The Little Things Are Everything - In The Best and Worst Sense
Image Source, Hola Hola Studio (Shutterstock)
Living with mental illness can be challenging to say the least. And sometimes it makes looking after our wellbeing seem like an impossible task. Typically, the little things can help us learn more about ourselves, make a bad day good and help us appreciate the big things more. But what happens when you factor in mental illness?
The little things can become everything. The tea your partner made for you without asking is suddenly a mug of warm hugs from the inside. The lights being green on your way to work in the morning is a sign that maybe things will be okay. A text from someone you weren't expecting lets you know that you’d be missed by more people than you think if you weren't here anymore. Getting through the night without a nightmare or a panic attack makes getting out of bed the next morning just that little bit less taxing. And all of these things have a domino effect on your day. Even if it’s only for a short period of time. The little things are everything. They make it all that bit more bearable and you often need them to make it through.
But what about when the little things mean everything in the worst sense? When they leave us drained and exhausted. When nipping to the shop for the basics leaves you feeling like you've just run a marathon? When every small thing feels like a mountain to climb?
The impact the little thing can have on our mental health is tremendous. Some struggle to understand why these little things can push you to the edge of a breakdown, leaving you distressed or unmotivated.
You forgot to put the washing machine on because you were running late for work and now you’re a load of laundry behind where you needed to be… you can’t even do that right so why bother? Why not just let the washing pile up and overflow from the basket until you have no choice? It isn't a hassle for you to turn the dishwasher on when your partner forgot to do it after you specifically asked, but it adds to the mental work load that’s already weighing you down. Even a shower is sometimes insurmountable.
I wish this post was going to flow into a Top Tips to Help Cope With the Little Things but, unfortunately, it isn't - because any tips that I can give you are going to be a bandaid to a wound that needs stitches.
This post is a reminder to check in with yourself - or with someone you’ve noticed isn't coping so well with things that seem “irrelevant” or “easily-fixed”. Because there is always a bigger picture - it might just be the tip of the iceberg. And a reminder to be gentle with how you perceive someone’s reactions.
C x
by Caitlin Mussen (Staff Health & Wellbeing Writer)
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