How I Maintain My Emotional Health

How many times lately have you heard people say, “We live in terrible times”? Indeed, between the challenges of Covid, global warming, and the divisions within our country, sustaining our mental health is a real challenge. Personally, I have been struggling with some long-term health challenges. I’ve had problems with my gait, probably related to an early childhood injury. I also have glaucoma. As I age, both conditions have increasingly restricted my activities. Emotionally, I have had to struggle to manage so that these physical problems do not bring me down mentally. Here are some ways I have learned to try to keep me from getting into a mental funk.

1. I try to keep moving. Even taking a walk can be beneficial.

2. I get enough sleep. Naps are also a good idea, especially if I limit them to 20 minutes.

3. I try not to become isolated. We are tribal people and need to extend ourselves to others to be mentally healthy. I regularly reach out to my friends to have coffee or a meal, or to catch a Tiger game.

4. I practice some form of meditation or prayer. I have been meditating for over 50 years. Over that time I have developed many of my own meditation practices. (I am happy to share these with you, just let me know)

5. Furthermore, when I am down and can’t get over it easily, I talk to my wife or sons, or call a friend, or talk to one of my amazing cousins. I of course have a therapist who I fondly refer to as Dr. J.

6. I try to not blame others for my bad mood or my problems. 

7. I try to eat right. For me that means cutting down on sugar and coffee, (which is not easy to do when I meet people for coffee or ice cream).

8. I remember that the best things in life are not things. As Kate Bowler says in a recent article One thing I Don’t Plan to Do Before I Die Is Make a Bucket List, ”it is much easier to count items than to know what counts.”

9. I get out in nature. My idea of bliss is taking a walk, stopping to sit on a bench, recording a few observations, and taking a few pictures. I also love to chat with people. The photo at the top of this newsletter is of a woman I met in County Farm Park. I had often admired her dahlias, and when I saw her in her garden recently, I stopped and chatted with her to learn about how she grows such beautiful flowers. In turn, she offered me some of her delicious tomatoes.

10. I try to keep perspective. I try not to compare myself to others or to think about how my health used to be.

11. I try to focus on what I can do rather than what I can no longer do.

12. I continue to enjoy my work. I am one of those lucky people for whom work is like play. Coaching, counseling, and writing (Including Dr. Rob), bring me immense joy. I also love bringing people together through my Leaders Connect breakfasts (now through zoom).