It may sound cliché, but self-care is not selfish, particularly when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Taking care of yourself is necessary for health, but also to take care of those around you, personally and professionally. We are unable to pour from an empty cup, and we must put the proverbial oxygen mask on first before we help others. To repeat, this is not selfish.
How Does Stress Affect Our Mental Wellbeing?
The evidence says we are a stressed out, anxious, depressed and burnt-out society. This is due to a myriad of reasons. Every day, we make behavioral choices that will influence both our short- and long-term health and wellbeing outcomes. Holistic health begins with mental health.
There are healthy and not-so-healthy stressors in everyday life. While we tend to focus on the negative stressors, there are positive stressors too – children, relationships, promotions, marriage, etc. And, although stress is stress physiologically on the body and mind, how we choose to react makes all the difference. There are many strategies we can use to offset the effects of stress. If you are already doing a few of these, terrific. However, there may be an area of opportunity for you if you see one or two you are interested in exploring.
20 Strategies to Help You Improve Your Mental Wellbeing
1. Include movement & exercise in your daily routine.
Whether it’s building short movement and physical activity breaks into your daily schedule or structured exercise, awakening the body awakens the brain.
2. Practice healthy-ish eating.
Please eat your fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, beans, nuts, legumes, and dairy. They are full of important nutrients for the body and brain. But also please eat some of the “want” foods you enjoy – chocolate, chips, pizza and an adult beverage. That doesn’t mean to eat and drink everything in sight; a little can go a long way for your craving. If you restrict food, your body and brain want them even more, so do not deprive your body. Trust it and your hunger. Do not ignore those hunger signals.
3. Get enough quality sleep.
The goal is 7-9 hours a sleep a night. This is what the body needs physiologically. If you are not up to 7, start adding in 10-15 minutes. See how it goes for a couple of weeks and then add additional time. The goal is to get closer to 7 hours of quality sleep over time.
4. Practice deep breathing.
There is quite a bit of evidence for taking some deep breaths, purposefully and relaxed. In as little as 2 minutes of deep breathing, you can bring your cortisol levels down.
5. Practice progressive relaxation.
This is all about tightening and relaxing muscles of your body, and a great way to physically relax the body.
6. Use guided imagery.
Picture yourself in your favorite place using your senses. Pair this with deep breathing and you get even more bang for your buck.
7. Practice Yoga and Tai Chi.
These mind-body-spirit movement and breathing activities are low-impact and great stress reduction techniques.
8. Include prayer in your daily routine.
If you submit to a higher power, prayer can evoke the relaxation effect and help with gratitude practice.
9. Have a spirit of gratitude.
Give you and those around you a big dose of vitamin G. Identify people, experiences and things you are grateful and thankful for.
10. Journal to improve mental wellbeing.
Journaling helps you sort through thoughts and emotions in your head on paper.
11. Practice mindful meditation.
Combined with deep breathing, this mindfulness practice helps to center and ground you.
12. Repeat positive affirmations.
Also known as positive self-statements, these are repeated sentences you say to yourself that change neural pathways in the brain and help you think more positively about yourself and your situation.
13. Volunteer to help others.
Pay it back, pay it forward, give back, however you like to think about it! Volunteer your time, treasure (financial contributions), or talent (what you are gifted at and like to share with others).
14. Develop hobbies.
There are lots of ideas here. Basically, personal activities that interest you.
15. Get creative with art to elevate your mental wellbeing.
Art is in the eye of the beholder. Try something creative. It can be simple like coloring or painting, or an art class like ceramics.
16. Utilize pet therapy in your self-care routine.
If you have a pet, be sure to include them in your self-care plan.
17. Take a vacation or schedule time away from work.
This means really away, and not checking email.
18. Say no-ish … you don’t have to do everything yourself!
If your priority list is long, enlist a colleague to help with a project. If a parent asks you to help with something for school, ask another parent for help, or only take on a portion of the project. That way you are not saying no altogether (who knows when you will need someone’s help) but aren’t feeling overwhelmed with taking on too much.
19. Talk it out.
Discuss something on your mind with a friend, family member or professional (therapist, counselor).
20. Laughter is the best medicine.
Whenever you can fit in a good belly laugh, it releases the feel-good endorphins in the brain.
Remember … self-care is NOT selfish and it can go a long way toward elevating your mental wellbeing. If you still need help building healthy habits or achieving your health goals, reach out to me today! My health and wellness coaching services could be the solution you need.
