25 Clever Hacks I Used To Heal When My Mind Was a Mess After Narcissistic Abuse

After years of dealing with my narcissistic family members and, worse than that, I dated one unknowingly, my mind wasn’t just tired, it was wrecked.

I’d wake up already exhausted, overthink everything I said, and question if I was actually the problem. I wasn’t.

But when you’ve been manipulated, gaslit, and dismissed long enough, even thinking clearly feels impossible.

I wasn’t looking for fluffy affirmations or “just be positive” advice. I needed real, practical things I could do to feel like myself again, one small mental win at a time.

These 25 clever mental health hacks helped me shift my mindset when I was drowning in self-doubt, depression, and leftover damage from narcissistic abuse.

If you’re feeling stuck, foggy, or mentally drained, you’re not broken. You’re just healing.

And these are the exact things that helped me do it.

Why Positive Thinking Feels Impossible After Narcissistic Abuse?

People love to throw around the phrase “just think positive” like it’s some magic fix.

But when you’ve lived through narcissistic abuse, positive thinking feels impossible, like it’s fake.

You’ve been lied to, guilt-tripped, and emotionally torn apart by people who were supposed to love you.
They didn’t just hurt you, they trained your brain to expect the worst.
To doubt every compliment. To question every kind gesture.
To believe that peace is just the calm before another storm.

So no, positive thinking isn’t just hard, it feels unsafe.

Because for a long time, your nervous system was in survival mode. And surviving doesn’t leave much room for affirmations or gratitude journals.

But here’s the thing no one tells you:
You don’t need to go from broken to blissful overnight.
You just need to take one mental step forward.

The hacks I’m about to share aren’t about pretending everything’s okay.
They’re about rewiring the beliefs narcissists tried to beat out of you, beliefs like “I matter,” “I deserve peace,” and “I can choose better.”

Let’s start there. With truth. Not toxic positivity.

The Mindset Reset: Small Habits That Build Big Mental Shifts

When your brain has been trained to expect chaos, betrayal, and criticism, even the smallest moment of peace can feel suspicious.

I used to wait for the other shoe to drop constantly. If something good happened, I’d brace myself, because in my world, good things came with strings.

Narcissistic abuse didn’t just leave emotional scars, it rewired my entire way of thinking.

So no, I didn’t wake up one day and decide to “be positive.”
I started with tiny shifts, simple but yet clever habits that felt doable even on my worst days.
And one by one, they added up to a mindset I never thought I could have.

1. Start With 60 Seconds of Quiet (Meditation for Trauma Survivors)

I didn’t light candles or chant mantras. I just sat on the edge of my bed and breathed.
One minute. Eyes closed. Just existing.

It wasn’t blissful. It was awkward. But slowly, I found space between my thoughts, and in that space, I found calm.

2. Reach Out to One Safe Friend

I didn’t broadcast my pain. I picked one person who felt safe, and I sent them a voice note.

Not to get advice. Just to be heard.
And when they responded with warmth instead of judgment? It reminded me that connection didn’t have to hurt.

3. Move Your Body to Move the Emotion (Even a Walk Counts)

Some days, I couldn’t get out of bed. But on the days I could, I walked.

No goals. No Fitbit. Just forward motion.

Moving helped me feel like I wasn’t stuck, even when my mind told me otherwise.

4. Nourish Your Body (Because Trauma Lives There Too)

I used to forget to eat. Or I’d binge whatever numbed me fastest.

Then I started asking: what would I feed someone I love?
I didn’t overhaul my diet. I just chose food that felt like care, not punishment.

5. Read Things That Remind You You’re Not Alone

I read stories from other survivors. Listened to podcasts that told the truth about trauma.

Not to wallow but to remember that I wasn’t crazy.
That other people had made it out, and I could too.

These shifts weren’t magical. They didn’t “fix” me overnight.
But they gave me something narcissists never did: hope without fear.

They reminded me that I could build a different mindset, one rooted in reality, not reaction.
One built on small, intentional acts of self-respect instead of survival instincts.

Emotional Rewiring: Train Your Brain to See Hope Again

After narcissistic abuse, hope doesn’t come naturally.

Your brain learns to expect pain. You start anticipating manipulation, abandonment, or criticism even when things seem calm. That’s what emotional trauma does. It conditions you to distrust joy, question safety, and brace for impact.

I didn’t realize how deep it went until I found myself flinching at kindness. When someone offered help, I wondered, What do they want from me?

I wasn’t negative, I was programmed to protect myself. And that’s why emotional rewiring isn’t just important, it’s survival.

Here are the simple but powerful steps that helped me train my brain to believe that good things are possible again.

6. Talk to a Professional (Even If It’s Just Once)

I was terrified the first time I sat across from a therapist. I expected judgment. What I got was validation.

He didn’t try to fix me, he helped me understand why I thought the way I did.
That alone shifted something big.

You don’t have to commit to years of therapy. Just start with one session. Sometimes, one hour of being heard can interrupt years of gaslighting.

7. Get Around Real People, Not Energy Leeches

I started paying attention to how I felt after spending time with people.

If I left drained, anxious, or doubting myself, it was a no. But if I left feeling seen, energized, or just calm, that was a yes.

Rewiring your emotional state often starts with who you let into your emotional space.

8. Keep a No-BS Gratitude Journal

Let’s be clear, I didn’t write “I’m grateful for the sunshine” every day.

Some days, I wrote, “I’m grateful I didn’t answer that toxic text.”
Or, “I’m grateful I made it through the day without crying in the shower.”

The point isn’t to fake positivity. It’s to train your mind to notice survival wins. Because even surviving is something to be proud of.

9. Set 3 ‘I Can Do This’ Goals a Day

Nothing builds trust in yourself like keeping promises to yourself.

I kept it simple:

• Drink a glass of water.
• Respond to one message.
• Write down one feeling instead of suppressing it.

Every time I followed through, I reminded my brain: I’m capable. I’m consistent. I’ve got this.

10. Let Music Carry You Back to Yourself

Music is therapy, plain and simple. It bypasses the thinking brain and goes straight to the emotions.

I made playlists for different moods—“Fight Songs,” “Soft Days,” “Don’t Cry in Public”—and let them soundtrack my healing.

One song, one lyric, one chorus can make you feel like you’re not alone in the world.

Joy Practice: Reclaim What Narcissists Tried to Take From You

One of the hardest parts of healing from narcissistic abuse is realizing how much joy you stopped allowing yourself to feel.

When you spend years walking on eggshells, trying to avoid their next explosion, your brain learns one thing: play it safe.

Don’t laugh too loud. Don’t dream too big. Don’t show too much emotion, because that’s when they’ll strike. Joy becomes a risk.

I didn’t even realize how numb I had become until I was sitting in a coffee shop one afternoon and saw a couple laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.

It hit me like a brick: When was the last time I laughed like that?

So, I decided to reclaim joy, not the fluffy, Pinterest-worthy kind. Real, grounded joy that feels safe and belongs to me.

11. Find One Reason to Laugh (Even If It’s Dark Humor)

Laughter is medicine, especially the inappropriate, belly-shaking, “this is so wrong but so true” kind.

I started watching comedy shows about trauma, memes that made fun of narcissists (hello, healing), and yes, I even laughed at myself sometimes.

Joy doesn’t mean you’re healed. It means you’re human.

12. Try a 7-Day “Mental Cleanse” (No Drama, No Doomscrolling)

I went 7 days with no narcissist-related content, no triggering conversations, no social media stalking.
Just good books, gentle podcasts, and things that made me feel calm.

It was uncomfortable at first—almost boring—but then it felt like breathing for the first time.

13. Let Go of One Old Grudge (You Know the One)

Letting go isn’t about pretending it didn’t happen. It’s about choosing not to carry it every damn day.

I wrote down one grudge that lived rent-free in my mind. Then I burned it. Dramatic? Yep. Did it help? Hell yes.

Sometimes your nervous system just needs the signal: We’re not holding this anymore.

14. Forgive, Not for Them But For You

I resisted forgiveness because I thought it meant excusing what they did. It doesn’t.

Forgiveness is saying, “I release this because I deserve peace, not because they deserve pardon.”
When I reframed it that way, everything shifted.

15. Help Someone Else (Even a Small Thing)

I started with the tiniest acts, leaving a kind comment, sending an “I’m thinking of you” text, holding the door.

When you’ve been consumed by survival, helping someone else reminds you that you still have something to give.

It’s not about being a savior. It’s about reconnecting with the part of you that still believes in good.

Joy after narcissistic abuse isn’t loud or forced. It’s soft. Quiet. Rebellious.

It’s trusting yourself enough to laugh again, smile again, and live again without asking anyone’s permission.

You don’t need to wait until you’re fully healed to feel joy. Joy is part of the healing.

Body & Energy: Because Depression Isn’t Just in Your Head

After narcissistic abuse, I thought my mind was the only thing that was broken.

But healing taught me something deeper:
The trauma lives in your body, too. It’s in the tightness of your chest when your phone rings.

The way your shoulders tense when someone raises their voice. The exhaustion that hits even after a full night’s sleep.

For the longest time, I ignored the physical part of my recovery. I thought, If I just “think better,” I’ll feel better.

But no amount of positive thinking can override a nervous system that’s been on high alert for years.
To truly heal, I had to start reconnecting with my body and treating it like a safe place again.

Here’s what helped me come back to myself, physically and energetically.

16. Soak Up Some Real Sunlight (Vitamin D + Dopamine)

I used to hide inside. I didn’t want to be seen, didn’t want to exist.
But stepping outside even for 5 minutes, started to shift things.

Sunlight isn’t just “feel good” fluff. It literally helps your body produce Vitamin D, which boosts serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters your brain desperately needs when recovering from trauma.

17. Build a Real-Life Safe Support Circle (Not Just Online)

There’s something healing about hugs, shared meals, and being around people who don’t drain you.
I started small: one person I trusted. Then two. A walk with a friend. A phone call I didn’t cancel.

We heal in safe connection, not isolation.

18. Track Your Negative Self-Talk (Then Challenge It Like a Lawyer)

I began writing down every awful thing I said to myself throughout the day.

“You’re lazy.”
“You’re too much.”
“No one really likes you.”

Then I challenged each one.
Would I say that to a friend?
Could I prove it?
Was it a fact—or just an old wound talking?

This process helped me stop believing everything my brain threw at me.

19. Create a Night Routine That Loves You Back

Narcissistic abuse destroyed my sleep for years. I’d replay conversations, imagine comebacks, spiral in the dark.

I started rebuilding my night routine:

• Phone off an hour before bed
• A warm shower
• Journaling one safe thought
• Calming music or an audiobook

When your nights feel safer, your days get lighter.

20. Reconnect with Something That Used to Be Fun

I forced myself to do things I used to love even when I felt nothing.
At first, it was awkward. Like trying to laugh at a joke you didn’t get.

But the more I showed up, the more joy cracked through the numbness.
That’s when I realized: I wasn’t broken. I was disconnected.
And every small moment of fun was a wire reattaching.

Your body isn’t your enemy. It’s your ally.
It carried you through abuse. It protected you.
Now, it needs you to return the favor.

Your mind may have taken the hits, but your body has been holding the weight.

Deep Rewiring: For Long-Term Healing and Confidence

There’s a point in healing where you stop just surviving… and start rebuilding.

But here’s the truth no one tells you: that shift doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through deep rewiring, tiny, repeated actions that change how you see yourself, your worth, and your future.

After narcissistic abuse, I didn’t just doubt other people, I doubted myself. My judgment. My feelings. My instincts.

So the goal of this phase wasn’t just to “feel better.” It was to trust myself again.

Here’s what helped me rewire my brain and rebuild real confidence:

21. Ditch the Perfectionism (It’s a Narc-Script)

Narcissists love perfectionism because it keeps you striving, never satisfied, and easy to control.

I used to chase this idea of being “good enough” for their love or approval. Spoiler: it never came.

Now? I do things messily. I let things be imperfect. I celebrate progress, not perfection.

Because healing isn’t about becoming flawless—it’s about becoming free.

22. Take a Solo Day Just for You (Even a Cheap One)

I rented a $70 motel 30 minutes from home and called it a “healing retreat.”
No texts. No emails. Just silence, journaling, music, and rest.

It felt strange at first. But then it felt empowering.
Like I didn’t need anyone’s permission to take care of myself.

You don’t need a big budget to make space for your healing. You just need to believe you’re worth the effort.

23. Do One Thing That’s Totally New (Even if You Suck at It)

I took a pottery class. I was awful. My bowl looked like a sad ashtray.

But I laughed. I created. I tried—and that was the point.

Trying new things rewires your brain to believe that life isn’t just trauma and triggers.
It can be new. Playful. Beautiful.

24. Get Out Into Nature (Where No One’s Judging You)

Nature doesn’t gaslight you. It doesn’t expect you to explain your boundaries or justify your silence.

I started hiking with my husband, and the trees didn’t care what I looked like. The trail didn’t guilt-trip me. The birds didn’t ask, “Why are you so quiet today?”

There’s something healing about being in a space where nothing is trying to control you.

25. Repeat After Me: Keep Going. Do. Not. Quit.

I wanted to quit so many times.
Healing felt too slow. Too painful. Too pointless.

But every day I showed up—tired, messy, hurting, I built a little more strength.
A little more clarity. A little more me.

So here’s your reminder:
You don’t have to heal perfectly.
You just have to keep going.

Quick Recap And Key Takeaway

Let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending everything’s okay.

This is about choosing one tiny shift at a time. Choosing yourself.
Because narcissistic abuse doesn’t just damage your self-worth, it rewires your thoughts to expect pain, silence your joy, and question your sanity.

Here’s the core of what they gave me:

No, it’s not always easy. But it is possible.
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You just need to start showing up for yourself in small, consistent ways.

And those small ways? They change everything.

Final Thoughts: This Is What Healing Actually Looks Like

If you’ve made it this far, then I know one thing for sure: You want to feel different. Lighter. Stronger. More like yourself.

And you will. Because healing doesn’t happen in one breakthrough or some huge dramatic moment.

It happens in the little things, saying no to someone who drains you, choosing water over wine, leaving a toxic text on “read,” stepping outside just because the sun is out.

Every time you choose your peace over their chaos, you’re healing. Every time you try again after a setback, you’re rewiring.

You’re not doing this wrong. You’re doing it bravely.

And if you’re tired of piecing this all together on your own, that’s exactly why I created The Next Chapter.

It’s the step-by-step program that helped me rebuild my confidence, reconnect with who I really am, and finally create a life that feels safe, calm, and mine.

You don’t have to carry the weight of what they did forever. You just have to take the next step.

And this right here, was one of them.