You feel stuck. You have a plethora of assignments to do. You have a stuffy nose. You’re stressing about an upcoming presentation. Your favorite pair of jeans isn’t washed. There are dishes in the sink. You didn’t take your makeup off last weekend and it’s showing on your face. You need money for a Halloween costume. You don’t feel as social as you usually do. You haven’t made it to the gym yet this week and somehow all you can do is doom scroll on TikTok. This is a rut and I think it is safe to say majority of people have experienced this or something similar. In honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, I’ve been thinking about how I can better take care of my own mental health and look out for those around me. These are my best tips for climbing out of the rut you are in. This is in no way health advice, this is just what I’ve found helps!
- Romanticize Rituals
When people said less is more I didn’t think it would relate to mental health, but it really is the little things that make all the difference. Anytime I decide to swap my slow brewed, gorgeous, perfect, coffee for a monster that will probably kill me soon, I slip deeper into the rut. When I decide to doom scroll instead of journaling, I slip deeper into the rut. When I start napping instead of making it to the gym, I slip deeper into the rut. How do I find the motivation for the little things? I romanticize it all and life slowly becomes much more interesting. Changing my attitude from having to do something, to getting to do something is hard at first, but fake it til you make it, right?
- Do youÂ
Some may think this is dumb to even point out, but do the things that make you feel like you. College is full of people who you will constantly compare yourself to, even if it is subconscious. You might be walking to class and think “gosh I wish I could be the girl that wears a matching White Fox set to class” or “I wish I didn’t look like an egg with a slick back bun”. I am guilty of this as I’m sure many people are. Truth is this period of our life is the last time we will be surrounded by an overwhelming amount of people our own age; We shouldn’t spend it trying to achieve a certain aesthetic or comparing ourselves. When I am in a rut I tend to compare myself to others more frequently. Prioritizing doing things that you are wildly better at than everyone else is the best way I’ve found to counteract this unhealthy habit. For me that means swimming twice a week. In highschool I was a competitive swimmer; it was my life. Now that i’m in college, not being held accountable by coaches, teammates and pressure, it seems like this piece of myself gets lost in the cracks. Swimming was and is still a big part of my identity so prioritizing this makes me feel just that much more like myself.
- Mottos For Motivation
Drive it like you stole it. I heard someone say this recently and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I have quite literally made it my whole personality and you should too. Live your life as if you stole it. Love your body as if you stole it. Cherish your brain as if you stole it. You may all be saints who have never stolen a single thing (if that applies I applaud you), but the rush, the adrenaline, the urge to never let go, that’s how we need to be treating our lives. (I swear I am not a kleptomaniac). That being said this motto might not work for you the way it does for me. Find whatever it is that makes your wheels turn, maybe that’s a religious verse or a song lyric, write it down, stick it to your mirror and say it, until you know longer need it.Â
- Call People That Miss YouÂ
This does not mean to call your toxic ex back. Call your siblings. Call your mom back. Let your grandma tell you about the new vitamins she’s taking and the people she met at church. Call the childhood friend you haven’t caught up with in awhile. Remind yourself of the people that miss you.Â
Prioritize your mental health whether or not you are in a rut. Make space for yourself however that may look and take care of each other! <3