DO-IT-YOURSELF WELLNESS: Achieving Health at Home and on a Shoestring Budget

Good mental health doesn’t have to break the bank. NAMI-NYC Metro staff member Katie Linn discusses how a few simple, cost-effective practices helped her beat anxiety and depression.

I started having panic attacks when I was in my second year of college. Soon after, I became so plagued by the fear of having another that I didn’t want to leave my house, travel, or go out with friends. Even tasks like going to the dentist seemed too daunting. During this period, I took comfort in food and television, and gained 25 pounds in the process. I was stuck in a cycle. Food and television brought me comfort but prevented me from fully experiencing college and my life. After a while, I didn’t recognize myself. Not only had I changed physically, but I was no longer the fearless person that I once prided myself on being. I knew that I had to fight my anxiety or I would be stuck in a rut for the rest of my life.

My first goal was to get back into shape. After the weight gain, I was not only unhappy with how I looked, but my health was struggling. I had little energy and was often out of breath. I figured that the best place to get in shape would be at the gym. There were only a few problems with that. The first problem was that I had just graduated from college and had very little money. How would I ever be able to afford a pricey gym membership? My second problem was that I had no idea what exercises I would need to do if I ever went. The third and largest problem was that I absolutely hate gyms. I hate the outfits, the smell, and the really bad music they blast on full-volume. Given this, I decided to work out at home. I researched strength-building exercises that I could do around the house using furniture and household items. I also started renting exercise videos. They can be a lot of fun and you can write down the routines so you could do them after you return the videos.

While my homemade gym was helping me learn how to enjoy exercising, I still wanted to challenge myself and conquer some of my gym-related anxieties. With much reluctance, I visited the local YMCA. For some reason, I figured that scary, too-tanned muscle men wouldn’t go to the Y. I talked to a representative and worked out a membership plan. Because of my income, or lack thereof, I applied for a scholarship, which offered a discounted rate. I was thrilled but also very anxious because this meant that I really had to start working out.

On my first day, I received a tour from a physical trainer. He showed me how to use the machines and gave me suggestions on which ones to use and for how long. After my tour, I got on one of the machines and started working out. It felt a little unnatural at first, but as soon as I positioned the television in front of me, I quickly forgot my discomfort. I went back regularly every week. Five months later, I even bought some spandex.

My next goal was to learn how to eat properly. This meant examining food labels and limiting a number of foods that I love: pizza, pasta, burritos, french fries, and chicken fingers. Rather than eat them every day, I would reward myself with these foods once a week if I had a good workout.
I also started discovering healthier snack alternatives. Instead of eating potato chips I would eat carrot sticks and hummus. When I craved sweets, I would take some fruit or nuts and then drizzle reduced-fat chocolate syrup on them. I learned how satisfying it was to eat something that not only tastes great, but is nutritious and filling as well.

The most important thing that I discovered while focusing on my wellness was that I really had to want to make a change in my habits. And when I started focusing on my physical health, my mental health started to improve. I was not only feeling happier with my appearance but I was more comfortable doing all of the things that I had previously been afraid to do. I started realizing that my new diet and increased activity really affected my mood. I was no longer having panic attacks, and I had more energy. Having that energy made me restless; I no longer wanted to sit at home watching television, so I started going out with friends again and re-acquainting myself with the world around me.

I am certainly no expert on fitness and nutrition, but I did find a number of things that really worked for me. I still have vices that I am trying to conquer, but as for my physical and mental wellness, I feel like I have gotten to a point where they are not holding me back from anything. And that, of course, makes me very happy.

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