My moods have been all over the place.

You may know that I have recently had two major surgeries, and that my recovery has been frustratingly slow.

Come to think of it, my moods do a daily bell curve. I wake up feeling low, and gradually feel better as the day goes on. Mid to late afternoon, and my state of mind starts to slip south again. And so on, every day.

What to do about this?

Well, stop looking at my medical information. I have a compulsion to check my chart every five minutes to see if there is any new information for me to stress out about. When my phone and computer are close to hand, it’s hard to avoid the familiar pattern: website, username, password. . .before you know it, I’m scrolling again.

Be it resolved: I will check my medical information once a week, and not more. Wish me luck on this endeavor.

What else? The mental health gurus love to talk about a practice called “behavioral activation.” That’s shrink-speak for “just do it.” In other words, force yourself to get up and do the things you would be doing if you felt good, and gradually the improved mood will follow.

Another one that I like is called “acceptance and commitment.” In other words, accept the present exactly as it is, and commit (and recommit, as often as needed) oneself to one’s values.

Here’s a third, more of a saying than a mental health strategy, but still, I think it works: “Don’t compare your inside to everybody else’s outside.” Think about it.

So, anyway, it’s a struggle right now. But here’s an irrefutable fact. Today I opted for a bit of behavioral activation and took a walk. I did my longest walk since I was in the hospital, and I climbed the last hill without stopping once.

I must be getting better.