With busy lives, it can be tough to keep on top of your mental health. Between work, kids, and everything else going on daily, life can sometimes feel like a never-ending mountain. However, just taking a little bit of time out of your day can add up and improve your overall well being. If you’re not sure where to start, begin with these 5 tricks and strategies that will boost your mental health.
#1: Practice Self Care
One of the most important things you can do to improve your mental health is to practice self care. Setting goals for yourself is a great way to tackle this step and help you move at your own pace according to your needs. Self care can include things like:
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
◦ What you eat affects you more than most people realize!
• Getting enough sleep
• Prayer, Meditation, Moments of Gratitude
◦ Even just 3 to 10 minutes a day can help you quiet your mind
• Exercise
◦ This could be getting up and walking around or a full workout session
#2: Take Time Away from Electronics
Do you feel like you’re constantly checking social media to see what’s happening or if you received a message? Would you say most of your time is spent on your phone or computer? This could be eating into more of your free time than you realize. And not looking on your phone just before bed will actually improve your sleep!
If you struggle with checking your social media pages every few minutes, turn off all notifications so that you are not constantly hearing dings or feeling buzzes from your phone. Also, try setting yourself only a few periods a day where you’re allowed to check and set an alarm for a specified period of time. For example, set a timer for 20 minutes before you go to your social media pages and disengage when the timer goes off. Remember, these pages are designed to pull you in and never let you go! Get control of it by setting and sticking to your boundaries. Taking breaks can be tough, but it can lower negative feelings like unhealthy comparisons or fear of missing out (FOMO).
You also want to be sure you’re establishing a work-life balance. If you find you’re constantly checking your work email while you’re supposed to be relaxing, set boundaries and don’t look at your email outside of work hours. Take this a step further and spend time on your top work priorities first, and then check your emails–you’ll get more done each day which will reduce work stress.
#3: Start a Hobby
Sometimes, people can feel like their life is only work, kids, sleep, and repeat. If you’re in this boat, it may be time to add a new hobby to your day. This could be something you did years ago that you really enjoyed or something entirely new. A few hobbies you may want to consider include
• Starting a journal
◦ This could detail your day, be an outlet for creativity, or something else.
• Volunteer
◦ Have a passion? You may be able to turn it into a volunteering opportunity and
help others in your community.
• Read
• Learn a language
• Exercise or fitness activities
• Woodworking
• Or anything else you enjoy!
#4: Manage your Stress
Managing your stress is often easier said than done, but it is possible with practice. First, you need to understand your stressors and learn to identify when you’re stressed or anxious. This will help you understand exactly what you need to do to calm down or collect yourself, and how to avoid your stressors if possible.
Hobbies, meditation, and mindfulness can definitely help here. You may also want to try taking a walk in nature, spend time with your pet, hang out with friends, and just take time for yourself.
#5: Be Kind to Yourself
It can be easy to be harsh to yourself. It’s often said that you are your own worst critic. Do you find you’re often putting yourself down? You should work on cutting the habit. It’s doing much more harm than good. You want to surround yourself with positivity, treat yourself with kindness, and always respect yourself.
Here’s a saying that I’ve shared with my online community: Embrace G&G. Grace and Gratitude. Give more to yourself and more to others.
If you’re still struggling, try taking out that journal and writing down your achievements for the day, week, or month. Also remind yourself of all that you are grateful for. You could also practice positive affirmations in the morning to set yourself up for success.
It can be difficult to focus on your mental health with everything going on in life, but it’s a must for your overall health and wellbeing. Never put it on the backburner. Simple steps now can pay dividends later. Try setting goals for yourself and you could find it easier than you realized. And remember: if you’re struggling with severe anxiety, stress, depression, or other mental issues, it’s okay not to be okay–seek professional help.
Do you want to take control of your health? We can help. We take a root-cause approach to help you with hormone balance, fatigue, weight loss, and more. Discover everything we can offer you, your health, your wellness, and your mental health here.