveness doesn’t mean we have to allow that hurt to "slide." We get to determine how forgiveness affects us or doesn’t, and how we move forward.

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks can forgive others from her past that have abandoned her when she really needed someone to support her.

What about you?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Reframing "in-between a rock and a hard place". How can we be water? Perhaps we can reframe our point of view, look at the other side, find the logic and the emotional POV or simply let it go?
#Addiction #Agoraphobia #Anxiety #AnorexiaNervosa #Agoraphobia #AutismSpectrumDisorder #ADHD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #MentalHealth #PTSD #Schizophrenia #Lupus #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #CeliacDisease #Grief #POTS #SjogrensSyndrome #Cancers #SuicidalThoughts #Schizophrenia #Selfcare

Forgiving others? It can be done.
Forgiving ourselves? Depending on what you’re going through, this might be a little trickier (but nevertheless important).

If you fall into the latter category, today’s prompt is for you. Granting forgiveness toward ourselves is just as important as understanding and coming to terms with our past actions, behaviors, or habits in order to heal.

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks wants to forgive herself for how she spoke to herself all the years she grappled with perfectionism. She wants to be more gentle with how she interacts with herself and how she manages rejection and setbacks in her life.

What’s something you want to forgive yourself for?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

This tip has seriously been one of the biggest game changers for my depression/mental health! I know it might sound silly, but loving life doesn't wait for you to "feel" like it. It waits for you to DO it ✨
#Addiction #AnorexiaNervosa #Anxiety #Agoraphobia #AutismSpectrumDisorder #ADHD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDepression #MentalHealth #PTSD #Schizophrenia #Lupus #ChronicFatigue #CeliacDisease #SjogrensSyndrome #Cancers #Grief #Schizophrenia #SuicidalThoughts #Selfharm #Selfcare