Taking Care of Me

Recently, my mental health hasn’t been its best. I’ve been less sociable, my sleep schedule has been a mess, my brain has been foggy due to the summer heat, and I’ve been apathetic towards watching what I eat and addressing my eczema.

Eating my feelings away

Diet is a huge part of how I treat eczema. But whenever I fall into one of my downhill mental funks, I tend to throw caution to the wind and usually eat my feelings away on whatever is currently in my kitchen. This behavior results in a flare-up and a loss of confidence.

The last few weeks I’ve been doing my best to recoup and have been slowly trying to get back on track with both my mental and physical health.

Junk food

Honestly, I do my best when I avoid eating junk food. I hardly ever buy it because of how badly it affects my eczema and how it triggers my body to want to overeat. Yet, even with my decision to keep healthy food around the house, whenever my mental health goes downhill I always turn to food to comfort my emotions.

If I am being honest, sometimes eating comfort and junk food just feels good and it’s easier to eat than to deal with our problems. But that doesn’t mean it’s good for us.

Currently flaring

Because of my current overeating habits and constant soda intake, I’ve been having flare-ups. Mostly on my right hand. The rash that’s already there has been getting worse. I’ve also been getting small patches in between my fingers.

The small rashes have been a pain, they’re dry, raw, itchy and almost scale-like. I’ve been having trouble holding onto things comfortably because of it, things like my phone and pens have been extremely annoying to hold.

Self-care

The last few weeks I’ve been doing little things to help myself feel better physically and mentally.

• I’ve been going on evening walks, which have helped regain some of my energy and have also helped lighten my headaches.
• I’ve slowly gotten back into my exercise routine as well, mostly stretches for now, but it’s better than nothing!
• I’ve been doing my best to cut down my emotional eating and my intake of soda. If I do snack, it’s on something like carrots or grapes. I have also reduced my soda consumption and have started drinking more water.

Mentally recouping

I am working on being kinder to myself. If I need to stop working because I’m not feeling well and need to take a nap, then that’s okay! I can get my work done after my nap.

My sleep schedule is still a bit of a mess. But instead of wasting the hours I am awake, I have been using those late-night hours to work on projects. Even though I may not like being up at 4 am, I feel physically and mentally better because I’m listening to my body.

I’ve been leaving my house a lot more as well, going out with my family, going to Disneyland, attending a book club, etc. It may not seem like much, but spending time with friends and family helps to reassure me that I am loved and that they want the best for me.

How do you care for yourself when you're feeling down?