How can I help my own mental health?
Welcome back to another blog. In honour of Valentine’s Day this week I’m aiming to spread some self-love and with it becoming increasingly difficult for most of us to get a doctor’s appointment these days I believe now it’s more important than ever to take care of our own mental health. So, if you want to know the answer to the question; How can I help my own mental health then keep reading.
Self-love
This week in my last blog I gave some tips on self-care. Self-care is a huge way to increase your own self confidence and self-love. Take some time to focus on you, it’s so easy for most of us to put others first but it’s so important to reserve at least 30 minutes a day to look after our own wellbeing.
30 minutes a day
With busy lives, working, caring for young children or caring for sick relatives it can be really hard to find time out of our day just to spend on ‘us’ but it would be good to start by reserving 30 minutes each day to doing something just for you.
That could be a face mask and a bubble bath, or a good old cuppa and a catch up on the phone with a friend. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else, we are all unique and if it feels like 30 minutes well spent to you then that counts!
Exercise
Exercise doesn’t have to be gruelling, it can be simply getting out in the fresh air and spending half an hour walking.
If it’s not something you enjoy, then why not couple it with listening to a podcast? There are plenty of podcasts available on applications such as Spotify, many of them also support depression and mental health if you need a little bit of extra support.
It’s good to talk.
In a world where we are constantly told to be more in touch with our emotions and recognise when we might need that little bit of extra support, be reminded that it’s good to talk about how we are feeling. Anxiety, stress and depression can trigger ‘over thinking’ and when we worry about things sometimes simply chatting them through with a friend is just what the Doctor ordered. Seeking another perspective can often help ground us and remind us that things aren’t quite as bad as we often imagine. Equally, if we are really struggling, sometimes some reassuring words from someone familiar can give us the confidence we need to reach out for professional support.
Reward personal achievements.
It’s easy to read this subheading and assume I’m making reference to completing a master’s degree or running the London Marathon. - and yes, they are huge personal achievements so if you fit into that box then wow! Well done!
But what I’m really talking about are the small achievements that we might not recognise to be ‘achievements’
For those battling with addiction of any kind it could simply be saying ‘no’ to that second alcoholic drink or declining that online gambling special offer.
Equally it could be, rewarding yourself for doing any of the above!
Recognising when we have done something positive is a huge step when looking after our own mental health. With the ‘ideal life’ often plastered all over social media we can spend far too much time comparing ourselves to others.
Remember there is only one of you in the world and that in itself means you are special. So, give credit to those little achievements. Make an excuse to celebrate with friends, book that day trip out or treat yourself to that little something you’ve had your eye on.
Don’t compromise progress.
However you choose to recognise those personal achievements be mindful not to compromise progress made. By this I mean, if you struggle to limit your alcohol intake then don’t reward yourself with an alcohol binge and don’t spend time celebrating with people who don’t make you feel good.
I hope this has helped answer the question: How can I help my own mental health? As I’ve said before these tips are my own personal tips and I am not by any means a trained mental health practitioner or psychotherapist.
Until my next blog, thanks again for being here,
Sabrina x