Nosce Te Ipsem is latin for the expression “Know Thyself”. In a previous article entitled Depression: Practical Tips for the Battle from May 2014, I talked about the idea of knowing yourself and rating how you are doing on a scale of 1 to 10. (see the article for more ideas!) This can be a valuable tool if you are dealing with a mental health challenge like depression or anxiety, but it is also valuable if you are dealing with a physical challenge like an illness or injury. Objectively “knowing yourself” can be helpful in determining how, when, and whether to push yourself. As I have said before, too often we over-ride our body’s needs. I am not saying it is never good to push ourselves, to stretch or to grow. I just see- both in myself and in the members of my practice- a tendency to ignore our body’s need for recovery time when we have a pressing goal. Last Thursday I had a long “To Do” list, but I recognized that I wasn’t feeling 100% and I opted to delay some less essential tasks to another day and spend some of my “free” time reading a book, curled up by the fireplace. I could have gotten those tasks done, but the cost to my general health was not worth it!
This month I have been asked to teach a workshop on “Dealing With Life’s Storms” at a church in Mississauga. I have done similar classes, focusing on the connection between mental and physical health. The last time I taught this, I led a follow-up group, where we brainstormed some ways to make this practical. If you deal with depression or anxiety, it is very helpful to evaluate how you are doing that day, without judgement. If it is on a scale of 1 to 10, it is important to recognize and acknowledge if you are a 2 out 10 that day, that it is not your fault or something you should be ashamed of, or something that needs to be fixed. Recognizing the temporary nature of our mood, that we won’t always be a 2/10, is very therapeutic. Communicating with those around you if it is a “2/10 day” can help get the support that you might need from those that care about you, or adjust the expectations that might be upon you (this is not the time to nag you about emptying the dishwasher- you are doing really well just to be out of bed on a 2/10 day!) It can help you adjust the expectations you have for yourself. This may be time to take a day off work, or get some form of treatment. This may be a day that you really need some gentle exercise, if you find walking helps lift your spirits, but may be a time that you won’t feel like walking- so it would be good to meet up with a friend to walk together. You may have a tendency to over eat or not eat enough at those times, both of which can throw off your blood sugar levels and make you feel worse for longer! If you are someone that doesn’t eat at low times, having some emergency food on hand is important- a meal in the freezer that you will thaw and eat on a rough day.
You are the person that knows yourself the best. On a good day, when you are not a 2/10, take some time to make a plan for a bad day. Sometimes we want to hope that a bad day will never happen again, so we avoid thinking about it. Planning for the worst can help us to have the best outcome. It is like taking an umbrella on a day that might rain, you’re covered either way! Take some time to plan for what expectations to have for yourself and brainstorm about what helps you when you are a 1-2/10. I would encourage you to make a chart, planning for times that are very low(1-2/10) , as well as for times that are low(3-5/10).
This chart lists some questions to ask yourself about physical symptoms, recurring thoughts and feelings. Write out what helps you in each state. Decide what would be an indicator that you need additional medical help, and write down an action plan should that occur- the name and number you need to call. What friends or family members should you reach out to if you are low or very low? What foods should you eat to help you? Many of the suggestions listed below come from the May 2014 article. Refer to the article and come up with your own plan for these different states.
Jon Kabat-Zinn says something I really like. “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf!” We may continue to face storms in our lives, be they physical, mental or emotional. We can learn to manage them, to surf through them, by understanding ourselves and what helps us best. Know Yourself! As the slogan says… Know your limit, live within it!
