MENTAL HEALTH HACKS

Now that I am 34, I have officially been mentally ill for 30 years. Over that period of time, my relationship with my mental health has changed as I’ve learned how to better navigate my OCD, anxiety and bouts of depression. Nothing about this journey has been linear (my contamination OCD remains impacted by all the behaviors I picked up during the pandemic), but I feel like I’ve figured out some “hacks” to make it easier to live as a mentally ill person who still has a full and satisfying life.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned since I was a preschooler who wouldn’t touch the floor: