Everything I Did to Heal My Stress Fracture

I hope I never, ever get a stress fracture again! I have been trying to document this journey, however, so I made a list of things I did/have been/am doing in my healing process. I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or physical therapist. This is just my protocol based on my own research, as well as the recommendations of the experts I saw:

1. I drank coffee with RNWY collagen in every day for a least a month. I started this because I thought I had a tendon injury, but when I found out it was a stress fracture, I continued, as there is some limited evidence that collagen might help with bone healing (Karaytug, 2021; Sun et al., 2025). It might also help with bone density, something I want to build in order to avoid future such injuries (Ask the Doctors, 2025; Konig et al, 2018). While I knew that rest might help my healing most, I also wanted to help my body along where I could. As an ongoing practice, I still drink coffee with collagen two to three times a week.

2. I stopped running. Yes, I probably should have done this first, and yes, I ran on my stress fracture. (I don't recommend this.) At first, I ran ignorantly, but after diagnosis, yes, I ran five more days (a mile a day). I didn't want to abandon my run streak. I was taking the orthopedic PA's advice to "do what pain allowed" and using it to my advantage. I wanted to convince myself that I could run through healing. I was in denial. But then I talked to my nurse mom, who advised doing no impact activities only. The next morning, the pastor preached about selfishness at church, and I realized it was time. I was still hurting. To submit to God and my husband, I needed to stop running. No other gods before God. No purposeful selfish decisions that would harm others. (I also knew I would not be running that weekend when we went to California for my brother's wedding, unless I tried to sneak around under the cover of darkness, and that was not my plan.)

3. I ate, a lot, especially sugar and simple carbs. After the finding out about my injury, I was very hungry. (I was just coming off a half-marathon, and I think the initial pain probably blunted my appetite.) I also felt very stressed, so my cortisol may have been triggering stress eating. Increased sweets cravings, especially for chocolate, was documented in at least once research study of individuals with fractures (Nicoll, 2019). Since I heard that bone healing is energy expensive, I indulged myself (Brown, 2019). This did lead to weight gain, but I figured I could either be mad that I could not run because I slowed my healing by restricting calories, or feel different in my body and hopefully run again. I chose the latter.

4. I reduced my salt intake, and I stopped putting salt in my hot chocolate. With exercising so much less, I didn't need quite as much sodium. I also heard that salt might leech calcium out of the body (Tiyasatkulkovit, 2021). I wanted to keep as much calcium as possible around in order to rebuild my bone!

5. I started taking calcium chews, and then added a vitamin D supplement. Was I low in either nutrient? Not technically, but I don't eat a lot of dairy, and my vitamin D was below the 40 plus recommended for runners (Momaya, 2025). My dietitian said one 1,000 mcg supplement could not hurt me, so I took it (and I am still taking it).

6. I ate a bowl of fortified cereal with whole milk almost every night for the first twelve weeks of my recovery. And on that note, I switched most of my dairy products from low fat to skim, as fat boosts vitamin D absorption (Dawson-Hughes, 2015). Extra fat could also contribute to the energy surplus my dietitian recommend. While I am not eating cereal every night anymore, I am still trying to eat lots of dairy, as much as possible of the full-fat variety.

7. I started seeing a dietitian to help evaluate me for any nutrient gaps. Yes, I like to research, but she has a degree in this stuff. It is good to consult experts.

8. I hired a physical therapist (PT) with a speciality in bone health in runners, specifically stress fractures. There are actually two PTs in my area with this expertise, but I went with the one I could afford, and that was closer to me. She did not take insurance, so this is expensive, but is by far the most worthwhile resource on this list!

9. I waited to run. I about broke (down) several times, but I figured if I had hired experts to help me, I needed to stick with the plan. This was really difficult, especially when I felt really terrible in my body. With a lot of support from my husband and the Lord's strength, however, I made it. Now, I am trying to hold myself back and only run what the PT prescribes, so as to keep my stress fracture healed and not break anything else.

10. I started lifting heavier than ever. My PT suggested this to help build my bone density. I even started using barbells. Apparently this is good for my longterm health and longevity, so it is something I plan to continue doing.

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There are probably some other things I could add to this list, but these are the main ones. Which contributed most to my healing? I don't know. Probably all of it. If I could make one recommendation, however, it would be to train smart and fix nutrient gaps before a stress fracture results. That is a whole lot better than needing advice about how to heal a broken bone!

References:

Ask the Doctors. (2025, July 30).  Study indicates collagen peptides can increase bone density.

UCLA health. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/study-indicates-collagen-peptides-can-increase-bone-density

Brown, S. E. (2019, December 9). How to speed fracture healing. Better bones. https://betterbones.com/fractures-and-healing/speed-up-fracture-healing/

Dawson-Hughes, B., Harris, S. S., Lichtenstein, A. H., Dolnikowski, G., Palermo, N. J., & Rasmussen, H. (2015). Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. Journal of the academy of nutrition and dietetics, 115(2), 225–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.09.014

Karaytug, K., Arzu, U., Ergin, O. N., Bilgili, F., Unverengil, G., Bayram, S., & Sen, C. (2021). Effects of Collagen- and Arginine-Fortified Osteokine Supplementation on Fracture Healing. Cureus, 13(10), e19072. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.19072

König, D., Oesser, S., Scharla, S., Zdzieblik, D., & Gollhofer, A. (2018). Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients, 10(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010097

Momaya, A. (2025, August 18). Should I take vitamin D as an athelete. Momaya sports medicine. https://www.momayamd.com/blog/should-i-take-vitamin-d-as-an-athlete/?bp=47902 

Nicoll R. (2019). Sickness behavior may follow fracture as well as infection. Brain, behavior, & immunity - health, 1, 100002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2019.100002

RNWY. (n.d.). RNWY foundation. https://rnwy.life/products/foundation?srsltid=AfmBOoqU6wWmXDD7Gyzy-F1kRCyx8OdoJoBe896SQxm77xyjbYPI6pKM

Sun, C., Yang, A., Teng, F., & Xia, Y. (2025). Efficacy of collagen peptide supplementation on bone and muscle health: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in nutrition, 12, 1646090. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1646090

Tiyasatkulkovit, W., Aksornthong, S., Adulyaritthikul, P., Upanan, P., Wongdee, K., Aeimlapa, R., Teerapornpuntakit, J., Rojviriya, C., Panupinthu, N., & Charoenphandhu, N. (2021). Excessive salt consumption causes systemic calcium mishandling and worsens microarchitecture and strength of long bones in rats. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1850. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81413-2

The Great Big Carb Load

(This is more technical post, more for fellow runners and myself as a future reference, but if you are interested in it, read on.)

Carb load, the thing I heard about doing before big games or big races, but never understood. I kept hearing about it, though, so I dug in. I listened to podcasts and read articles. I decided to do it.

What? Carb loading can supposedly increase performance 2-3% (Hawley, Schabort, Noakes, & Dennis, 1997). When it comes to longer races, this can mean minutes off a time. Sign me up!

Why? Carb loading is only really beneficial for events over 90 minutes. It is at this point that the body runs out of glycogen in the liver and goes to the muscles for fuel (Adeva-Andany et al., 2016). Fully stocked muscle glycogen promotes further performance. While it is true that the body can burn fat for energy through ketosis, this is an energy intensive process, and that's not what performance athletes want (Boyers, 2019). They want all of their energy going towards getting a new personal record.

When? Carb loading can be done for 1-3 days prior to an event. I chose to do 3 days per the calculations from Feathersone Nutrition (n.d.). I think this was right per the calculator, and I wanted to give myself the best shot at success.

How? I used the calculator from Featherstone Nutrition. When I first looked at almost double the grams of carbs I think I usually eat, I balked. Then I realized this was about substitution, not addition (less fat and protein in exchange for more simple, easy to digest and store carbs). Here's what I did:

-Kept in low fiber, high carb fruits like applesauce and bananas.

-Swapped my spicy protein cocoa and hot chocolate for Nesquick (20-22 g net carb gain).

-Switched out high volume, high fiber carbs for low volume, low fiber cards (eg oatmeal for bagels (2-37g net carb gain).

-Added carb rich condiments like jam (10-20 g net carb gain).

-Increased carb rich snacks like oat bars and pop tarts (19-33 g net carb gain).

-Ate lots of pasta for dinner (about 50 g net carb gain).

-Added high carb vegetables (eg peas and potatoes) when I had vegetables (about 15 g net carb gain).

-Decreased vegetables overall [As Jen Scott (2024) points out, this won't hurt a person when it is just three days.]

-Drank sports drinks (about 35 g net carb gain).

Experience: I felt both hungry and full at the same time. I normally eat a higher fat, higher fiber, higher volume diet, so my stomach felt more empty, and more...I guess starchy? Overall, it was not bad. I do think I felt a bit antsier at times, as well as sleepier, but was that from all the sugars in my bloodstream, or the taper crazies (Gupta, n.d.; Olivas, n.d.)? I'll never know.

Results: It worked! I PR'ed by 10 minutes, which is about an 8% improvement from my first half-marathon (and that was five years ago). I never felt like I hit a wall in the race, and I stopped taking fuel an hour in. (I probably should have taken one more gel at 90 minutes, but I didn't.) I had a kick left at the end, and I ran 7:23/mile for my last tenth of a mile. While I was a little sore after the race, I seem to have recovered more quickly than I did the first time. I heard on a podcast after the race that carbohydrates during a run decrease fatigue and increase recovery afterward (Coyle, 1992; Brooks & Norris, 2024). Maybe carb loading helps with this, too? 

All in all, I have to say I would do this again. It really was not as hard as I thought. It made a difference. I felt better. I enjoyed my run. Win!

References:

Adeva-Andany, M. M., González-Lucán, M., Donapetry-García, C., Fernández-Fernández, C., & Ameneiros-Rodríguez, E. (2016). Glycogen metabolism in humans. BBA clinical, 5, 85–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbacli.2016.02.001

Boyers, L. (2019, May 16). Burning fat vs, glycogen. Live Strong. https://www.livestrong.com/article/331651-burning-fat-vs-glycogen/

Brooks, A., & Norris, L. (Hosts). (2024, February 10). How far should you run before you run a marathon? An update... (No. 52). [Audio podcast episode]. In Tread Lightly podcast. https://lauranorrisrunning.com/tread-lightly-podcast/

Coyle, E.F. (1992). Carbohydrate supplementation during exercise. The Journal of Nutrition 122(3), 788-795. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/122.suppl_3.788

Gupta, A. (n.d.). Anger management tips: 6 foods to avoid when you feel angry. Health Shots. https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/anger-management-tips-6-foods-to-avoid-when-you-feel-angry/

Hawley, J. A., Schabort, E. J., Noakes, T. D., & Dennis, S. C. (1997). Carbohydrate-loading and exercise performance. An update. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 24(2), 73–81. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199724020-00001

Olivas, M. (n.d.). RUN HACK: How to deal with taper for a half or full marathon. Run Eat Repeat. https://runeatrepeat.com/run-hack-how-to-deal-with-taper-for-a-half-or-full-marathon/

Scott, J. [@MarathonMama_RD]. (2024, February 7). @kaydiruns is showing examples of her carb loading today and she is doing a fantastic job. I know. [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3EhtIUrsE2/

Run the Distance 5K

I jumped into a 5K this past weekend! I would not have known about the race except for a little card my doctor's office sent me about a run to benefit Parkinson's research. I get treated for my focal dystonia at Barrow Neurological Institute, the same location as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Center. While I thankfully do not have Parkinson's at this time, there is some overlap between my condition and Parkinson's, and the medication I take to alleviate some of my worst symptoms is actually a medicine for Parkinson's, so needless to say, the Parkinson's cause is near and dear to my heart, and I wanted to run for it.

But, what to do about half-marathon training? I had 10 miles on deck the date of the 5K. Well, time to get creative! I realized that the 5K was about 7 miles from my house, so if Husband dropped me off and I fueled right, I could run home. So with that, I trialed a one day carb load [Thanks Meghann Featherstun (n.d.) for the how-to and calculator] and went to town, literally.

Race day conditions: Upper 40's and windy

Course: Flat, around a lake, and a little short (3.05 miles according to my Apple watch)

Goals: 

A: 2 hour half-marathon pace of 9:09/minute

B: 27:00 (8:41/minute)

C: PR (8:11/mile or under)

(Yes, these are in reverse order of difficulty, because my main goal was to not exhaust myself so I could complete the miles on my training plan.)

Before the race:

Week nine of the First Half Marathon Training plan from Run to the Finish (2023)

Day 5 of Metcon from Nourish Move Love (2024) (a mistake!)

A one-day carb load with about 450 grams of carbohydrates

Race morning:

I got up at my normal hour of 5 am, did a little bit of moving around the house, and then completed Day 19 of Flow from Yoga with Adriene (2024). I drank 8 ounces of water and ate a peanut butter and honey energy ball. Then out the door!

It was a short walk from parking to the start line. We arrived about 50 minutes early. I felt warm enough, and then cold. About 7:20 am, I ate my banana. Then at 7:30 am, I jogged for five minutes. I took off my windbreaker and lined up for the race at 7:45 am, and off to the races at 8 am!

Mile 1:

I started off near the front (it was a small race), and we started off fast. I felt good, but when I looked down at my watch and it said 7:43/mile, I backed off my pace. I knew that was too fast! At about half a mile in, I got to chatting with some girls as I passed them, and realizing that I could pass the talk test, realized I could probably push a bit harder. I finished with an average pace of 8:24/mile.

Mile 2:

This mile seemed to pass by quickly. Not too much to say here, other than that I saw my time dipping and told myself I could work a little harder. I worked to pass a few people. This was my slowest mile at 8:33/mile.

Mile 3:

At about 2.5, I told myself to push. Then at 2.8, I told myself to really push. Thinking, "Push off the ground" seemed to help increase my pace. I also told myself to smile, because I like running! (In my vanity, I also did not want to look like a grouch puss when the fact that I like running is true.) I finished at 8:12/mile.

Finish:

I kicked it up to 6:57/mile to finish. My watch said 3.05 miles with a time of 25:34. The official results said 5K (3.1 miles) with a time of 25:28 and a pace of 8:11/mile. Whatever, I'll take it!

After the Race:

This was a small race, and I expected that I could place, but honestly, I was not sure I wanted to place, because I just wanted to run home! When I checked the results list, though, I saw that I had placed, first in my age group! So of course I wanted to stay to get the added bling for my medal. I chatted with some really nice master's runners, and they even stayed to see me go on the podium and take my picture. Runners really are the best people!

I departed after the medal ceremony and ran 7.42 miles home. I felt good, except for some mild hamstring soreness (which had been with me since that Nourish Move Love workout-which is why I said it was a bad idea). Thankfully 20 oz of water, some fuel, a podcast, some determination, and all that glycogen in my muscles got me home. I honestly felt okay, except for my hamstrings which were oh, so tight. I stretched and foam rolled immediately, but had to keep doing so throughout the weekend.

Concluding Thoughts:

I am learning more and more to trust the training process. I really did not want to do that carb load, and I believed I needed to try it. I kept telling myself not to quit, to get through it, and then if it did not work or I did not like it, I could quit the next time. I felt some anxiety race day morning (a newer thing for me), but just told myself this race was for a cause, and it was okay not to PR. I had peace while running, for which I thank the Lord and my husband. Running home afterward brought me such pride! While I did not want to refuel again when I got home, I told myself not to be stupid and to do it. (My husband thought I was telling him not to be stupid for a second, because I said it out loud. Oops! No, those were words for me!). I am oh so thankful to God for this experience and pray for wisdom and good health to continue training and running for as long as the good Lord allows.

References:

Brooks, A. (2023, March 9). Half marathon training schedule: Transition from the 10K to half. Run to the Finish. https://www.runtothefinish.com/half-marathon-training-schedule/

Featherstun, M. (n.d.). Carb loading: What, why, and how-to. Featherstone Nutrition. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/carb-loading/

Nourish Move Love. (2024, January 5). New year challenge day 5: 30-minute full body Metcon (Kettlebell swings). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp14nPaJfkU

Yoga with Adriene. (2024, January 20). Flow - Day 19 - Ride. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Od_S1P0c40

 

Recent Things I've Learned About Running

Running has looked quite different for me recently. Yes, I ran quite a few races this year. The 15K in March was my longest since my one and only half marathon. The changes, though, have been more behind this scenes. Listening to podcasts and reading about running have become taken second and third places behind my running, and as I result, I have changed some things. Here's a bit of what I have learned in order to run better, (and more enjoyably!):

Running fasted is not faster. Fuel makes all the difference.

It takes 20-30 minutes for fuel to reach the bloodstream, so fuel early, and fuel often (Featherstun, n.d.a)!

(But you can eat [graham crackers (Featherstun, n.d. b); poptarts (Wingeroth, 2022) etc.) and run out the door. The energy will just set in later.)

The body prefers to run off carbs (Featherstun, 2022).

Protein is best used for hypertrophy when eaten in the morning (Hubermann, n.d.)

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Running shoes are worth the investment.

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Body heat affects performance (Thermohuman, 2022). Drinking cold water/dumping water on you can increase performance in the heat.

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Decreasing HRV can mean overtraining (Couzens, n.d.). (I get this data from my Apple watch and sometimes use it to determine if the day is better for a speed workout, steady state training, or a long run).

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Good running form engages the core (Martin, 2023).

Polarized training is better (80/20 running) (Fitzgerald, n.d.).

Strength training matters (Martin, 2023). Strength train after running for endurance, before running for strength.

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Stretch, stretch, stretch.

Foam rolling helps greatly with recovery (How to Run Guide, 2018).

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Running is a privilege. To learn how to do it better is immense privilege. Thank you, Jesus, for these resources!

References:

Cozens, A. (n.d.) How monitoring your heart rate variability helps you avoid overtraining. Training Peaks. https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/how-monitoring-your-heart-rate-variability-helps-you-avoid-overtraining/

Featherstun, M. (n.d. a) Fueling for race day. Featherstone Nutrition. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/fueling-for-race-day/

Featherstun, M. (n.d. b) The graham slam. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/fueling-for-race-day/ https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/the-graham-slam/

Featherstun, M. (2022, September 26). Featherstone Nutrition. Why you need to stop being scared of carbs. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/why-you-need-to-stop-being-scared-of-carbs/

Fitzgerald, M. (n.d.). Understanding your 80/20 run plan. 80/20 Endurance. https://www.8020endurance.com/understanding-your-8020-run-plan/

How to Run Guide. (2018, July 22). The complete guide to foam rolling for runners. https://howtorunguide.com/foam-rolling-for-runners/

Huberman, A. (n.d.) Why is protein good in the AM? Dexa. https://dexa.ai/huberman/?q=why+is+protein+good+in+the+AM

Martin, H. (2023, January 4). How to unlock proper core engagement for running. The Run Experience. https://therunexperience.com/proper-core-engagement-for-running/

Martin, H. (2023, February 7). How to combine running and weightlifting for optimal results. The Run Experience. https://therunexperience.com/how-to-combine-running-and-weightlifting-for-optimal-results/

Thermohuman. (2022, November 30). Negative effects of heat on performance, what can we do to avoid them? https://thermohuman.com/2022/11/30/negative-effects-of-heat-on-performance-what-can-we-do-to-avoid-them/

Wingeroth, L. (2022, September 2022). Why this RD says Pop-Tarts are the ideal pre-run fuel. Well + Good. https://www.wellandgood.com/pop-tarts-pre-workout/

Dispelling the Myths: Runners Can Eat Whatever They Want.

Runners can eat whatever they want. 

You run a lot. 

That's how you stay so thin. 

False. False. False. If running a half-marathon taught me anything (it taught me a lot of things), it taught me even more the importance of nutrition. And I'm talking eating right, eating a lot, and eating to run, not running to eat.

I found out very quickly that running made me, hungry very hungry. I sometimes tried to practice "self-control," but then I kept reading about how running can damage your hormones, lower your immunity, create injury, etc. if I didn't eat right. So I ate. A lot. Like handfuls of granola and nuts after my morning bowl of oatmeal. Like lots of red meat. (Thanks to reading Run Fast, Eat Slow.) Like protein bars and gels, which I know can "make you fat," (but they didn't-they gave me energy). I decided that even if I did eat so much I gained weight, I'd rather gain weight and run than not run and not gain weight. (Running is good for my mental health, I've found.)

I wanted to eat sugar, but it seemed to lower my immunity and made me feel yucky. So I turned to whole food and more savory stuff. I sometimes wanted to skip carbs, but that didn't work so well, so I added in more carbs. I often stayed up late eating a big nighttime snack to make sure my belly was full and ready to run the next morning. I found out the hard way that I needed to stay on top of my long run hunger (e.g. eat on a schedule/before I was hungry) to avoid an all out binge. I ate when I didn't want to and sometimes to the point of feeling overfull, because I knew I needed it. And on the day I ran my half-marathon, I ate more than I think I've ever eaten before, but I did it because my body kept telling me it was hungry, so I knew I needed the fuel.

Can runners eat whatever they want? I'd argue not. Does running make you thin? I'd argue no in that case, too. In fact, my predisposition to being thin makes me a worse runner in some ways because I have less muscle and no fat stores to use as a reserve for days of extra miles.

So let's dispel the myth that most runners run to eat. Maybe some do. I don't. I eat to run. Extra hunger and the chance to indulge is maybe nice sometimes, but overall, running is about taking better care of myself. And that means eating better. Sometimes more. Sometimes less, but more focused on nutrients and having good energy overall. Otherwise my running is not going to get better. And I, as long as the Lord allows, want to keep progressing in this sport if I can.

Six Lessons I've Learned From Being Sick

I hate being sick. Really, I do. But I also believe God is sovereign. And with me being such a doer, it seems like God often lets me get sick to remind me to slow down and rest. It's not the way I prefer to learn, but it seems like that is what God is allowing. So, without further ado, here's a few lessons I'm learning from this go-round with illness:

1. Being sick is out of my control. I can do everything I can to promote health and well-being, and still get sick. I can't actually control my body's ability to fight off the germs. I can control my response to illness, however. I need to work on acceptance.
2. Life is a gift, not a given. I often live life like I deserve it. I too often take for granted that every breath I take, every word I speak, every move I make is a gift. I am blessed, even if I get sick sometimes.
3. Nutrition matters. I'm not always hungry when I'm sick, but if I don't eat, how will my body have energy to recover? Some people rejoice when they're sick and lose weight. Not me! I want to feel better and get my energy back.
4. Some things I think are priority really aren't. When I'm forced to decide what really matters, there are less things than I think. Cleaning, exercise, looking good, makeup, overtime, etc. can all go out the window. I'll work the limited amount I need to and go home. I'd rather rest and get better.
5. Kleenex exists for a reason. I'm not a big fan of Kleenex and it seems like an unneeded luxury...until I get sick and have a runny nose. And then the softness of Kleenex is almost a necessity. Right now, I'm really thankful for Kleenex.
6. Having a support system matters. I'm so paranoid about germs that I'm not always present when people are sick. But the people I love are present for me when I'm sick. Their company and kind words make a difference.

Being sick isn't fun, but may I trust God more because of it. And may He be glorified even in, and especially in my illness.

Self-Discipline

Remember that post I wrote about my tangled life and getting back to the basics? Yeah, much as I would like to say I've done that, I haven't. When I'm tired and burning out, I really struggle to do what I need to do. I stay up late when I need to sleep. I put off meal prepping when I need to have solid nutrition to get me through my long days. I stay on social media instead of cleaning and organizing. I delay exercise until I have to rush to get it done. I don't make time for Bible reading and devotions. And it becomes a vicious cycle.

I know what I need to do, and I don't do it. There's got to be room for a little grace, but I've also go to have some self discipline. Because if I know what I need to do and I don't do it, I am the only one to blame for the consequences that result.

My Prescription for Good Mental Health

I wrote this post awhile ago, as life and work got a little crazy. I'm revisiting it now and realizing how much I need a dose of good mental health. I've stopped doing some of these things, but I need to start again.

1. Three rows of crochet: I don't get to this every day, but overall, it's an activity that calms my brain (by crossing the center line, EMDR folks) and makes me feel like I've accomplished something for the day. More than three rows is not good self-care because of my "dystonia."

2. Positive mental input via podcasts and radio: In the midst of external criticism and feelings of inadequacy, filling my mind with the good stuff (aka crowding out the criticism) is vital.

3. Daily Scripture intake: Usually via reading, but sometimes via the audio One Year Bible recording. If I'm not starting the day with truth, I'm starting the day with no foundation

4. Good nutrition: It's easy to forget eating or eat junk when I'm busy, but neither turn out very well. Meal prep and snacks are vital during this time

5. Comfy clothes: When days are long, it's not good to be uncomfortable. I'm not talking sloppy here, but wearing clothes that fit and cover me thoroughly is vital to survival. Layers are also helpful for the widely varying temperatures in Arizona.

6. Floor sitting: There's got to be some science behind this, but sitting on the floor (usually to crochet) winds me down and helps me relax before bed.

7. No social media during nighttime snack: Scrolling Instagram or Pinterest before bed isn't a good idea. I'm in a brain-numbed state and I can't seem to stop. And if I do it while eating, I often violate point four by eating junk food mindlessly.

8. Crosswords: The antidote to my social media scrolling. These engage my brain and help me not think about the day past or the day future, or much else but my intense drive to finish. (Yes, I'm competitive with myself.)

9. Creative outlets: I need to make and create, even if I'm not an artist. This also goes back to number one, but also feeds into my need to make fabric cards and cook.

10. Prayer: I often don't want to do this, but I need to, and before the crisis, not after or during. Prayer is my power connection, as well as a way to calm my mind and remind myself that I'm not in control.

11. Yoga: I am trying to get back into practicing, at least once a week. Yoga is a good way to create a quiet space to detox mind, body, and spirit. It is also a way to stretch and unwind the kinks that build up in my body after a log week of work.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect, or even that I practice these things well, but I think it's important to make a list, to realize what works and what doesn't, so on those bad days I can remind myself to "take the pill" of my prescription for good mental health and chill.

What is your prescription for good mental health? Please share in the comments section.

*This post is inspired by Georgie Morely of In It For the Long Run.