There have been and still are times in my life that can cause just getting through the day to be challenging. It can stem from a sense of boredom or being triggered by emotional thoughts that can override my train of thought, sending me into a negative mindset and not allowing me to find the motivation that I need to get through the day on a good note.

Being the person that has the challenges that I do in life, there are many times when overthinking about things that cannot be controlled at the very moment, thus making it very difficult to focus on what I can do to focus on making the moment at the time the best that it can be. The thoughts being of an intrusive and repetitive manner can be quite the burden and if I am not able to find a healthy way to reframe those thoughts, I end up coping in unhealthy ways such as sleeping during times of the day when it is not proper for sleeping.

As it is commonly know that autistic people do struggle with sleep and even having medication that allows my brain to wind down and provide me decent sleep, there can be times when I turn to sleep as a negative way of coping with the pain that I feeling in my headspace in order to not have to put the work in that is needed to be able to get on a more positive mindset. I often go to it as an “easy fix,” but the reality is when I wake up some time later, I become more frustrated because of the time that has passed that could have been utilized in a healthier manner.

Regardless of whether I make the choice to cope in the way of sleeping, it is important to shift the focus on the day to end it in a positive manner. It can be hard to focus on doing that because of being drowsy, however I know that I need to fight those feelings, especially if it is nowhere near time to go to bed. This is something that I personally know needs more work to avoid the effects that frustrate me. I am hopeful that I can overcome the struggles that I do face when triggering thoughts arise and work towards managing them in healthier ways so my day can be more pleasurable, and I can be motivated to do things I know I will enjoy.

When challenging thoughts enter the headspace and it can seem like all hope is gone or that the day is a waste, it is important to remember of all the good things that life has to offer and that there can be things that can bring yourself out of the negative mindset that you are in. Even I still must discover them within myself. But I am striving to find what they are and put them to action, so I do not get into the ways that are not helpful for me.

Improving your mental health takes time, it more than likely will not be perfect as it progresses, but when those milestones are reach, no mater how big or small they are and there are much better days that are experienced than what you have been experiencing, you are heading in the right direction and eventually you will be proud of the smallest of things, even if it is just getting through the day in the way that you can be proud of.