What to Look For as Your Mind Heals

After time spent in therapy or on medication, you might begin to wonder if you’re getting better. Whether it’s an improved mood, reinvestment in personal relationships or a newfound motivation to take care of your to-do list, the reappearance of these positive outlooks and healthy habits can point towards a mental state on the mend.

Less irritability 

A crucial identifier of worsening mental health is irritability and loss of patience. As your mental health improves, you might notice increased patience with people or situations which previously irritated you very easily. Because you don’t feel quite so on edge, anxious or stressed, your mind has much more room for increased perspective and patient understanding.

Ease with handling daily routines

Mental health struggles can make basic tasks like getting out of bed, going to work and even maintaining personal hygiene difficult. As your mental health improves, you might notice that it becomes less difficult to wake up and go to work, and you’re more aware of and interested in maintaining your personal appearance.  

Tackling chores you once put off

Whether it be housework, changing the oil or mowing the lawn, when struggling with mental health these tasks can feel insurmountable. Your mind is highly focused on something else, so sparing the brain power to complete even an insignificant task becomes increasingly difficult. For this reason, a crucial sign in improved mental health is feeling motivated to tackle your to-do list. 

Interest in hobbies

Loss of interest in activities which once brought you joy – fishing, biking, drawing, crafting, hiking – is a telltale sign of decreasing mental health. On the flip side, a renewed desire for and beloved activities is a sign of improving mental health. If you find yourself returning to your hobbies, your mental health could be on the mend.

Changes in appetite

Sometimes, individuals experience changes in appetite during times when mental health is particularly strained. It may be an increased desire to eat more than is necessary, at times referred to as stress eating or binge eating. It may be a total loss of appetite due to stress, emotional upheaval or plain disinterest. Improved mental health, on the other hand, typically leads to a return to normal eating habits and a healthy appetite.   

Improved concentration

Certain mental health conditions can impact executive functioning. This is the part of the brain responsible for making decisions and committing to action, but if it’s sabotaged by mental strain, it’s not going to function properly. This is one of the reasons seemingly easy tasks like getting out of bed and going to work become so difficult; the brain struggles to commit. 

A crucial sign of improving mental health is the ease with which you’re once again able to make decisions. They are much less overwhelming, and instead of causing anxiety, decision making can lead to increased internal peace and mental stability.  

Better self-image 

Because decreased mental health leads to a lack of desire to upkeep personal appearance, feelings of disgust or dissatisfaction with one’s self-image can easily creep in. However, as mental health improves, self-care can improve alongside it. Those feelings of self-disgust are likely to fade away.

Reignited interest in social relationships 

Another sign of poor mental health is the tendency to isolate or withdraw from social situations. Whether it’s family, friends or coworkers, losing the desire to invest in relationships with others is not abnormal when your brain is turned inwards on a mental health condition. When the brain begins to heal and rewire toward healthy living habits, you will find yourself more interested and invested in building relationships. You’ll also be more aware of the truth that these relationships can be crucial for your recovery process.

Limited relapse

Improved mental health means you’re not falling back into anxious thoughts, depressive days or unhealthy habits as frequently as you once did. Relapse is an indicator that your mind still has room to grow and improve, but limited relapse – or no relapse at all – can mean your mental stamina has been fortified.

Help in your recovery 

Certain factors such as a supportive environment, therapy or healthy medication management are important ways to support your mental health as it begins to improve. As you recognize the signs of improved mental health, take the time to be proud of yourself! Working your way back toward stronger mental health, especially with the help of treatment centers like Freedom Detox, is always worth celebrating.

To learn more about the benefits of therapy on mental health, contact Freedom Detox today at 800-475-2312.