It has been four weeks since I had my episode after not taking care of myself this summer.

Over two months, while I was losing weight, my mental health was declining rapidly.

My parents caught on right away. Eventually, especially the week before it all collapsed, increasingly, those closer to me became concerned.

Many blamed it on the many things that were going on in my life. To a degree they were true.

However, I was masking, shielding, deflecting, and lying about taking care of myself.

When I was at my worst, to get better, I immediately realized that to make things right I had to be honest with everyone and be out in the open to the degrees I needed to with those that needed to know.

It made me see that so many people cared about me and only wanted to see the best in me, and that was getting well again.

At this point, it was not about the weight, rather it was about overall wellness.

Emotional, Physical, Spiritual, Social, Intellectual, Financial, Environmental, and Occupational.

Some I was doing well in, some not so well. I was not in perfect harmony at all.

I realized that I needed to be.

That meant facing reality. Doing what was needed for the last time.

Adhering to the medication regimen, because now, I realized for me it is a necessity.

Part of that was accepting that I had to forgo caffeine. Something I tried before “cold turkey.”

Having to take some time away from things to take care of myself, there was no better time to do it.

For two days, I had headaches. Not being able to leave my home and taking Tylenol at allottable intervals made it able to be managed.

For a long time, Door Dash became my friend, spending several hundred dollars on meals out of pure laziness.

Being at home got me cooking in the kitchen more than I ever have. Using devices like toaster oven, George Foreman Grill and Air Fryer in addition to the stove.

Having to be financially mindful amid an impulsive setback, this too became a necessity.

And it was not bad. Eventually, within a few weeks, I got back to my old self.

I got back out in the community, taking advantage of resources that were immensely helpful.

One of those was a community lunch at a church in town.

It got me out of the house and on my feet. It also gave me the segway to expand my food palate.

There I added Vegetable Beef soup to my palate for the first time in eight years.

This week, I added Candied Carrots, something that once seemed impossible. Now it is.

Common folklore is that it takes 21 days to make a habit.

There have been other changes that have become apparent because of making changes for the better.

I have improved wellness in the spiritual and environmental dimensions of wellness.

My home is the cleanest it has been in the three years since I have been here.

When asked by the maintenance supervisor this week to allow a few gentlemen to come in to sample my apartment for an energy audit. Without hesitation, I allowed them to do so.

As the Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants once said, “A Clean Home is A Happy Home.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. It might be better across the wellness spectrum, but I am a much happier person.

This has allowed me to open more socially to those that have reached out to me time to time.

Knowing that so many people care about me, I know that I need to pay it forward and be a caring person to them because I have learned how to navigate the social nuance and be the person that I want to be.

I also know that taking care of myself is of the utmost importance and I make that a priority as I know that it is essential for overall wellness.

While my physical wellness is getting better. In a month’s time, it has not shown up on the scale at my weekly weight loss support group.

Because I am doing so much better than I was overall, I do not let something like a number on the scale get to me. It will happen within time.

At the past meeting, I was awarded. “Mr. Inspiration” (the best weight loss) for the previous month, before my episode.

A moment like this, I could be disgusted, but I took it in stride because I know there will be better days on the horizon, and I needed the recognition as a confidence booster to know that better days are ahead.

Things are and will get better, day by day and over time. This much I know!

I am in a much better position than I was a month ago and that is what matters!