How Systems Help My Mental Health

‘Tis the season for spiced drinks and mental struggles. Whether its the fact that we’re right in the middle of how the seasons have changed, or it’s that you’re also stressed by how quickly holiday vacations & family time is approaching, stress seems to come hand-in-hand with the festive joy this time of year. I’m not a doctor, and unfortunately I don’t have the fix-all solution that’s going to solve your mental health struggles. I do, however, have a love letter to my systems, and a list of ways that systems have helped me with my own mental health.

A quick caveat here to say that if even the word systems beings up stress for you, it’s okay. Ive been there, I’ve skipped past all sorts of advice that felt triggering, and if that’s what you need right now, it won’t hurt my feelings. AND I am going to say with compassion that it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re in that place right now, send me a reply! I’d love to help you find what’s in the way and develop systems that aren’t actually scary.

And now, a list:

Systems help me come back to all my good ideas

This email’s topic is the most immediate example of this–l dug this out of my content database & thought, this is a good thing to reflect on right now. But I also have:

• an archive of all the art I’ve created,
• notes on all the life design experiments I’ve tried,
• every tarot reading I’ve ever done,
• a list of every successful action taken sorted by topic,
• everything I’ve read for the past 3 years,
• recipes collecting dust (sorry, even with systems I’m not perfect lol)

Collecting all these things in one place means I have the opportunity to, when I’m bored or curious, scroll my own ideas & interests instead of a feed full of other people’s ideas and thoughts. It’s not a perfect science, but I find I’m a happier and healthier person when I can be intentional about creating more than I consume.

Systems help me keep track of symptoms & solutions

Just making sure I take my meds every day is a lifelong battle, let alone remembering accurately how I felt at any time that is not right now. Having a place where I can keep track of my own actions & how I feel allows me to go back & test any correlations later on. If I felt energized every day the week I added an iron supplement to my daily meds or when I got nine hours of sleep, then maybe I try one of those actions again to see if I have the same result.

Systems help me measure my performance compassionately

As part of my weekly review, I see how many of the tasks I planned on doing were actually completed. I also journal on my weekly goal progress and take note of any contributing factors or external reasons why if my plan fell incredibly short. As a rule of thumb, I only worry if I fall below an 80% completed rate. Not doing Every Single Thing on my to-do list is normal, because I often include stretch tasks as well as extra fun things.

Systems help me offload my mental checklists

I don’t have to question how I’m doing things because I have everything set up to be as easy as possible for myself.

• I keep my meds next to the cat food because the cats will always remind me when it’s time for them eat, and seeing my meds when I go to feed the cats reminds me to take them.
• I know exactly where to look for the latest email I’ve written and what steps I need to take to get it out.
• I have a series of automations set up to make sure I never miss an important email.
• I show up to Recess every week to ask myself how I can make things even easier and keep adjusting as my priorities, goals, and needs change.

Most of all, my systems give me opportunities to be reminded of who I want to be, and they help me bridge the gap between that and who I am right now. Whether or not I use those reminders to review or guide my future actions is up to me, but just having them is a huge step that allows me to be compassionate with myself. I don’t always measure up, my mental and physical health is a constant work in progress, and some days are better than others, but I know I have the tools to make things easier and most importantly, I know that I deserve the accommodations my systems provide me. Making things easier gives me back time and energy to spend on creating art and connecting with my loved ones and even just resting in bed with my cats, all things that I value much more than my ego’s attachment to productivity or “working hard”.

Restfully and Respectfully yours,

Ela

P.S. We’ll be off for the rest of the year starting the 22nd, so you won’t hear from me again until next year (!), but I hope the next few weeks (and the year ahead!) are full of light, joy, and connection with people who love and support all of you. And if you want to find ways to make your life easier in the upcoming seasons, I’d love to help in any way that I can.