When a person is struggling with mental health issues, holidays like Valentine’s Day can trigger their condition to deepen. This is hardly surprising when you consider the level of media attention cast on the day which serves to “guilt” people into making romantic gestures to their partners. People who are alone or experiencing relationship difficulties can find this puts their troubles into stark focus.
How to Navigate Valentine’s Day with a Mental Illness
There are ways you can make holidays easier to manage with our tips for a restful Valentine’s Day:
- Look for support from people who make you feel good. Although the temptation might be to lock yourself away until the day is over, it helps to share what you’re feeling with others. Being in the company of friends and loved ones helps to cope with negative feelings.
- Although phone calls, texting and social media messaging are all great ways of keeping in touch with people, there’s nothing better than face-to-face meetings. People are easily distracted when communicating on their phones and sometimes “conversations” are disjointed which can send the wrong message. Actually sitting down in a relaxed environment with someone is much more likely to relieve depressed feelings.
- Be nice to other people. Reaching out and offering support to others is very therapeutic for people who suffer with mental illness. Although it’s easier to retreat into your shell, you’ll find helping others to bring about a great sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.
- Take the dog for a long walk. If you have an animal, they are a great source of therapy. In fact, animals like dogs and horses are regularly used in mental health treatment these days. A good brisk walk even if only for ten minutes goes a long way to providing clarity and boosting overall wellbeing.
Have Strong Mental Health this Valentine’s Day with Casa Recovery
If you are dealing with a mental illness, Casa Recovery can help you. We offer a wide range of treatments for mental illness including holistic therapies in our center which is set in beautiful surroundings in Orange County. Contact us in confidence and organize a consultation at Casa Recovery today.