Everything about life felt like a whirlwind when I first received the diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder and PTSD. I often struggled to find the best ways to both manage the illness and care for myself. As you can imagine when it comes to mental wellness, there are countless ways to put caring for yourself into action. From journaling to setting boundaries, approaches vary in style and technique and change from person to person.
After finding myself in this position, I consulted the internet for help. Now, if you think that searching on the internet probably provides an overload, know I am laughing with you cause I’ve been there. Seriously though, the internet, when you know where to look, has some amazing and free resources that can aid us all in our mental wellness journeys. For me, learning about free mental health screenings online became a simple and quick way to measure how well my mental health was fairing. Allow me to explain how this worked for me in hopes of providing you with suggestions.
Since discovering mental health screenings, I have utilized them in two ways. First, screenings throughout the year can serve as check-in points for me. For example, at the beginning of each year, I take a screening to give myself a baseline. I do this regardless of whether the beginning of the year is going well. It’s the baseline or starting point that I am looking for. Each month, I take the same mental health test to let myself know if I am on course with my mental wellness goals for that month. If things are progressing well, I will continue with the techniques that I have utilized. If they are not moving along as well as I would like, I determine if I need to obtain additional support.
The second way screenings can be used to support your mental wellness is during specific busy seasons. For example, when I know that I might have several projects that need my attention, taking an anxiety screening at the beginning of the month gives me a baseline for how I am doing. Each week I take a screen during this busy time, I have a snapshot of my mental health. This snapshot allows me to structure my week or tasks differently as needed.
Now don’t get me wrong, using mental health screenings to support your mental health might feel odd at first or it might not be a good fit for you. The point of sharing this or any resource isn’t to make it the absolute perfect fit or match. The goal will always be to provide options. And when it comes to our mental health, the more options we have to support ourselves, the greater the chance of finding the balance we all deserve.