I have made significant progress on improving my health over the last several months. When I began, I was considered morbidly obese and had significant problems with my mental health. Since I decided to get on top of these problems, I have maintained my weight loss to this point, and have done a better job of maintaining control on the mental side of things.

One of the successes of this effort has been getting back on medication to treat my autism, in my case a low dosage of Adderall XR. Since going back on the medication, I have not missed a dose, and more importantly controlling some of my bad habits and impulsive behavior.

While the medication has helped, I have also used other methods and resources to supplement the meds. One of the first changes that I made was cutting my caffeine consumption back down to a cup of coffee in the morning, only drinking extra when needed, and not consuming anything caffeinated after lunchtime.

Another change that I have made is getting more exercise than I have ever done before in my life. When I started, it was mainly walking and biking. Since that time I have added running, strength training and the occasional yoga workout. I have found that doing these has done wonders for my mental health, as well as keeping me physically healthy.

Despite the progress that I have made to this point, I still have the occasional bad mental health day, or life throws me a curveball. On those days, I usually have to remind my self to take a couple of deep breaths. In the event that doesn’t work, that is when I deploy meditation and guided breathing. Earlier this year, I completed an introduction to meditation on the Calm app, and have used that app on occasion to settle me down on a rough day. I also have used Headspace and Daylight to help me cope with my anxiety.

Given what is going on in my personal life right now (more on that in a later post), there is a much greater emphasis on maintaining my mental health. As long as I continue working on this, I am confident that my mental health will improve over time.