With everything going on today, it’s important to keep our mental health in check. October 10 is World Mental Health Day! This day is dedicated to raising awareness on mental health. Being healthy mentally is just as important as being healthy physically. If you’ve been looking for some self-care activities, you’ve stumbled upon the right place! Here are nine tips on self-care that will help your mental health. Rest assured, the self-care activities listed below will not just keep you mentally healthy, but physically too!
9 Tips on Self-Care
1. Schedule a self-care time
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Having a busy schedule makes it extra challenging to set aside time for self-care activities. But, it’s important to set a regular self-care time and incorporate it into your daily schedule as much as possible. Whether it’s waking up a few minutes earlier to spend some time quietly, do a bit of yoga before the day starts, or to end the day journaling – scheduling self-care time throughout the day is essential. Once you’ve set a specific time to do some self-care activities within the day, you have to guard and follow it. Doing this will be helpful for your mental health and will make your day even better!
2. Do things you enjoy doing
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What do you enjoy doing? What certain activities bring you joy? Once you’ve identified your answers to those questions, then you should set aside time to do those self-care activities. This is one of the simple tips on self-care that you can easily do. It may be expressing yourself artistically, exercising, reading a book, taking a walk outside, watching your favorite TV series, or even spending quality time with your loved ones! Do what brings you joy and a sense of fulfillment. Taking some time for yourself and getting your mind off of responsibilities for a while helps relieve stress. This will definitely boost your mood – making you happier and improving your mental health.
3. Exercise daily
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One of the tips for self-care is exercising daily! It is very beneficial both for your physical and mental health. If you’re doing this already, keep at it. Not into doing exercises yet? Now is the time to give it a try. It will definitely not be in vain! Doing exercises stimulates brain chemicals such as endorphin and serotonin which boosts your energy and mood. It also helps reduce stress and anxiety! You don’t have to necessarily do high-intensity workouts. Doing yoga, pilates, brisk walking, or jogging will do the trick as well! There are simple workouts that you can do at home. Check out these 5 Easy At Home Workouts You Can Do Right Now and 7 Basic Home Workout Exercises For Men And Women to help you out!
4. Practice mindfulness
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Practicing mindfulness is a great way to know and understand your motivations and feelings. It also helps train the mind and frees it by detaching yourself from things that are not beneficial. Mindfulness reduces stress, anxiety, and even emotional reactivity. It also improves your thinking and enhances working memory too. There are different ways to practice mindfulness. Some include meditation, breathing deeply, and having a sense of balance by knowing what to prioritize.
5. Eat healthily
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Eating healthily is one of the most important tips on self-care. What you eat and when you eat affects you greatly. It’s essential to eat at the right time and avoid skipping meals as much as possible. Eating breakfast to start your day is essential because it gives you the energy you need for the day. It’s even considered the most important meal! You also have to eat on time otherwise your blood sugar will drop, which will make you feel tired and even irritable. Don’t skip your vegetables and fruits either! These are your source of nutrients which helps keep us physically and mentally healthy. Proteins are a must too! Eat food rich in protein such as lean meat, eggs, and fish. Drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily is also an integral part of eating healthily. In case you’re struggling to drink the needed amount of water daily, you can buy a water bottle with a time marker to help you out. If you’ve already been eating healthily, great job! Don’t stop now. But if you’re waiting for that sign to start eating healthily, this is it. Time to change and improve your diet into a healthier one! Check out these 3 Quick & Easy Recipes To Stay Healthy to give you an idea on how to eat healthily.
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Social media has its advantages such as being able to stay in touch with loved ones who are far away, among other things. But, it surely has its disadvantages which can negatively affect your mental health. Too much of social media can foster self-absorption, isolation, and even insecurity as you compare what others have that you don’t. This is why taking a social media detox is a huge help! May it be just one day or a few days of the week, detaching yourself from social media will benefit you. Doing so will help you focus and reflect more on what you have in your life. It also gives you time to do the things you enjoy doing and other self-care activities instead of scrolling endlessly on social media. You should definitely give this a try if you haven’t yet!
7. Get enough sleep
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When it comes to tips on self-care, getting enough sleep is probably the most common tip out there. Sleep at least eight hours a day. Eight hours is the recommended amount of sleep you need to ensure that you have enough energy for the day and feel rested. Being sleep deprived can result in physical and mental complications. Getting REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is important because it improves your memory among other things. It also affects your emotional health positively. Creating a sleep-inducing bedroom is essential in having a good night’s rest. It shouldn’t be too bright so that your body will know that it’s time to sleep. You can install adjustable lights in your home so that you can mimic the light outdoors. Steer clear from blue light that’s emitted from your TVs and mobiles so that it won’t wake your body up. Instead, you can try reading a book in bed with a bedside lamp before you fall asleep. Make sure that you are relaxed and destressed after a busy day before trying to sleep.
8. Nourish and strengthen relationships
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You’ve probably heard it: no man is an island. And that is indeed true! Having a good support system is important. Having people around you who contribute to your happiness is essential to your mental health too! That’s because surrounding yourself with people who support and love you will help boost your mood, reduce stress, and improve your overall health. Good relationships lead to increased happiness. Who wouldn’t want that? Devote time in reconnecting and strengthening your relationships today!
9. Seek help when needed
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Part of keeping your mental health in check is knowing when you’re not okay and seeking professional help. Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help especially when you know you need it. There is no shame in asking! That’s why we have mental health professionals so that they can help you out. These professionals can help steer you in the right path and provide the support and knowledge that you need in regards to your mental health.
Spend World Mental Health Day with Self-Care Activities
Mark your calendars and spread the word! Plan out your day on October 10 and try dedicating it to doing self-care activities. But don’t stop there! Make sure to incorporate self-care activities into your daily routine. Whether it’s eating healthily, exercising, connecting with loved ones, or as simple as doing activities you enjoy – you’ll end up thanking yourself for doing so. Raise awareness on mental health by sharing and speaking up on it as well! Reach out to your loved ones too. Check out the World Suicide Prevention Day: Different Ways To Help article which may be of help. Don’t forget to stay healthy physically and mentally, Shopee Fam!
