Intro
Life is a constant rollercoaster filled different feelings and emotions. You’ll have periods of life where you’re riding highs. Things are working out in your favour, you’re happy and life is just a pleasure to be living. Then seemingly out of no where comes a down period. Stress levels start to increase, and anxious thoughts start creeping in. You’re finding it increasingly harder to live in the present moment as you’re dwelling over past mistakes and worried about what your future holds. The highs and lows of life come and go and it’s all part of life’s journey, but sometimes the down periods can stick around for weeks on end, which can make life’s journey uncomfortable and take the pleasure out of living. It’s important in times like this that you focus on self-care. You prioritise doing things that are going to help you feel better while you’re riding that down period.
In this blog post, I’m going to talk about self-care for mental health. Things I prioritize when I’m struggling. Self-care should be a part of everyone’s daily routine. But let’s be honest, when life is going well, it’s easy to let some of our habits slip. Prioritizing self-care when you’re struggling is a great way to boost yourself back up, reduce anxiety and stress levels, and help bring you back to living in the present moment.
What is self-care?
Self-care means doing things that take care of your physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing. Self-care helps you maintain a healthy relationship with yourself, by doing things that help you feel good. It should play an important part in everyone’s life, especially if you’ve been struggling with your mental health.
Self-care for mental health
1. Talk about your problems
A form of self-care for your mental health is talking about your problems. When you keep them inside your head, thoughts tend to spiral out of control. This can increase anxiety and make your problems seem too overwhelming to tackle. When you’re able to talk about your problems, it feels like a weight being lifted from your shoulders. It gives you better clarity on your situation, which makes it easier to overcome your problems. I understand that talking can be a daunting task, so I suggest talking to close family member or your best friend.
2. Practice mindfulness
The experts over at mindful.org say ‘Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.’
A mindfulness technique I practice regularly is meditation. I sit for 5-10 minutes a day and focus on my breath. Mediation is especially helpful on days where I’m struggling with anxious thoughts. It helps bring you to the present moment, whilst teaching you to allow thoughts to come and go, without placing any judgment on them. Check out some more mindfulness techniques here.
3. Focus on a routine
Routines are great to stick to in everyday life, but they’re especially beneficial if you’ve been struggling with your mental health. Sometimes it feels like you’re not in control and sticking to a routine can add some control back into your life. Routines can also ease anxiety, lower stress and help combat burnout. A simple routine I like to follow looks like this:
- Wake up and get out of bed same time each day
- Make bed
- Get washed and dressed
- Have breakfast
- 30 minutes – 1 hour exercise after work
- Shower
- Eat dinner at the same time each night
- Go to bed at the same time each night
I’m not saying you should follow this routine, as humans we’re all different and what works for me, may not work for you. The key to developing a routine is to start small and keep building on it. Don’t try to do too much at once and overload yourself.
4. Get out for regular walks
Studies have shown that 30 minutes of walking every day is enough to boost your mood and improve your health. I personally find walking a huge help to my mental health, especially when I’m surrounded by nature. It helps quiet the mental chatter and helps bring me to the present moment. If you’ve been struggling recently, I suggest taking yourself on a 30 minute walk after work or whenever you can fit it in with your schedule, and see if it benefits you.
5. Stay hydrated
When life is throwing you some challenges, it’s easy to forget to do the basic things like drinking enough water. Water is a great way to boost your energy levels, reduce brain fog and alleviate headaches. I’ve also found that a lack of water leads to me feeling more anxious. It’s recommended that adults drink between 2-3l of water per day. A tip I’ve used to increase my water intake is to take a glass to bed with me and drink it as soon as I wake up.
6. Prioritise sleep
Your body needs good quality sleep to be able to handle the day ahead. And getting a good night’s sleep can become increasingly harder when you’re struggling with your mental health. Lack of sleep can lead to you feeling more anxious, stressed and depressed. Prioritising sleep by creating a sleeping routine can help improve the quality of your nights rest. I’ve found flowing these simple tips very helpful:
- Exercise in the evening
- Stop eating 3 hours before bed
- Stop using phone at least 1 hour before bed
- Create a cool environment to sleep in
- Go to bed at the same time each night
Conclusion
Self-care should play an important role in everyone’s life. But it is especially important when you’re struggling with your mental health. Focusing on mindfulness, staying hydrated and getting regular exercise are great ways to boost yourself back up, when you’ve been down. The key is to not overload yourself and try to do too much at once. Take some time to work out what’s most beneficial to you and get comfortable doing that. Adding in more steps when you feel it’s necessary to do so.