55- Special edition 2 : Mental health awareness month (3) - Self-care

May is mental health awareness month, and in this day 3 post I answer ‘’How I practice self-care’’ ?

In the past 6 months or so, I’ve read books and watched videos on youtube, in search of ideas and tools to improve my life conditions and start a healing process as I find my mental health to be very challenging on a daily basis and I’ve come to a point in my life where I make better friends which I don’t want to lose (they have been very patient and understanding, taking my situation into consideration for our various activities together).

My other current tools are:

• A diary, in which I try to write some of my goals and achievements, all in regards to my social anxieties and activities.  
• This blog for an easier and more expanded self-expression, which have been thus far mostly around my mental health issues such as social (and other) phobias, but which should have ultimately more entries in holistic health topics, especially my self-care for other basic ailments such as headaches, pains, allergies and the common cold.
• I also have other blogs for various hobbies that are unrelated to this one
• Presently, I’m reading Rapee’s Overcoming shyness and social phobia, which gives me some ‘’homework’’ between chapters, and also a women’s art book and Virginia Woolf’s short stories collection so I don’t concentrate solely on my mental health problems.
• I plan to copy and print pages from an adult coloring book and start coloring for the first time of my life, and maybe, just maybe, try my hand again at other art forms such as painting – which I tried a few times and didn’t have the patience in the ugly phase, or self confidence that I could improve.
• I also practice digital photography as an artistic activity, and hike for my physical shape as well as breathing fresh air and change my mindset from all those mental health troubles.

I’m always in search of more tools, so this list might expand over time. 

PS i've tried a CBT last year and had to stop it. Another should start soon with another therapist.
I also have a regular shrink for my other issues.