Our Mental Well-being is so important, I'd go so far as to say that it's just as important as our physical health. I mean, we eat right, drink water, exercise to ensure our bodies are all functioning correctly but what do we really do to look after our mental well-being? It's important to check in with ourselves mentally so we're able to function on all levels and take charge if something isn't right. We all want to be our best selves in real life - whatever our Instagram might say. So today, I'm here to let you know some simple techniques that you can put in place to easily refer to when you're having a bad day. I hope they'll be useful to you!
14 Ways To Look After Your Own Mental Wellbeing
1) Start a diary - writing is therapeutic, could be a journal or an online blog 2) Identify your triggers - learn what sets you off and see if there's any way you can make your life easier 3) Talk to people - if you can talk to your friends/family/therapist about how you're feeling and where your head's at. Talking is always good, most people do want to help. 4) Listen to music - we all know how much better we feel when we blast out our favourite tunes. It doesn't matter if you (like me!) can't sing a note, just turn up the volume and sing your heart out! 5) Watch your favourite film - just like music, films can have a similar effect and sometimes it's OK to have a day on the sofa in your pjs watching your favourites on screen. Self-care comes in different forms for everyone so just enjoy it. 6) Surround yourself with positive people - if you choose to mix with people who lift you up and make you feel good, chances are you will too. So choose wisely and don't worry if some relationships fizzle out over time, this is completely natural and allows room for other, more positive, upbeat people to come into your life.
7) Seek out mental health advocates - social media can be toxic at times but we really do have the control to be in charge of who we follow. So similar to point 6, choose your feed wisely and follow people/pages/accounts which inspire you and make you feel positive whenever you open the apps. 8) Read - there are plenty of books and magazines geared towards mental health, well-being and self-care. I gave up reading all the trashy gossip magazines long ago and my mental health has never been better. I now solely read Happiful Magazine and I absolutely love it. Plus, I have a few books which are great for when I'm feeling low or even if I'm not, they're just great to have around.
A few of my favourites are: Calm - Michael Acton Smith The Anxiety Solution - Chloe Brotherbridge Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down - Haemin Sunim No Worries - Journal This Book Will Make You Stronger - MindJournal Melancholy Mind - Charlene McElhinney 9) Create - now I'm not the most creative of people but I have found that sometimes doing something which takes all of my focus away from my phone is definitely something I need to do more of. Perhaps you love drawing, doodling, painting or something else, whatever it is, pursue it and take your mind somewhere else. 10) Sleep - now this is also something that I'm not that good at, but when I do everything goes right and I do manage a good night I know I always feel so much better for it. So perhaps an early night, a warm bath and a cosy bed will help stop your mind from drifting off into other, unhealthy areas.
11) Eat - when all is going wrong this is one aspect of your routine which can easily slip so when you do have a good day, make yourself a bowl/plate of delicious healthy food. I know I'm always in a better mood when I'm not hangry! 12) Get outside - sunlight and vitamin D are so important to us that it's imperative that at some point during in the day we get outside and take in some of those sun rays - easier said than done in the UK though! Some people find a SAD lamp can really help especially in Autumn/Winter when there's naturally less of it around. A sunrise alarm can help you wake up more naturally too - helpful in the dark mornings and if you don't like the sound of a standard alarm! 13) Hobbies - having something which is outside of your normal day-to-day life which completely takes you away from it all can be vital to ensuring your mind has the chance to rest and recharge.
For me, it's horse riding, I just find I go to a different place whenever I'm near horses, which is no surprise really because they're so peaceful and can be used in therapy to help people who are battling with their own mind. I also find running helps to clear my mind - so much so I've entered a 10K race AND two half marathons this year! 14) Yoga - a practice which I have come to love in recent times. It's definitely something I would advise everybody does at least once. My body feels nicely stretched out and my mind has a chance to switch off. I need to do it more often as I always love it when I do find the time for a session. I hope these have been useful to you. If you have anything more to add please do add them in the comments as I'd love to hear how you look after your own mental well-being too. Love, Sarah xoxoxoxoxoxo
