Summarize this article:

One of the best ways to help you recover after a mental breakdown is to be kind to yourself. This means you shouldn't beat yourself up if you have a hard day or don't feel like getting out of the house. You can only learn to heal if you allow yourself to process everything in your own time. Avoid thinking of yourself as a failure if you need to take a day off or if you don't meet every goal you set. Recovery takes time. A good way to come to terms with your mental issues is through a mood journal. Write down what you feel everyday and what made you feel that way. Go back over your diary at the end of the week to see patterns in your behaviors.  This will help you figure out what thought patterns that lead you to feel certain ways. You can also identify your triggers. Once you learn this, you can work with your therapist to change negative behaviors and avoid triggers. In order to come to terms with your breakdown, you can look for meaning in what happened to you. Think about how you can change and grow after your breakdown instead of focusing on getting back to the way you were. You can use meditation, inspirational or self help books, or religious faith to help with this. Your mental breakdown may have caused you to pull away from those around you. As part of your recovery, reach out to those you may have ignored or lost touch with while you were going through your breakdown. Try to reform or renew these relationships so you can get back part of your life before the breakdown.  This may be hard if you don't want to disclose exactly what happened to you. Be as honest as you are comfortable with. The worst thing you can do is suffer in silence when you are recovering from a breakdown. Reach out to your family and friends for support. Having someone you can count on will help you feel more supportive and positive about your recover.  Start going out to social events again, as long as you feel comfortable in them. If you have to, start small, such as a one on one for coffee, and work your way up. You will not come back from a mental breakdown overnight. It is a long process where you work on yourself, work through your feelings, and pinpoint the underlying conditions that caused your breakdown. Don't be too hard on yourself, though. You need to make sure you take as long as you need to heal. Don't give yourself a time table either. You don't want to stress yourself out by worrying about meeting a schedule of recovery.

Summary:
Be kind to yourself. Write in a journal. Find meaning in your breakdown. Rebuild your relationships. Avoid isolation. Realize it will take time.