The Questions I Ask Myself To Stay Mentally Healthy

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Notice Your Warning Signs
- Ch: 2.2 of How To Get Your Sh!t Together -

“Make not your thoughts your prisons.” – William Shakespeare

I have noticed a peculiar thing about my mental afflictions, they come with a warning system, kind of like a weatherman’s forecast.

My internal weatherman is not perfect, but he often provides me with some vital warning signs that can help me avoid an oncoming catastrophe. Sometimes the signs line up and I am in for a week of mental anguish, emotional turbulence, and significantly diminished functionality. Other times the storm innocently passes by and I am quickly back to my normal self.

If you knew that a hurricane was heading towards your house, you would take the appropriate action. That way you could best ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Just like with a weather warning, I have taken action to prevent as much damage from the incoming storm as possible. However unlike with the weather, these actions can actually reduce the severity and duration of the storm. If I am especially lucky, I have enough of a warning to turn my internal weather around completely.

By learning what symptoms precede an oncoming bout of anxiety or depression, you can take preventative action to reduce the severity and duration of the symptoms.

It is by no means an exact science (neither is weather reporting!), but for me there are specific things that begin to occur in the days and hours before the storm knocks me out of action.

I have a fairly extensive list of warning signs. Typically these will present in a cluster and only very mildly at first. But over time, if left unaddressed, they will progress in severity and I will steadily fall into the hurricane of mental affliction.

What I am trying to notice is a change from my normal.

It is important to note that you are not looking to compare yourself to other people, rather you are looking for differences within yourself.

My Warning Signs
Physical Warning Signs:
I exercise twice per day, performing a range of different physical activities from running, weight lifting, swimming, Tai Chi and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Given the amount of time I spend training, I have highly tuned sensors relating to my performance and ability level.

In the days leading up to a bout of depression, I notice a steady decline in all aspects of physicality. I am noticeably less coordinated, weaker and lose a lot of my fitness. As I progress into the depression, my coordination often drops to such a low level that I find myself banging into doorways as I misjudge my approach.

Habitual Warning Signs:
I don’t have a strict diet so to speak, but I do eat well. This involves rarely eating junk food or consuming alcohol. So when I realize that I am onto the third chocolate bar, or downing another beer on a work night, I take it as a warning sign.

The same is true for television. I try to limit my screen time as much as possible, only watching the occasional movie or episode here and there. So when I find myself bingeing on a new series, I consider it a warning sign.

I will often unknowingly give myself the excuse of ‘I’ve been working hard, and I deserve a treat/to relax’. While this may be true, I have also noticed that I feel more like ‘treating myself’ in the days prior to a bout of depression.

Cognitive Warning Signs:
In the days leading up to a bout of depression, I often notice a steady decline in a wide range of cognitive functions. My ability to perform simple arithmetic or find the right word to express myself begins to drop. I will forget what I was talking about and struggle to stay on topic.

Emotional Warning Signs:
In the days and hours preceding a bout of depression, my emotions often fluctuate wildly. The warning sign comes when I notice the fluctuation or when I notice that my current emotions are significantly ‘off’ from where they really should be. For example I will often feel really great, full of energy and motivation just prior to falling into a depression. At other times I will notice that I am quick to anger, or feel flashes of intense (internal) rage.

External Warning Signs:
Sometimes I fail to notice the warning signs internally, that is I don’t notice the changes in any of the above areas, or that they simply didn’t occur. The final warning sign comes externally, from the people around me.

If my wife, or close friends and family start asking me if I am ok, or if something is wrong, I take it as a possible warning sign. They know me well enough to know when somethings up, often before I do. So I trust their opinions and consider if something is actually wrong.

People respond to how people act towards them. So if I notice that people are acting differently around me, I take that as a warning sign. They may be responding to something in me that I am not yet aware of.

What Are Your Warning Signs?
Of course, your warning signs may be different to mine. Over time you will learn what to look for and when to expect the onset of a mental affliction.

Perhaps you post more or less often on social media. Maybe you engage in higher levels of risk taking behaviours: gambling, sex, thrill-seeking, and drug and alcohol usage.

Have you found yourself bailing on pre-arranged social gatherings to instead stay at home and watch television? What is your hygiene like, have you forgotten to shower, brush your teeth, shave or change your clothes? How is your mood, are you being ‘short’ with loved ones?

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TAKE ACTION

Take a moment to consider the last time you suffered with a mental affliction. If you use a daily journal, look over the entries for the week preceding the affliction for ideas. If you feel comfortable, ask a trusted spouse, family member or friend for insights.

Over time, and with each future occurrence of a mental affliction, you will be able to get a more accurate understanding of what your warning signs are, and how far out from the affliction they occur.

Note down your possible warning signs, and put them somewhere where you are able to regularly see them. With each affliction, refine these warning signs as much as possible.

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Once you know what your warning signs are, you will need to have a method of ensuring that you notice them as they arise. This can be more difficult than it seems as the onset of a mental affliction can involve a diminishing ability to introspect. Although your physicality, cognition and habits may be changing, you may not notice it until it’s too late.

While this will be a constant issue, there are a couple of methods that can help you to notice the signs. Implement the approaches that work best for you.

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TAKE ACTION

1) Write a sign to be placed on your wall that reminds you of your warning signs. Or one that forces you to introspect whenever you look at it. ‘How am I feeling today?’, ‘Have I noticed any warning signs?’, or simply ‘Warning sign?’ would all work well.

2) Actively look for changes in your health (sleep patterns, mood, and energy levels) performance (work, academic, sporting) and habitual changes (diet, exercise, drug and alcohol consumption). If you like this approach and use a diary, you could incorporate tracking this into your daily session.

3) Inform the people close to you of what some of your warning signs are, and ask them to keep an eye out for those signs. Do your best to stay calm when they take you up on this. Remember, you will likely ‘feel fine’, so it could come as a surprise that they are noticing warning signs and are telling you about it.

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Handling Warning Signs
If you notice a warning, the most important thing is to not freak out about it. Instead implement the actions that you have found worked for you in the past.

These should be actions that reduce or eliminate the symptoms of the affliction. I have found it useful to give a heads up to a trusted friend/family member that I may be about to take a turn for the worse.

1) Perform a ‘Status Check’ (chapter 2.3).

This simple introspective activity will help to eliminate the possibility that a physiological issue has caused the warning sign.

2) Take actions to ‘Guard Your Mental State’ (chapter 2.1).
- Call in sick to work preemptively
- Cancel, reschedule or attend a social event
- Exercise or read
- Pamper yourself with food, a bath, music, a movie, or other enjoyments

3) Book an appointment with a qualified therapist.

If you book a session preemptively, and the mental affliction gets worse, you will be seeing your therapist when you really need them. If you feel better by the time of the appointment, you can still use it to your benefit by discussing deeper issues.

4) Implement responses from your ‘Crisis Plan’ (chapter 3.6). If you think that a ‘big storm’ is coming, it is vital that you preemptively get the support that you may need. Informing your friends, family, therapist, and work place prior to the onset can significantly improve positive outcomes during a mental affliction.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Is there a risk that noticing or even attempting to notice a warning sign could in fact cause a mental health affliction, almost like a self-fulfilling prophesy?

A) It is important to remember that these warning signs are just that – a warning. They are designed to get you to do an investigation of your mental state. If one goes off, check yourself and keep going with normal life. If more keep going off, it is more evidence that you may have a potential issue.

However, if noticing warning signs increases your anxiety levels or causes an increase in the onset of a depressive episode, then this technique may not be for you. As with all exercises in this book, use the ones that work for you and disregard those that don’t.

Resources
Mindfulness In Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana
Running On Empty, Jonice Webb & Christine Musello
Running On Empty, Jonice Webb & Christine Musello, Jonice Webb
The Spoon Theory, Christine Miserandino

Summary
Take note of the symptoms that occur in the days preceding a mental affliction. When you, or someone close to you, notices any of these signs, take action.