Adulting is difficult and most of the time, we are torn between meeting our desires and the expectations of our close ones.
Unfortunately, whenever we try to bring a healthy balance between the two worlds our mental health suffers.
However, what if we tell you that you can still have a healthy balance between the two through self-care?
In today’s article, we explore five simple mental health self-care tips that will help you develop better mental health. The article includes:
- Practice mindfulness
- Get enough sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Connect with loved ones
- Take breaks and prioritize relaxation
Tip 1: Practice mindfulness
With everything going around, life can be overwhelming at times. Our mind can be filled with a negative and self-deprecating narrative that distorts and taints our reality. But what if we tell you that there is an escape from all this clutter?
Mindfulness has been the talk of the town for quite a while now and there is strong evidence that demonstrates that being mindful has positive effects on our mental health and overall well-being.
However, before you decide to go all in, there are two important things that you must understand about mindfulness.
Firstly, you need to introduce mindfulness into your life as a routine. The best way to do this is by setting aside uninterrupted time for practicing mindfulness and sticking with it as long as possible.
Secondly, you must commit to the process to see any significant results. Researchers say that people who rarely see positive results through mindfulness either engage poorly or engage for a short time.
Tip 2: Get enough sleep
Pulling an all-nighter to finish work or study may seem productive on the surface but in reality, it makes us more unproductive than most people realize.
Our body has a natural clock that is wired to stay awake during the daytime and sleep at night time. Sleeping at odd hours disrupts this well-established cycle and results in poor cognitive function and health issues.
Before you firmly decide to sleep early today, you must make this an unbreakable habit. There are mainly two steps to create the habit of a healthy sleep cycle.
Firstly, you must fix your wake-up time and bedtime. Ensure that you leave a gap of at least seven to nine hours to give your body proper rest. This way you will conquer your inconsistent sleep schedule.
Secondly, you must develop a nighttime routine that will prepare your body to go to sleep. Lowering lights, avoiding digital screens, and listening to quiet music can help you unwind after a tiresome day.
Remember, having consistent sleeping time is as important as prioritizing work and personal time. The more rest your provide to your body, the better it would function.
Tip 3: Exercise regularly
Self-care is not merely limited to snuggling in bed reading books or doing skincare all day long, it also includes eating healthy food and exercising regularly.
Unfortunately, most people forget the latter part and wonder why their routines don’t support their physical health as much as they expect. Sometimes, people don’t stick with their routines for long enough to watch significant results.
Regular exercise has numerous benefits including improved cognitive function, managing weight, improved mental health, increased resistance to disease, reduced risk of cardiovascular, and renal diseases, etc. Spending 15-30 minutes regularly on exercise can help you leverage these benefits.
Of course, there will be days when you will feel like skipping your workout sessions but you must ensure that you don’t let the days snowball into weeks. You must stay determined and disciplined to make exercise a habit. One way to do this is by joining paid workout programs because it will help you stay accountable.
Remember, taking baby steps every day is more impactful than taking big steps on random occasions. Instead of burdening yourself with unrealistic goals, try to set small achievable goals and make the most out of them
Tip 4: Connect with loved ones
Have you ever noticed that whenever we are burdened with extra work or pressure we tend to project our emotions onto our close ones?
Such a response is usually because deep down we believe that our close ones will stick around even after we misbehave. Unfortunately, it is this mentality that damages most relationships.
The best way to prevent this from happening is by setting aside some uninterrupted time to spend with your loved ones. When we talk to someone close about our emotions and problems, we begin to have a better perspective, find solutions, and feel less lonely.
Another way to stay connected is finding a shared activity for example cooking, hiking, playing games, etc. While doing so, ensure that you actively listen to your partner, ask questions, and validate their emotions. It will greatly strengthen your relationship.
Remember, spending time with your loved ones doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Small acts of love such as sending a text message, sharing quotes, or memes can also strengthen your relationship.
Tip 5: Take breaks and prioritize relaxation
It’s easy for us to forget ourselves and our needs amidst the work pressure. However, people fail to realize that taking breaks and relaxing is essential to stay productive. Taking 5-10 minutes off the schedule to take a walk, stretch or walk around can help us recharge and focus better.
Additionally, scheduling breaks to practice mindfulness and focusing on self can significantly declutter our brain and free us from negative distracting thoughts.
Remember, relaxation is not a luxury but rather it is a necessity for our well-being. Taking frequent breaks can significantly reduce stress and improve our mood.
Conclusion
Contrary to the stereotypes, taking care of yourself isn’t selfish but essential to maintain a healthy balance in life.
Successful incorporation of the above-mentioned mental health self-care tips, you can efficiently improve our mental health and quality of life.
If despite all the effort you still struggle to maintain a routine, you should visit Dr. Sonia Goel, the best psychologist in Delhi. It will help you create a positive support system that will help you stick to the routine.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a way to improve my mental health by myself?
You can easily improve your mental health on your own by practicing mindfulness, regular exercise, getting enough sleep, maintaining social connection, social connections, and taking frequent breaks.
- What are the 5 benefits of following mental health self-care tips?
The benefits of self-care include the following:
- It improves mental health
- It reduces stress and anxiety
- It boosts self-esteem
- It helps form better relationships
- It improves physical health
- What are the 8 types of self-care?
There are mainly 8 areas of self-care including the following:
- Physical
- Emotional
- Psychological
- Social
- Professional
- Environmental
- Spiritual
- Financial