What you do for yourself when you’re physically sick are the same kinds of things you should do for yourself when you’re mentally sick.
…And I don’t mean mentally sick as in innately twisted or morally malevolent… I mean just temporarily “under the weather” and like you’ve been infiltrated by some kind of “virus of the mind” if you will.
This could happen from being overworked and exhausted, from a hurtful comment from someone you love, from the loss of someone important to you… etc.
Being mentally “under the weather” might sound like:
- “I’m worthless”
- “I can’t do anything right”
- “Nothing I do is ever enough”
- “I’m a bad person/friend/parent/spouse”
- “There is so much more I should’ve done, but didn’t do”
What are the doctor’s orders when physically sick?
- Rest (including time away from normal obligations like school or work)
- Hydrate (so your body can keep things moving smoothly throughout your body—including the defeated sickness cells after our immune system is done with them)
- Maybe medicine if the symptoms get bad enough (things to either add immune system support or help you endure the pain/discomfort of the symptoms)
And what might we do to deal with a virus of the mind?
- Rest (including time away from people/places/things that might’ve infected your mind in the first place.
- Hydrate (by keeping fresh, mentally hydrating thoughts pouring in from high-quality sources)
- Maybe “medicine” if the symptoms persist or get bad enough (getting mental immune system support by having conversations with insightful friends, loved ones, or a therapist)—which I’d say is about as close to “mind medicine” that isn’t actually mind medicine as it gets.