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Mental health is important for everyone, not just those who are suffering from a diagnosable mental illness. Mental health encompasses your views on yourself and the way you see the world around you; it’s about how you handle stress and process emotions.
It’s also an indicator of how happy, healthy, and content you are with your life as a whole. Unfortunately, many people struggle with maintaining a positive mental state. Stressors like busy schedules, demanding jobs, high expectations, financial pressures and relationships can all take their toll on your emotional equilibrium.
If left unaddressed for too long, these issues can develop into more serious problems that may need to be addressed by professionals such as counselors or therapists. Fortunately, there are plenty of things we can do to improve our mental wellness today .
Practice Self-care
When you are struggling with mental health issues, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of neglecting yourself. You might skip meals, forego sleep, or push yourself to the point of exhaustion in an attempt to get everything done.
However, as you know, this kind of behavior only worsen the problem. When we are feeling run-down and stressed, our emotions are more likely to get the best of us, leading us to make unhealthy decisions and act in uncharacteristic ways.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, a great place to start is by taking care of your basic needs. Make sure you are eating three well-balanced meals a day. Sleep is also important for your physical and mental health, as it helps your brain process information and emotions.
Often overlooked is the importance of taking some time for yourself each day. Whether that means meditating, journaling, reading a book, or going for a walk, whatever makes you feel good and recharges your batteries is worth doing.
Make a To-Do List
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When you feel like you’re climbing a mountain and don’t know where to start, it can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to improving your mental wellness.
The first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem, and then it’s time to start taking action. But what next? When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to write down all of your obligations and tasks.
Next, start crossing items off your to-do list one by one. For example, if you suffer from anxiety, you may want to tackle your finances and organize your bills.
If you are prone to bouts of depression, you might want to focus on getting more sunlight and reading a book that makes you happy.
By taking action, you will start to feel a sense of empowerment and control over your situation. And the more you take on, the more you will be able to manage your mental health.
Revisit Your Values
As we grow and learn, our values and priorities shift. As they change, they can have a positive impact on your mental wellness as well.
The process of revisiting your values is simple. All you have to do is think back to when you were happiest and what made you feel content. What were the things that were important to you? What did you value? What were your goals? This can help you steer your life in the right direction when you are feeling overwhelmed or unsure about your future.
When you feel like you’re being pulled in different directions, taking the time to revisit your values can help you identify what is most important to you and how you want to spend your time.
Talk to friends or family
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Sometimes we are blinded by our perspectives and forget that other people can offer us valuable insight and advice. Opening up to loved ones can help you see your situation from a new perspective or gain some clarity about what is going on in your life.
The kind of support you seek will vary from person to person. You may want someone to listen, offer advice, or help you identify solutions. Or you might want to seek out a professional, like a therapist or counselor, who can help you navigate the challenges of your mental health more effectively.
Regardless of the kind of support you seek, talking it out can help you gain insight into your situation and determine the best path forward.
Set Boundaries and take care of yourself first
While it is important to take action and address your mental health challenges, it is also important to set boundaries.
It can be tempting to try and help everyone around you while neglecting your needs. But this is a surefire way to make your mental health issues worse. When you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, it can be helpful to set boundaries for yourself.
You may want to take a break from social media for a couple of weeks or turn off your phone on the weekends. You may want to start saying no to commitments that are too time-consuming or start permitting yourself to say no to others.
As mentioned before, you may want to set aside time each day to do something that makes you feel good. This could be reading a book, meditating, or going for a walk. Whatever you do, make sure it is something that makes you happy and takes care of your needs first.
Take time to process your emotions
Oddly enough, we often try to push our emotions away when they are most needed. We may take on too much or try to distract ourselves with unhealthy habits like drinking or over-eating.
When you are feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to take some time out for yourself, this can not be stressed enough. There are several ways you can go about this, but the important thing is to let your emotions out so that they don’t build up inside of you.
One option is to journal. By writing down your feelings, you can let them out while also gaining clarity and insight into your situation. You can also try meditating, going for a walk, talking to a friend or listening to music. No matter what you do, be sure to give your emotions a proper outlet.
Our mental health is a very important part of life. It is the state of being happy, healthy, and calm. We all must work towards maintaining good mental health and luckily, there are plenty of ways to do so.
We can practice self-care, make a to-do list, revisit our values, talk to friends or family, set boundaries, take time to process our emotions, and much more. Taking these steps can help you cope with your mental health problems, or even prevent them from occurring in the first place.
Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey of self-care?
Dive into "Wellness Waves: 30 Days of Riding the Tides of Self-Care" and discover a comprehensive guide to nurturing your well-being and reclaiming your inner balance.
If the thought of on a daily basis seems daunting, then try a weekly approach and see how that works. Remember to make time for yourself.
Check out my journal "Girl, Give Yourself a Break", available on Amazon.
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