There are a lot of ways that you can look after your own mental health. It doesn’t matter whether you are experiencing a lot of mental health issues at the moment or whether you are just looking for ways to stay healthy because there are plenty of things that you can do to give yourself that mental boost.
Talk to Someone
It’s super easy for you to become isolated if you don’t feel too well or if you are caught up in trying to look after someone who has mental health difficulties. If this sounds like you then it’s a good idea for you to talk to someone who you can trust. This could be a family member or it could even be a friend or even a family member as well. They may be able to help you to share the load and they can also help you to stop shutting yourself off. A lot of people stop doing the things that they love when they experience things like depression and for this reason, you need to push yourself to do something you enjoy every single day. You may not feel like it, and you may feel like whatever you do is completely pointless but if you sit and let this feeling take over you then you really won’t be doing yourself any favors. Pushing yourself is the best thing that you can do here, and you’d be surprised at how easy it is for you to really start to feel better about yourself.
Work Out
When you work out, you release endorphins and this is a great way for you to get that instant boost. Of course, it’s understandable that when you are feeling worried or when you are feeling depressed, that you may not want to work out. Exercise comes with a ton of benefits and some people even find that working out helps them to sleep at night and it even helps them to concentrate better as well. You don’t have to go all out at the gym to get these benefits, and there are many types of exercise that don’t require as much effort. You may find that things like yoga and even football can help you to feel less anxious or depressed and they can work wonders for your mood. If you don’t want to go out there and socialize then this is completely understandable, but you can easily put a yoga DVD or workout video on the television so that you can get all of the benefits of working out without having to leave the house. If you can’t stand the thought of doing this or if your energy is just too low, consider going out for a short walk. Force yourself to go for a 20-minute walk because when you are out of the house, you can start to feel better and you may even choose to extend your walk as a result.
Do Something for You
When you feel low, everything can feel like way too much effort and you may even find it very difficult to find the motivation to get out of bed as well. If this sounds like you then try and set yourself one small goal every single day. You’ll want to make sure that this goal reflects something that will make you feel better or something that will boost your mood. For example, you could force yourself to cook your favorite meal or you could wash your bedding. That way, when you climb into your bed at night, you can feel the cool and crisp feel of freshly washed bedding. Little things like this can make all the difference and you will feel so much better when you have done it as well.
Relax
Sometimes you just need to unwind and relax. This is completely normal and you deserve it. You should never feel bad about wanting some “you” time. You may want to try and keep a journal and you may also want to try and take your pet out for a walk as well. If you want to really unwind, consider listening to music when you are out and about. You may also want to try having a bath or trying your hand at cooking. Cooking is a great way for you to have some alone time and it is a great way for you to meet other people if that’s what you want as well. If you want, you could try going to see if there are any groups for you to join and this could be great for your mood. It’s important to remember that it is more than okay for you to feel the way that you feel, and you can even try and meditate as well.
Protecting Yourself
You may find that at times, you just don’t have the time or the energy to do the things that you want. You may not have the time to go to the movies and this can make you feel like nothing you do is really enjoyable. Make sure that you set some time aside to do things that you enjoy and always make sure that you do everything you can to really protect that time as well. If work wants you to stay behind after and if this is going to affect your “you” time then don’t be afraid to say no. This will really help you to protect yourself, your mental health, and your interests.
Emotional Support
It’s super important that you get the help and support of those around you. You’ll want to be able
to count on people when you need them and they need to know how you feel as well. To do this, you’ll want to sit down and talk with those around you so you can really explain everything. If you experience anxiety you could even consider getting an emotional support dog. If you are wondering how to get an emotional support dog then you’ll find that the whole process is super easy and you’ll also find that it is easy for you to get out more when you have one as well. After all, dogs need walking and they really are man’s best friend for a reason. They could help you considerably, and they are loyal, lifelong companions.
Don’t Shut Yourself Away
When you feel rubbish, going to work is the last thing that you’ll want to do. You won’t want to
face the world and you also won’t want to spend time with other people. Sure, this is completely understandable but you do need to push yourself. You may convince yourself that if you stay at home, you’ll feel better but this is not the case at all. You’ll feel way worse, and you may even feel as though you are just not achieving anything. It’s super important that you don’t shut yourself away at this time and you really do need to take the time to think about your situation. If you don’t go to work, what will you achieve? You’d probably stay in bed all day. If you do go to work, however, then you will earn money and you will also be able to socialize. On top of this, you’ll be getting fresh air, exercise, a good meal at dinner, and the accomplishment f knowing that you really pushed yourself and it paid off. You never know, if you go into work today then it could end up being the best day of your life!
Really agree with this advice though it is really hard to put into practice. Thanks you for sharing, so important to increase awareness about this.
I definitely feel that mental health is totally overlooked much of the time. I love your tips and I always try to make sure to have “me time”.
Stay well rested, hydrated and around good people and you’ll be fine. Thanks for this!
All of those are good things when it comes to mental health. I think making sure you have a regular support group is so important. And then keeping your energy going through exercise is also good.
I loved reading this! There were some really good suggestions that you made and I agree, it is SO important to focus on personal health.
It’s so important to be mindful of your health, especially mental health. These are super helpful ways that anyone can do. It can be hard to get help or help yourself, but you’re worth it.
Personal wellness and aligning body and spirit are my top priorities. You provided great advice and tips on stress relief and mindfulness. Thanks for sharing!
I like the tips you gave. Looking after oneself is important to keep one’s sanity intact. Talking with someone is a good advice.
So true and very important to do so , I suffer with depression and it can be hard at times it can be so helpful to talk to others.
It really is such an important thing to make sure you look after your own mental health. I think for so many of us it is something we think of too late when things are starting to go bad.
Great list but I love “Do Something For Yourself” the best. Forcing yourself to do these things will help make you feel self-worth and also have a more comfortable environment.
Wonderful list to follow. It is important to take care of ourselves to improve our mental health. There are many ways that we can help ourselves to prevent complete melt-downs.
I agree with ALL of this!!!!! As someone who has struggled with postpartum depression, this is such a good list with sound advice! 🙂
What a great article! I agree taking care of your personal health is very important and these are all great methods to use. I really like the mention of exercise as I personally use this method to relieve stress.