by Jeanni Ritchie
“Watch a comedy film or a sitcom.”
Did you know that is one of the most commonly prescribed non-medication treatments for mental health?
Others include walking, doing a crossword puzzle, reading a novel, or gardening.
Our minds need tangible distractions sometimes. These simple strategies redirect that “stinking thinking” that causes intrusive thoughts to spiral.
I’ve found myself simply counting aloud in an effort to stop swirling thoughts and process a situation. Counting to three, or in my case ten, is scientific.
A year ago, I wouldn’t allow myself time to read or watch tv. I’d wasted nearly three years watching television for nearly 3/4 of my waking hours. The tv played in the background even as I read or cleaned, the white noise serving as a buffer to my battered soul. With my mind and heart finally restored, I was filled with regret of the time wasted. I vowed never to spend another idle hour for the rest of my life.
But the pendulum swung so far in the other direction it was almost manic. Go go go. I filled every waking moment with activities. Even at home I would write until I fell asleep mid-article. My mind was constantly checking off items on a to-do list even as I slept. Dreams were subconsciously turned into drafts in my head as I dozed.
My mind NEVER shut off.
Talking with various people who’d struggled with the same, I began hearing a common solution: give your brain some downtime.
“My doctor once shared to watch some mindless tv for fifteen minutes a day,” a friend shared. She insisted it helped her transition from her demanding job as a university dean to a more relaxing home life each evening.
I had tried so hard to protect my mental state with internal rigidity that it had backfired.
I chose carefully (be careful little eyes what you see) but I began watching an episode of The Brady Bunch, a childhood favorite, each morning as I got dressed as a clear-the-mind reset for a new day. Once I’d put my writing away in the evening I’d turn on an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond or Friends to signal to my brain that work was over.
I began reading again, the stack of books that had built up slowly going down once again. I occasionally played games on my tablet.
I am careful not to spend too much time on any of those things as they can turn into a form of escapism for me. But I know that, in moderation, this “mental downtime” is a necessity for good mental health.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
