Thread by @iyad_elbaghdadi

What habits do you do to help you get through difficult days (or weeks)?

I have an unfortunately long experience with burnout, depression, frustration, defeat, having to pick yourself up, and the whole bunch of PTSD symptoms. Here's my own experience of what works for me...

Some context first. I'm talking about my personal experience. I'm a fighter. I live to fight. That gives me immense purpose. If I didn't fight, I'd crash. I'd break apart so much nobody and nothing will be able to put me back together. But this fight is what saves me every time.

Here's what does NOT work and in my own personal experience only made things worse:
- Sleeping or physically resting
- Trying to pamper myself - relaxing, massages, chocolates, etc
- Trying to distract myself - games, movies, Netflix etc
- Trying to disconnect from current events

Out of all of the above, the WORST thing to do (in my personal experience) is:
- Stay in bed
- Don't go outside
- Don't get any light or sun
- Don't meet anybody
- Resist own mind
- Try to make yourself feel better by distraction or indulgence

Here's what I do nowadays on hard days (or weeks), such as I'm experiencing now:
- Stick to my routines even more
- Exercise harder and extra
- Meditate and pray longer and deeper
- Journal more (esp gratitude journaling)
- Go for a walk even (or esp) when I don't feel like it

Showing yourself self-love does NOT mean self-indulgence. This is one of the biggest lessons I learned. When I wake up and don't feel like exercising but then exercise even harder, I'm sending a message to myself saying: You matter. You deserve the effort.

And let me confess. It doesn't always work - it doesn't always lift me out immediately. But it does prevent me from slipping deeper into the darkness, and if I do, it makes it a short dip. When I could have just drowned for weeks or months.

I'm having to tweet this out today because I'm going through this kinda stretch. It's as much to remind myself as it is to talk to you.