I’ve read a lot of LinkedIn posts recently about mental health. January was quite a popular month for talking about mental health, especially when people want to strong start to the New Year and aim to maintain this mindset throughout the year. There was a lot of conversation around Blue Monday (the third Monday of January) and most recently Time to Talk day, which was on the 2nd February and founded by mental health charity Mind. Whilst the former example was coined following a press release from a travel company in 2005, it is great to see so many people being open about their mental health experiences, especially on a platform such as LinkedIn.
Seeing all of these posts has made me reflect on my own mental health journey and recent experiences. I don’t think the major life changes I have experienced have quite settled in, nor have I really reflected on how these changes have impacted me, as they all happened in such quick succession. In early July last year I broke up with my ex-partner, who I had been with for 4 1/2 years. I moved back in with my parents in Leicester and then by the end of August, I had an offer accepted on the house which I now call home. Between August and November I was quickly learning about the housing market, mortgages and interest rates, liaising with my solicitor and mortgage advisor, and researching into specialist insurance as my house has had a history of subsidence (that caused a lot of stress during the house buying process). By early December I had moved back to Tamworth in my new home, to live on my own for the very first time.
Writing this blog post has definitely made me realise how much I have experienced throughout the past seven months. Even though I wrote a self-reflective blog at the end of 2022, I didn’t fully take into account the life changes I have been through. This process of reflection has reminded me of the importance of routine, something which I didn’t really establish when I moved back to Leicester temporarily. My mind and my mood was and has been all over the place, as I had gone from living with my ex to moving back in with my parents (when I thought I had flown the nest), and now I am living independently. The uncertainty and changes have at times been challenging for me to comprehend, and may have been easier to do so with a routine in place.
While I was living in Leicester, I became comfortable being back with my parents (i.e., putting on body weight). Of course, I am so grateful that my parents let me move back in. I occasionally practiced meditation, although the dogs definitely helped with my mental health, and being in the company of my family was nice as well. I was training for my second half marathon whilst being back in Leicester, although my determination had somewhat diminished, especially with buying my new home and adjusting to living with my parents.
When I seriously started to look after my mental health two years ago, I established a routine which made me feel happier and healthier in myself. My routine included things like being more conscious in my food choices, practicing mindful eating, minimising screen time on my phone (e.g., scrolling through Facebook) etc. I wrote about the changes I made in two blog posts about the importance of self-care, which you can access in the following links (Post #1; Post #2).
Having a routine can help you to feel more grounded and manage daily stresses as they arise. Sticking to my routine may have helped me whilst adjusting to recent major life changes, especially with managing the stressful situations I encountered. Of course I am very fortunate to have such a strong support network through my family, friends and work colleagues; they have all definitely helped me navigate the changes over the past seven months.
Since moving into my new home, I have been trying to re-establish a routine to fit around my new way of living. I have started running again after work, aiming for at least twice a week. The National Running Show reignited my interest and it helps that it’s not as dark in the evenings when I finish work. I’m also trying to focus on mindfulness through regular meditation and observing my surroundings when I walk to work. It helps that I’m about a 20 minute walk away from the office, which is a nice way to start and finish my day, and fit in exercise. I bought myself a colour in calendar which includes a design for each month of the year. I find colouring relaxing and a way to wind down with music playing in the background.
Despite everything that I’ve experienced, I feel happy more than anything to have my own place to call home. I always try to maintain a positive outlook on life and I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. A year ago I never dreamt I would be living on my own in my own house, but here I am. I will definitely aim to keep to a routine, so that I feel more grounded and ready for whatever the next major life change will be.
Happy reading and blogging!
Clare Bear 🙂 xx