Well hello to you my reader chums! Mental health is a topic I like to speak about a lot and in recent years is finally getting the recognition it needs to have, and why it's so important to look after yours.
Mental health and mental illness are completely different. We all have mental health but not all of us have mental illness and sometimes, the two can get confused. Caring for your mental health should be as high a priority as you do your physical health and if you suffer from a mental health condition on top of that, the level of care should increase, the same way if you had a physical problem. I've suffered from anxiety for years and I've learnt how to take the right steps and care to look after myself in the way I should.
Whether you're looking for some tips on how to care for your mental health or don't know where to begin, here is how to take care of your mental health and why it's so important.
How to take care of your mental health
Take mental health days
I'm guilty of not doing this and the effect is then detrimental to my mental health. Mental health days are just as important as physical days - and that means when you're not feeling 100% mentally, you need to take care of yourself the way if it was a physical problem. This could be taking the day off work, having a lie-in or simply postponing your to-do list for the day and having a rest.
It's necessary to give your body and mind the chance to recharge if you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or down. You can't do your best work when you're not feeling right and that's why it's incredibly important to take days out. I've only done this recently, and honestly, it made the world of difference to my overall mental health - and made me realise, these days are okay to take. It needs to be normalised more to have mental health days.
Live intuitively in terms of what your body wants
This is something I've learnt to do after the past year as I pressed fast forward on my self-love and healing journey, to grow into a better me. I'm constantly learning but something I've found to really help and care for my mental health is living intuitively.
Living intuitively can mean a variety of things but my best way of describing it is doing what your body in mind wants - live through your feelings. If you're feeling motivated, use that energy in a good way through work or exercise and if you're tired or hungry, take a nap and nourish your body. It's about listening to your mind and rolling with it - and I can assure you, your body gives out more signals than you realise on how you really are. I know now if my stomach flares up, it's because I feel really anxious or if I'm getting an earache that I've been overdoing it - it's my body's way of telling me I need to stop.
Do what makes you happy
One of my favourite points and something I preach regularly, doing what makes you happy is a key to a better life and caring for your mental health. You need to follow your passions, live your days for you and create a positive environment for you as that way, your mental health is likely to remain in a calmer and happier state.
Set boundaries and learn to say no
Setting boundaries and learning to say no is something we should learn growing up and really needs to be normalised more. Learning to say no and setting boundaries doesn't make you a bad person, instead, it's teaching you to respect yourself more to make you feel accepted and happy in every situation.
This could be saying no to a social event, telling someone they're overstepping the mark when diving into your personal life or simply not wanting to talk to someone. It's your life and your choices, having boundaries in place will help you shape a happier environment for you to be in and flourish - and those who respect that are the right people for you.
Cut out toxic energy
This leads me to toxic energy and toxic people. I've spoken about this loads in previous blog posts but knowing that people are the right people for you will have the right effect on your mental health. Learning who to trust and realising who will support and encourage you is a hard but essential life lesson to learn.
Not everyone in your life will be kind and supportive to you, that's unfortunately how it is. However, there will be exceptionally wonderful people who will boost you up and love you for you and your decisions - and those are the people you need. Anyone who surrounds you with negative and toxic energy needs to be sliced out of your life in a bid to care for your mental health.
Know when enough is enough
This can mean a lot of things such as working, socialising, pulling yourself in different directions, and not really focusing on what you really want. It's important to know when something is causing you to feel unhappy, unwell, or unmotivated that it's time to quit and move onto something else. Whether it's a job that you need to leave or a relationship, quitting isn't a bad thing if it'll benefit your mental health.
Get out and about
The fresh air really is a blessing and it may sound really obvious, but going for a walk or getting out and about can do wonders for your mental health. It gets your body moving and being away from screens or your home gives you a new environment to focus on. I've learn to adore beach walks even more over the last year and they've made me feel a lot more grateful and boosted my mental health on days when I needed it.
Eat well
Eating well means different things for everyone but what I mean by this is eat well for your body and what you need. Dieting and being restrictive are bad for your mental health and can lead to disordered eating or eating disorders. It's important to listen to what your body wants, eat in moderation, and indulge when you fancy it - food is for enjoying and shouldn't be viewed as the enemy. Food is the fuel to keep us all going.
Nourish your body
Eating well is one way to nourish your body but other things such as hydration, exercising, meditation, and skincare are all other things that can help nourish your body. Your body takes care of you and you need to take care of your body and all of these different things can do just that. By practicing nourishing your body will have a positive effect on your mental health - and it's more simple than you may think.
Enrich your mind
Our minds are wonderful and complex things and require top-notch care. My final tip on looking after your mental health is to enrich your mind. This can be through books, podcasts, documentaries, and mindfulness. There is so much information out there these days and it can be hard to know what to research and read. However, to look after your mental health, it's important to digest the right information in order to grow and what will have a positive impact on your mental health.
Swap up your social media feed to be filled with those who are real and inspiring, practice affirmations and mindfulness before bed, talk to yourself like your best friend, be the love of your own life, and read as much as you can to grow your knowledge. The world is an amazing place and there is always something to learn.
Why it's so important to look after your mental health
Your mental health should be your top priority in life, and even though it's taken me years to understand and digest this, I'm so glad I've come to the realisation. Your mind has so much power over everything you do and if you're not looking after it, it can take a negative effect on your overall happiness in everyday life.
It's important to look after your mental health because your mind is a powerful thing and you want to create a safe and loving space within yourself so you're able to spread that love and happiness into the world - and live a life that's best for you. You deserve every happiness.
I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?
Thank you for reading <3