Dear Life Section,

I need help with my mental health, but therapy is not an option for me anymore. I have tried time and time again to see a therapist at multiple different places, but it just has not been helping, and I do not want to have to start over with the process multiple times to find the ‘right’ therapist.

I need to better my mental health, but I do not know how. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Cannot-Go-Back-to-Therapy

Dear Cannot-Go-Back-to-Therapy,

I have been in the same boat as you multiple times, trust me, and there have been multiple things I have done to keep myself in a good mental headspace.

For starters, I have a book of frustrations. I use that notebook to rant about anything and everything on the daily, and it helps me from bottling everything up without actually having to talk about it.

This notebook also gives me the chance to reflect on something I reacted to a couple of days later. Sometimes my feelings are so in the moment that they are only extreme, so I think it has been good to go back and reflect on my emotions.

If are trying to get into a good headspace, I know yoga can help with that. I have not gotten into yoga yet, but I am hoping to start soon.

With that being said, there are so many ways to get involved in yoga, including Sanctuary in Pullman. WSU even offers some yoga classes if you can fit them into your schedule.

But if you are not looking to pay for classes and are wanting to find something flexible for your schedule, there is a wide variety of YouTube videos; I am even planning on going to the internet when I start my yoga journey.

There are also quite a few meditation apps, which can allow you to clear your head for a little while. I am not a big meditation person, but I do like to listen to the sounds of waves or trees, or anything nature-related for that matter, which I think has the same effect on me, especially when I am trying to sleep.

But, I think that finding something that works best for you is the greatest thing you can do for yourself, and the same thing will not work for everybody. It might take some trial and error to get yourself to where you want to be, but I believe you can do it.

And do not be scared to reach out to your friends and the important people in your life if you are struggling. I know it can be hard to talk to people, but those are your people, and they care about you and will be there for you unconditionally.

I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

The Life Section