Let’s face it- we all sometimes have anxiety and can get depressed. For those who have these feelings on a regular basis, it is important to constantly challenge yourself. Challenging yourself can keep your mind from wandering into those dark or scary places and keeps you focused on specific tasks which is exactly why goal setting is important to maintaining good mental health.
Starting a 30-day challenge is a great idea for those with anxiety and depression because it is a short time frame and can keep you thinking about just that for 30 days! Here are some simple ideas for healthy 30-day challenges that you can do by yourself or with a friend:
- Go for a walk every day
- Make a new friend each week
- Ask open-ended questions to keep conversations going.
- Order food without practicing in your head first
- Speak to a stranger about the weather each day
- Call someone on the phone every day
- Host a get together once a week.
- Exercise in public
These are not hard to do and don’t take a lot of time but they can slowly increase your self-esteem as well as make you physically and mentally more healthy. The idea is to do things that are only a little scarier than what you normally do. Take it slow and make sure you are holding yourself accountable.
For those of you that want to go into more depth and see additional improvements, the book Social Anxiety to Social Success can help. Here is the link to the E-book! https://www.socialsuccess.anxiouslass.com/
By Elise Pape, Director of Adult Recovery Services
