10 Things I'm Doing in October for My Mental Health
As someone who struggles with depression, anxiety, and is in ED recovery
September was a doozy.
I spent a lot of September in a daze, drunk with friends, or depressed in bed. Yes, I still worked and fed Milo and took care of my responsibilities—but I didn’t really take care of myself.
Without creating a “get my shit together” plot (which I’ve done in the past and has only harmed me more), I do want to create some structure, routine, and support for myself in October.
I’d like to set goals and create space for me to feel well, trust myself, and take care of my mental health.
10 Things I'm Doing in October for My Mental Health
Eating consistent meals daily
Sober October
Going to the “mental gym” (see description below)
Open App’s 10 Day Focus program
Putting my phone on DND
Moving my body daily
Dedicating an hour daily to a creative project
Practice good sleep hygiene
Limiting scrolling + social media usage
Getting outside once every day
Below is what I plan to do, and if you’d like to join me in any of it, you are absolutely invited.
1. Eating consistent meals daily
During times when my mental health is not, well, at its healthiest, I go back to basics. This means basic hygiene, basic meals, basic movement. I don’t re-invent the wheel (I still don’t know what an everything shower is) or try to cook new recipes or start a new gym routine. I remove choices and simply focus on having breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. *As someone in recovery it is extra important that I commit to a regular meal plan during these times as the urge to restrict increases when my mood is low or my anxiety is high.
2. Sober October
I have done 2-4 weeks of no booze in the past for various reasons, and I always find that when I do my mental health significantly improves. Again, as someone with a history of an ED I try not to place rules/restrictions on my life as that only triggers a binge/restrict cycle, so if I do take alcohol breaks I am very gentle with myself. And, creating short-term goals around something I know benefits me and sticking to it also develops self-trust which is vital to my mental health.
3. Going to the “mental gym”
In the same way people (myself included) go to the gym, yoga, pilates, or whatever they do to exercise their physical body, I plan to “go to the mental gym” to exercise my mind. This means carving out an hour 3-5 times a week where I do a “mental workout.” This might be journaling, meditating, breathwork, therapy, tapping, or other exercises designed to help me slow down, check in with myself, and practice creating an inner dialogue and mindset that is open, compassionate, and secure.
*I have dozens of guided journals on my website if you’re looking for a good place to start with this. Check them out with the button below👇🏼
4. Open App’s 10 Day Focus program
I have been using the Open app for almost a year now and every month or so they offer a themed series. This month they are doing a “focus” program which is all about harnessing the attention span and removing mental clutter (which I have a lot of). I’ve noticed how bad my focus has become in the last several months as a result of heavy scrolling, fast-paced content consumption, and a general culture of urgency. I really want to write another book, and to do that I need to get my attention span back, so I’m looking forward to this series.
*use my code RACHELHAVEKOST for 30 days free on the Open app
5. Putting my phone on DND
I’ve noticed that when my phone is on DND it is MUCH easier for me to check my phone less—I think in part it’s because I know I haven’t “missed” a notification since all notifications are silenced. Another part of it is that if I’m on DND, anyone who texts me knows I’m not in seeing it right away and that gives me some leeway around how long it takes to respond. It’s sort of a placebo tool that creates a digital or emotional or mental boundary, and as a result, I’m on my phone less.
6. Moving my body daily
I do this already, so this is something I will keep doing. Movement has helped me tenfold with my mental health—whether it’s a 10 minute walk or a heavy weight lifting session. It’s the one time of the day when I’m truly out of my head and in my body. It also gets me out of the house and around people—so for an hour each day I’m not alone, I’m away from my thoughts, and I’m connecting with my physical body.
7. Dedicating an hour daily to a creative project
For me, this means my next book. SCARY. Yes, it’s time. And, I’ve been procrastinating/avoiding/terrified. Not acting on this project is starting to hurt my mental health: initially I was allowing myself grace for rest period between projects, and now, I’m simply avoiding starting something hard. I know I can do hard things. I know I can write this book. And actually sitting down and dedicating time to it will build my confidence, develop self-trust, and make me proud.
8. Practice good sleep hygiene
My sleep has been whack for a month now, so in October I plan to practice some better sleep hygiene. I’m going to try sticking to a general sleep schedule (going to bed around the same time and waking up around the same time), avoiding screens an hour before bed, and trying to journal/write out any anxious thoughts right before I sleep. If anyone has other tips I welcome them in the comments!
9. Limiting scrolling + social media usage
Honestly this might be the hardest. I am GLUED to my phone y’all. And, I know that the constant checking, scrolling, swiping, and consuming is rotting my brain and soul. I would like to feel less tethered to my device for many reasons: I don’t want to feel so rushed and behind all the time, I’d like to create space for my own ideas and creativity to flourish naturally, I want to be more present in my physical life, and I want to be able to focus on my projects without so much distraction.
*if anyone has good apps/tricks for reducing screen time or app usage please let me know in the comments!!!
10. Getting outside once every day
This is another one I already do and will continue. Luckily I have Milo so I HAVE to go outside daily, and that has honestly been a blessing. Even just the five minute potty walk we go on first thing in the morning helps me start my day with a little less dread: I feel fresh air on my skin, sun (or rain) on my face, and likely see one other person. Later in the day I like to do a longer walk which again, gets me outside of my house, out of my head, and at least a little connected to nature. If I can, I find a beach or park where I can sit for a little while and people watch. It’s not transformative, and, in tandem with these other practices, it helps.
I’ll be sharing how all of this is going on my instagram if you want to follow along more closely (or stay inspired).
As always, I’d love to hear your comments, and how you’re caring for your mental health this month!
All my messy love,
Rachel
Rachel Havekost is the bestselling author of “Where the River Flows,” “Write to Heal,” and “The Inner Child Journal.” Rachel has single-handedly built an online social media presence with a combined 300k+ individuals devoted to de-stigmatizing mental health. She uses her writing and social platforms to share her wisdom and experience from 19 years of therapy for her eating disorder recovery, suicidal depression, anxiety, trauma, and divorce.
To read the full story of my eating disorder and experience with depression and suicide, read my memoir “Where the River Flows.”
For more written work, guided journals, and education, head to www.rachelhavekost.com
I love the idea of a mental gym, I’d like to add that into my routine. It will be interesting gig you to track the difference all this makes to you. Also going to investigate the open app, I don’t know that one ⭐️
Am I the only one who had to look up “everything shower”? I didn’t know those even existed.
This is a great idea. I’m definitely in need of a reset, even contemplating therapy (which I stopped a couple years ago for the first time in about 20 years). Follow-through is a major issue for me though, or not even starting something due to fear of fucking up. I need accountability!