“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Yes, I know you’re here because you’re tired of your current lifestyle.
I was at the same place 1 year ago.
A year ago, I hit rock bottom. For reasons beyond my control, my health deteriorated in a way that left me feeling completely incapacitated. I couldn’t function like a normal human being. Simple tasks like going outside, eating, or even getting out of bed felt like monumental challenges. I lost 20 pounds, a lot of friends, and I even lost sight of who I was for a while. Anxiety attacks became my constant companion, and my days were spent trapped in a cycle of isolation and despair.
I often reflect on that dark time. It was eight months of fighting to get back to a place where I could simply feel “normal” again. And today, after a year and 93 days, I can say that I’m slowly recovering. While my health isn’t fully back to where I want it to be, I’ve made a lot of progress. More importantly, I’ve learned valuable lessons on how to rebuild my life, one step at a time.
In this post, I want to share the eight steps that helped me climb out of rock bottom and move toward a healthier, happier version of myself. If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, I hope you’ll find something here that resonates with your own journey.
Step 1: Clean Up Your Act
When life starts to slip, it’s easy to let your environment reflect how you’re feeling inside. My living space became chaotic, just like my mind. I didn’t take care of my hygiene or my surroundings. The mess mirrored the turmoil I was experiencing internally.
To break the cycle, I decided to start small. I cleaned my room, organized my desk, did some laundry, and even bought some new clothes. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Slowly, I began to feel like I was in control again. That small action was the spark I needed to ignite a sense of hope.
Step 2: Less Screen Time
At my lowest, I spent an average of 11-13 hours a day on screens—mostly watching the same movies, scrolling endlessly through social media, or reading articles that left me feeling empty. I wasn’t doing anything productive, and the guilt would push me into a vicious cycle of more scrolling.
The turning point came when I realized I wasn’t having a single original thought during the day. Everything was just passive consumption. So, I made a radical change: I got two phones. One was my “crack phone,” loaded with all my distractions. The other, my “kale phone,” was stripped of anything that could waste my time. It only had messages and apps that helped me grow.
This strategy worked. By eliminating the constant temptation, I reduced my screen time to just 1-2 hours a day. My mind started to clear up, and I regained control over how I spent my time.
Step 3: Try Healthy Habits
During the months I spent isolating myself, I experienced a range of emotions and physical sensations that were completely new to me—anxiety attacks, deep discomfort in social settings, and a feeling of disconnection from the world around me. It was a tough period.
To cope, I tried various healthy habits. I started journaling for three days, practiced gratitude for a week, went to therapy for three months, and stuck with consistent gym routines and meditation. I didn’t expect overnight miracles, but I did commit to showing up each day. Therapy, in particular, was eye-opening for me. I never thought I would find it helpful, but it turned out to be a key part of my healing process.
Step 4: Figure Out What You Want
As I began to feel better, I realized I didn’t have a clear direction for where I was going. I was starting to regain my sense of normalcy, but what came next? What did I truly want out of life?
I spent time researching and reflecting on what mattered most to me: relationships, fun, career, finances, and health. I broke these areas down and set two goals for each: one “ceiling” goal (the most ambitious goal) and one “floor” goal (the minimum I hoped to achieve). This gave me a range to work with and kept me from being overly hard on myself when things didn’t go perfectly.
I also learned that focusing on the inputs, rather than the outcomes, was key. I didn’t know when the results would come, but by focusing on daily actions—spending quality time with loved ones, working on hobbies, going to the gym, etc.—I could ensure progress, regardless of when the “big results” showed up.
Step 5: Build Your Schedule
A good life isn’t built in a day; it’s built day by day. A good day makes a good week, a good week makes a good month, and a good month makes a good year. I had to learn to make every day count.
I started focusing on the small, consistent actions that added up to a great life. This is where the idea of an “ideal Tuesday” came in. Life isn’t just about the extraordinary moments (vacations, special events, etc.); it’s about how you make the ordinary days meaningful. My goal was to create a normal Tuesday that reflected what I valued most—health, relationships, career, fun, and finances. If I could make that day amazing, I knew I could make my life amazing.
Step 6: Do What You Say You’ll Do
Consistency is everything. The biggest hurdle I faced in my recovery was building trust in myself. Every time I said I would do something and didn’t follow through, it undermined my confidence.
I realized that my habits weren’t just about achieving external goals; they were about proving to myself that I could be reliable and consistent. And when I started keeping promises to myself, I began to trust myself more. This self-trust became the foundation of my progress.
Step 7: Consistency Over Everything
By now, I had set the foundation for my new life. But to make lasting changes, consistency was key. At first, I struggled with this. I always thought I could “outwork” consistency with intensity, but I quickly learned that intensity didn’t last. It was the steady, small actions—like walking for just a minute a day when I felt physically terrible—that had the biggest impact.
Those walks turned into 5-minute sessions, then 10, then 20. Over time, this simple habit built momentum that carried me through the other steps. Consistency helped me slowly climb out of my darkest days.
Step 8: Reflect on Your Progress
Finally, it’s essential to pause and reflect on how far you’ve come. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush to reach the next milestone, but real growth happens when you take a step back and acknowledge your efforts.
Despite the difficulty of the last year, I’ve learned to appreciate the struggle. As I read in The Myth of Sisyphus while lying in bed one day: “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.” It’s true—life’s challenges are not just obstacles to overcome, they are opportunities for growth.
Rebuilding my life was not easy, but it was worth it. Each of these eight steps helped me become a better version of myself. If you’re struggling right now, know that it’s possible to start again, no matter how far down you feel. Start with small steps, be consistent, and treat yourself kindly along the way.
I hope this post inspires you to take control of your own journey—no matter how long it may take. Keep pushing forward, and trust that, step by step, you can create a life that’s worth living.
