5 Ways to Practice Self Care For Your Mental Health
Usually, work and family commitments take a huge priority in our lives.
And it’s very easy to focus all of your energy on making sure everyone else in your life is happy and forgetting about yourself.
Unfortunately, this can compromise your mental health, and you could end up feeling stressed or display symptoms of anxiety or depression.
So, it’s critical you set aside some time to focus on number one: YOU!
And, it’s important to practice self care every day.
Briefly speaking, self-care is identifying your own needs and then taking small steps to meet those.
In fact, even something as simple as taking a shower or working out is a form of self care.
Whilst this may sound obvious, if you’re suffering from mental health, doing these small things seems a lot harder, as people suffering with mental health can often experience poor motivation, low energy and fatigue. Other symptoms include withdrawal, isolation, lack of desire to do pleasure things, poor focus and concentration.
Before we jump into how you can practice self care, please keep in mind that it doesn’t mean splashing the cash or making huge life changes.
So, here are 5 easy ways you can practice self-care for your mental health.
A Proper Sleep Routine
When you’re super busy, it’s very easy to mess up your sleeping routine; either you sleep super late or wake up extra early, or you feel too stressed to sleep at all.
But, a good night’s sleep is crucial for your well being. And it helps to boost your physical performance, regulate your appetite, and improve your focus and productivity.
As such, make sure you prioritise your sleep. Avoid binge-watching a TV show, and if you can go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day – even better!
Take Breaks
You must set some time out of your day to focus on yourself. Even just a quick 15 minute walk alone outside can work wonders for your mood.
Plus, it’s also good practice to plan a minibreak every so often – even if it’s something as simple as heading to the nearest beach or nature reserve.
In essence, having something to look forward to can help keep your spirits up.
Indulge in Essential Oils
When you inhale essential oils, this stimulates the olfactory system (the part of the brain connected to smell), and this influences the limbic system, which is responsible for your behavioural and emotional responses.
Consider buying a diffuser bottle, or add a few drops of essential oils to a hot bath to give a steaming effect; in particular citrus scents have been found to soothe stress and anxiety.
Meditation
Meditation can have a huge impact on your wellbeing, both while you’re practising and throughout everyday life.
If you’re new to meditation, keep in mind you don’t need to sit in a trance for hours to start reaping the benefits.
Even if you just start off with 10 minutes a day, this will help to release any stress or tension you may be feeling immediately.
And the same applies for yoga too; learn a few simple salutations and practice them each morning to start the day stress-free.
Learn to Say No
As we mentioned at the beginning, it’s very easy to prioritise everyone but yourself. And if this sounds like you, you’ll probably find yourself constantly saying yes to every commitment. But most of the time, you don’t actually have the capacity to help them.
Therefore, saying yes all the time can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress and eventually burnout.
Unfortunately, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so learn to say no. And once you start declining, you’ll not only feel empowered, but you’ll have more time to focus on yourself.
In Summary
To summarise, practising self care will help to combat poor mental health, and play a key role in the road to recovery and rehabilitation.
Simply, managing mental health is not just about medication or therapy; there’s many triggers that vary between people.
And so, if there are small things that you can do everyday that will help manage feelings of anx
iety, stress or anger, then this will go a long way in helping you feel more control of your life.
To learn more. Contact us today.
This blog was produced in collaboration with Court of Protection Solicitors: Thaliwal & Veja, and Invisalign Experts: Smiles by Gurms.
