There’s a joke going around that we think is pretty darn clever.
One person asks another to name their favorite vampire. The second person replies, “The one in Sesame Street.” The first person suggests he doesn’t count. And the second person responds, “I can assure you that he does.”
(Just in case you have spent little to no time on Sesame Street, we will note here that Count von Count, the vampire on the beloved children’s show, specializes in counting.)
All joking aside, in this blog post we want to highlight three counting activities that can benefit your mental health.
The Importance of Counting Your Blessings
Fostering a spirit of gratitude is a wonderful way to shore up your mental health. Even when times are tough, it is usually possible to find some bright spots—and it is a good practice to recognize those bright spots frequently.
One way to do that is by keeping a gratitude journal. That might sound intimidating—especially if you do not think of yourself as much of a writer—but it actually could not be simpler. Here’s how to do it:
- Each day (maybe first thing in the morning or just before bed), identify three things for which you are grateful. They can be big (a promotion at work) or small (a tasty meal), and repetition from day to day is just fine.
- Jot those three things down. You can do this in a notebook with a pen or pencil, in a document on your computer, in the notes app on your phone, or even in an app specifically designed to serve as a gratitude journal.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day or even several days. Just return to your gratitude journal when you remember and try to stick with it.
- Take advantage of the fact that your journal serves as a repository of positive memories. Look back over your entries from time to time to remind yourself what you have felt grateful for.
Counting three blessings each day can be a difference-maker for your mental well-being.
The Importance of Counting Sheep
For a long, long time, people have accepted the idea that counting imaginary sheep is a good way to fall asleep. The effectiveness of this technique is, apparently, open to some debate, but the idea of finding ways to improve the quality and quantity of restful sleep is an important one.
Sleep is absolutely essential to both your physical and mental health. Most everyone understands this, but far too many people don’t get enough sleep for any number of reasons. For some people, the primary reason might be a tendency to ruminate about the past or worry about the future while trying to get to sleep.
Counting sheep would be a strategy for putting those troublesome thoughts aside. But there are plenty of variations on that approach that might be just what you need to get to sleep. Those variations include (but are not limited to):
- Engaging in some “wind down” activities like light stretching, journaling, meditation, and the like.
- Listening to soft, relaxing music (this might include music composed specifically to help support sleep).
- Listening to sleep stories—narratives designed to lull you to sleep. Here’s one of the many online services that offer up these sorts of stories.
- Listening to white noise or noise of another color.
- Imagining a relaxing scenario or location to focus your thoughts so they don’t run off in various directions (counting sheep would, in fact, fall into this category).
You can read more about sleep and its connection to mental health in this previous blog entry.
The Importance of Counting Down to Calm
Sometimes feelings of anxiety seem to appear from nowhere—and often when that happens, the anxious feelings are quite intense. Having some strategies for addressing the sudden onset of anxiety can be a great way to regain your equilibrium.
One effective technique involves engaging all of your senses while counting down from five. Start with a couple of deep breaths. And then:
- FIVE: Name five things you can see around you.
- FOUR: Name four things you touch in your immediate environment.
- THREE: Name three things you can hear nearby.
- TWO: Name two things you can smell where you are.
- ONE: Name one thing you can taste, like your coffee or a piece of candy.
Take a couple more deep breaths and check in with yourself. Odds are you will discover that you feel at least a little calmer. You can repeat the exercise to see if you can make further progress toward a feeling of calmness.
Here’s a blog entry with more on this technique. And here’s a blog entry devoted to “box breathing,” another anti-anxiety technique that involves some counting.
You Can Always Count on Us
Peak View Behavioral Health is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and provides personalized care for individuals struggling with mental health disorders and/or substance use disorders. When you choose Peak View, you can count on our team to provide top-notch treatment grounded in evidence, expertise, experience, and empathy. We are ready and able to help you reclaim your life.
