I try not to encourage people to use their illness as a way
out of things; instead fight and strive to keep functioning as best you
can…that having been said, I think it’s time for a refresher on taking care of
yourself and loving who you ARE, not who you wish you were.
Getting out of bed is the single biggest struggle for me
right behind going out and socializing. Getting up in the morning; even when I
know I have places to be, people to see, my boyfriend will be waiting to for me
and if I got up I’d open a huge door for possibility…but I loath it with all my
being. I do not mean for this to be a typical teenage rant about how lazy I am
and how I don’t want to do anything (though I suppose that’s a part of it).
Truth be told, I’m really not that lazy.
Have you ever seen Nanny
McPhee, the movie? There’s a scene where nanny McPhee charms the children
so they can’t get out of bed no matter how hard they try; being stuck feels
like that sometimes, like I can’t get up no matter what. Most days I fight that
and somehow end up at school only a measly 15 minutes late, some days however,
I end up lying there for 45 minutes (or more) with no ability or strength to
put myself in the already decided clothing choice and walk upstairs.
More often than not, when I finally do rise from my
chambers, I shove myself out the door and haul myself into class. I then
proceed to spend the duration of the day feeling like crap. Sometimes, “you’ve
gotta do what you’ve gotta do,” but other days, why not take the time to become
ok?
What’s the real harm in taking 10 more minutes and making
myself a cup of tea (which, if you’re new here, is my feel good go-to)? That’s
not to say “well, I’m depressed and don’t feel like going to school so lets use
this cop out,” because the boy who cried wolf led a dangerous life. Nor am I
suggesting that not being able to get out of bed on time every day when you
feel really rough is bad, no. Chances are that your body is saying, “I need a
moment, we are not ok here” and is searching to resolve whatever the problem is
(again, not to be used as an excuse or confused with laziness).
I believe that it’s ok to do what you have to do in order to
be happy. Obviously missing a silly amount of school doesn’t make sense and
will eventually stress you out more. I can’t really speak to common sense, I
feel that is something you are born with and cannot be taught. However I have
noticed that taking care of yourself and your mental state is not common sense.
You are not weak because you need a mental health day. You
are weak if you are so unaware of yourself that you don’t know to take a day
for yourself. Sometimes people crumble and break down but it would not be a
regular occurrence and is often preventable if you know yourself and when you
need a break-before hitting that breaking point.
Here’s a list of things I do for myself, just to help you
get a few ideas:
- Making tea
- Watching a Disney movie
- Buy some flowers
- Clean my room
- Go for a walk
- Hang Christmas lights around my house/room
- Taking a shower/bath
Thing that won’t help:
Self-harm
Lashing out at friends/family
Ignoring the problems
Over analyzing
Skipping necessary medication