New to group same feelings

Hi there @Pweeda,

I am sorry to hear you have not been feeling great lately, but I'm glad you joined the forums and are finding that expressing yourself is providing some relief.

We wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to the forums.

We hope that you find the forums a great place to connect with other members, share stories and ideas, and find the support and connection you deserve.

Feel free to Introduce yourself here if you haven’t already!

We look forward to seeing you around on the forums!

Hi @Pweeda

Welcome to the Sane forums.

I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling well and that your mental health feels like it's declining, similar to what you’ve experienced in the past. It's good to know that sharing here on the forums has brought you some comfort, and I’m sure you’ll continue to find support from others.

In my experience, mental health can fluctuate during different life stages or challenges. For me, menopause is one such challenge.

COVID also disrupted many aspects of our lives - our routines, our sense of stability - and it’s been difficult for many to return to normal after all the upheaval.

Personally, I struggled with motivation, confidence, and felt a sense of disconnection from others. This can be a common experience as we get older, and loneliness can easily creep in.

I’d like to suggest starting with small acts of self-care, like taking a short walk outside. Fresh air and a bit of movement can boost your mood, improve sleep, and help you feel a little better. Try to make yourself a priority - eat nourishing foods, get some sunlight, and do things that bring you joy, like reading, taking a bath, or going for a swim.

Hopefully, as you start to feel better, you’ll be able to return to the exercise hobby you enjoyed. Physical activity is great for mental health, it helps us connect with others, and it’s essential for our overall well-being as we age.

It’s wonderful that you’re still staying connected with family and finding comfort in those relationships. When we're feeling low, our loved ones can be an invaluable source of support. I encourage you to share your feelings with a trusted family member - it might help you feel less alone.

You’ve already taken a big step by reaching out here, and you’re not alone in how you’re feeling. Managing mental health is an ongoing process, and it can resurface at different times in our lives. You’ve gotten through similar challenges before, and I encourage you to reflect on the things that helped you then. You’re strong, and sometimes even acknowledging that can offer some comfort.

Don’t hesitate to reach out again when you’re feeling lonely - there’s always someone here who understands and is ready to listen.

Kindly Alisse

Hi @Pweeda,

Welcome to the Forum and thank you for sharing.

I'm sorry to see that you are struggling at the moment, you certainly came to the right place, as I know that you will feel supported by others here who understand what you are going through.

Even just writing down and sharing our issues with others is very therapeutic and can help make us feel a little better… Especially in a safe space such as this.

And there are some wonderful suggestions from @Alisse around what we can do to practice self-care. What do you enjoy doing? This is often a good place to start. When you are ready, of course.

I hope that you find the support you are looking for and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi @Pweeda

Welcome to the forums. I hope that you find the support you need here and that you continue to get that "let it out" feeling here by sharing your experience. Its a very brave thing to do.

I'm sorry to hear about the recent decline in your mental health. While a decline in mental health is not a great thing to experience, I think its good that you have been able to identify it early and share with us. Are you in contact with any professional supports at the moment that can help you with this (GP, psychologist, counselor etc)?

You mentioned that your regular exercise hobby has stopped since covid and it sounds like you are lacking that motivation that you once had to get your body moving. It also sounds like you work alot... I once read a book that talked about creating new habits and it explained that if you want to create a new habit you need to link it to something that you already do regularly. Would creating a "get your body moving " habit before or after work (or even on a lunch break) be something that you could possibly do? I doesn't have to be the same as your pre-covid hobby, but even just getting out for a walk or something else you might find enjoyment in?

It sounds like your family is important to you. Have you been able to discuss with them how you are feeling? Perhaps if you feel comfortable you could reach out to a close family member that you feel comfortable talking with and talk to them about how you are feeling? They might be able to support you or even participate in an activity with you to help get you more active again?

Warm regards

SkySeeker22

hi All,
Thankyou all for your kind words and great suggestions. I wrote the above message early in the morning and was still in a neg and not so good mood whilst on my phone (another bad habit to a good nights sleep) . Yes writing it down somewhere and sharing did help me start the day (even with the poor grammer but now I been Working from Home and functioning ok and did a morning walk with my partner and the dog, even positive somewhat. i assoicate my neg mood and the SAD's this morning to our enternal Winter and lack of activity. Its a recurring symptom i am getting lately during the nights and early morning and can be triggered or worsen by any recent events that l look at as negative and start the blame game on myself (so littlebit like a rollorcoaster not knowing how big the next hill will be). Hope to work on some hobiies or activites over the weekend and avoid the late night tv or doom scrolling on the phone and focus on the positvie activities and thoughts and report back next week. Also I will read the replies in detail. Just rushing this reply now during work.

Thanks for responding @Pweeda .

I hear how challenging things can be sometimes.

Please know you are not alone.

Tagging @SkySeeker22 @Alisse @defaultusername as they may have missed your message above.

I'm glad to see that you went for a morning walk with your partner and dog, @Pweeda. Dogs are the best mood boosters, aren't they? And so is walking.

I can completely relate to feeling a bit low during winter, it can make life just that bit harder, especially when it affects our mental health.

That's great that you are aware of how bad our phone's (or any screen time) before bed can have such a negative effect on our sleep, though it can be difficult to find that strength to do it. I think focusing on some hobbies and activities is a great idea — I like to listen to a good audiobook before bed so it can help me drift off. Which can make for some interesting dreams, haha.

Not a problem at all, I hope that work goes well!

Looking forward to hearing from you.


P.s. thank you @tyme!

Hi @Pweeda. It's great to hear you're feeling more positive this morning. I think we all know very well just what a roller coaster ride this can be like. I can't wait for this wintery weather to end. I'll definitely start to feel more positive once I can spend a few days outside in the sun. We started the week off her in Adelaide with a couple of rare nice sunny days and I took full advantage, but the cold, wind, and rain didnt take long to return.

I hope you continue to feel more positive and we're here to listen and keep you company either way.