Yesterday I introduced a new series on the blog. My real life journal entries during some of my toughest times. My Mental Illness Journal. Today I want to talk about goals in mental health recovery.
What Are Your Mental Health Recovery Goals?
In the life with a mental illness, it can seem difficult to set realistic goals. Its roots are in the fears that come with recovery. In my own life, being Bipolar means the constant ups and downs affect my everyday. When you add more things like social anxiety and dealing with insomnia, it can be constant chaos. So goals can feel impossible most days.
Even with everything that comes with your mental illness, it is important to make goals. Setting life goals is an important part of your mental health wellness and recovery.
There are things that you can ask yourself that can be quite helpful in figuring out your goals.
What motivates me?
For me five years ago I knew I had to go back to school. I always considered myself a writer, but I need to refine my skills. I knew if I went back to school It works to keep me motivated from week to week, and it has done that in my life. As I near the end of my Bachelor’s degree my motivation is even clearer to go beyond and start my Master’s Program. It has been a tough journey of ups and downs but the motivation has always been there to succeed. It drives me.
Writing is what gets me up each day and thought it wasn’t always so, it has been for the last two years why I wake up each day. It motivates me to write my memoir, this blog, and to always be looking for my next writing project. I write for me first, and second to share my life. What motivates me is ending the stigma surrounding mental illness.
What would I do more of if I was able?
This is the hardest question to answer, what would I do more if I was able? It’s tough because if you have ever been in the darkness that comes with depression for a long period, it may seem impossible to believe that you can do more. We have all been there, including yours truly. But, it is an important to find what is the one thing you could do more of, and for me, it was writing.
What do I want in life?
It is important to know what you want out of this life. To get to the point of starting the journey of real recovery this question seems important. I would even go further and ask what you want in this life outside of your mental illness? Find what makes you happy. We are already not normal people those of with a mental illness. So, don’t worry if what you want out of life isn’t normal. If your goal right now is to get better beyond your mental illness then that should be the goal.
Where do I want my life to go?
For me, this question was never simple. It took me writing my screenplay starting in 2016 and ending in 2017 to find my focus. When I started this blog near the end of last year, it helped me focus on where I wanted my life to go. I want to share my story with the world through my memoir and this blog. I have done a good job so far.
What brings me joy?
This is simple and it will be very important to know moving forward. I know what brings me joy. Writing, listening to good music, sharing my experiences, and reading a good book. It might surprise you that the things that help you on your mental health recovery are the things that bring you joy.
What I did is something I would recommend to all. Five years ago I answered each of these questions so that I could find my goals in my mental health recovery. I found one thing was constant when answering these questions, it still is. My need to write. It took me a while to get to this place, but I know who I am now. A writer that writes first for me and second for my people. All the other things like selling my screenplay and self-publishing my memoir are just the results of working on my mental health goals.
Mental health recovery is never straightforward. There will be plenty of bumps along the way. Peaks and valleys. Its how you deal with it that will help aid you. Find your place in the world because even with a mental illness, you always have a real place in society.
What are your mental health recovery goals? I challenge each of my fellow bloggers to share within their own blog.
Always keep fighting.
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My goal is the same as yours. To end the stigmas surrounding us. I don’t know where you live but here in France where I live and Switzerland, where I’m from the perception of mentally ill people is atrocious.
To answer your question about mental health recovery goals is such; I’ve been followed by psychiatrists since 1992 and I’m still not recovering from anything but my goal is to try to remain stable.
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I am in the United States. It’s not any better hear either. Mental illness as in the whole world shares the bad stigma.
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I think we don’t have much of a choice but to do it ourselves and fight for it.
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Yup. I have to agree. It’s up to all of us to have a voice so that we can be united in fighting the stigma.
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Awesome. I will be doing this soon. Thanks again!
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These are great contemplative questions to help stay focused on the goal of recovery and healing. Thank you for sharing!
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You’re welcome. I found them very useful in my own life.
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Making a note to work on this one tomorrow. Can’t focus on it tonight. But I will 🙂
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Good luck with your recovery. I’m rooting for you!
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Thank you very much.
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Great post! I was thinking about some of these questions earlier tonight. I’ll write/share my goals in a future post.
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That’s great. Let me know when you do id like to read it.
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For sure!
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James follow this blog https://onedayatatimewithfb.wordpress.com/ it’s the one I use mostly
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Okay I will check out your blog.
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Just switched my primary site 🙂
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Writing is one of the best ways to recover. I have dealt with many ups and downs in life and writing helped me through everything. Even when life felt like purposeless and i felt stuck, i would just hold my journal and start scribbling random words which sometimes would turn out into a nice poetry or an article. Keep the good work up buddy. If you need any help feel free to drop a text. I am writer and genetic as well as psychological counsellor. You an always drop a text when you need a friend to talk. ✌️
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Thank you. I will do that, it’s nice to have someone to talk to, and I really appreciate the offer.
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Anytime. I will be happy if can help. 😊
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Pingback: Mental Health Recovery Goals – Bipolar Barb
Good luck with your recovery. I’m great to talk to if you need a friend
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Thank you. I may take you up on that one day.
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This is awesome!
Thank you for wrote this 😄
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Pingback: Weekly Wrap-up 1/14 – 1/20 – The Bipolar Writer
This part stood out to me today where you said, “I know what brings me joy. Writing, listening to good music, sharing my experiences, and reading a good book. It might surprise you that the things that help you on your mental health recovery are the things that bring you joy.” I agree. I have been pushing through my depression in the last five years doing these exact things as well! Keep on going to school. I wish I had. But now I am taking a writing course through “The Institute of Children’s Literature.” It is a correspondence course, but has been very challenging. Thank you for sharing yourself James! 🙂
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Thank you for reading my blog. I know they have writing courses taught my James Patterson in the “Master Class” series. It’s very inexpensive for what you get.
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You’re welcome. Yes, I have heard of those, too. The one I am doing is reasonable and the school lets me make a small monthly payment that is manageable. I feel like I have learned a lot so far.
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That’s awesome. I am glad you found something like that’s
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Thanks, James!
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Pingback: Mental Health Recovery | Patsy's Creative Corner
Reblogged this on International Badass Activists.
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I enjoy reading about your experience and I love the tempo and humility that is present. Thank you for sharing this. I am sad today for a few reasons. I always thought I was going to do a one woman show about my mental illness and my experiences with it. I participated as an actor and went to an acting intensive two years ago that ended in a nightmare. The other thing that is making me sad is that I spoke at a CIT Training the other day to share my experience and the audience of sheriffs and correctional officers and detectives was not a positive one. I have done several talks for CIT and this one was very difficult. The other thing is I started my blog two years ago and no one is reading it. I have two blog addresses and I am not even certain if people can visit, I have had no visitors in a long time. I love to write and I love the way you set-up your blog. Maybe I can come out with a cool blog too. Thanks for giving me some hope.
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Amazing insights. My son is in deep depression, been ongoing for last ten years, your wonderful words are inspiring.
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I am glad I can be of some help.
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I never thought to have concrete goals other than “don’t freak out and traumatize the children.” What a great idea. Well, I guess I do, I have worked hard to create tools to respond to myself quicker and more effectively when I start to spiral (so I can avoid freaking out and traumatizing the children) but I never thought of these things as goals, just something I needed to do because I love my children and I was at my wit’s end trying to fix whatever was wrong with me (before I accepted that medication is what I need).
Interesting. Going to add mental health goals to my other goals.
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Pingback: Goals in Mental Health Recovery — The Bipolar Writer: Sharing My Mental Health Goals – andrewhoward
Oh my. I loved this. I resonated deeply with it, for one having bipolar. You both stated & affirmed things I needed to hear in pursuit my enjoyment, longing to write. Thank you! Thank you for sharing, for following your passion of writing and for helping others like me believe to not only dream, but more than dream. 🙂
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I’m going through your blog posts and I really relate to them. My goals are micro and macro.
Micro: to meditate in the morning once a week for 3 minutes. To journal write 3 times a week
Macro: To actually say: “I am having a bad day with my social anxiety so I can’t go to after work drinks tonight. But I would love it if you keep inviting me for the day I’m better”.
I hate hearing myself lie, and making myself feel alone with my anxiety for some sort of acceptance. Due to this stigma. I’m with everyone else on this. Let’s end this stigma by talking about what’s really going on.
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That’s what we need. A conversation talking about the stigma and out experiences. We have to be willing to be open to be heard.
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You have inspired me to be even more open
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I am so happy to hear that, I look forward to seeing what you have to say. Good luck and always keep fighting.
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Ty for sharing this! I want to Press This on mine and doesn’t do anything? Idk.
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What do you mean?
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Where it says Word Press This, the share options.
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I am not sure. I will look in on it.
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