Support Mental Health
20 Tips to Tend to Your Mental Health
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Self Care, mental health and wellness, mindfulness, and gratitude are plastered all over social media and splashed throughout magazine covers and articles. Yes, we realize the importance, but are you taking the initiative to apply this topic to your current lifestyle? Today, I will be sharing 20 tips to tend to your mental health and wellness.
The CDC shares that mental health is an important part of overall health and well being. It includes the following: emotional, psychological, and social well being and affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps us determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.
Let’s Get the Party Started with Some Ideas! Are You Ready to Learn?
Tip 1: Build a Routine
Just like a work schedule, it is important to notice that all humans function better when we have a plan, a call to action, or schedules. Building a routine allows us to integrate time for ourselves including but not limited to: spending time with family, time alone, working out, and so much more. Begin with a solid morning and nighttime routine. For example, I turn my phone to silence at 730 pm each night. I set my iPhone to only allow my immediate family to access me in the evenings. Everyone else can wait until the next day.
Tip 2: Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People
Toxic people are everywhere. Focus on surrounding yourself with others who make you shine. I like to think about it as surrounding yourself with people who share your positivity, values, and strive to become better themselves learning from their mistakes and making changes along the way. More time than not, we become accustomed to the negative qualities that people in our inner circle carry. Be mindful of who you surround yourself with. Do these people make you want to become a better version of yourself? This also includes family members. Protect your mental health and wellness.
Tip 3: Learn and Apply Boundaries
Boundaries? What? This is an area that I continue to work on as it can be the hardest to apply. I learned from a guest on my podcast that if you are 80 percent on board with an activity then move forward with saying yes. Stop focusing on the shoulds and say no to anything that falls below the 80 percent. Think about the quality of the activity you said yes to because it was a should. Many times I have said Yes because of the fear of judgment of others. Begin practicing saying No as it will become second nature in no time.
Tip 4: Feed Your Body Nourishing Foods
Eliminate the booze, junk foods, and limit carbs. I know easier said than done, but you can have all of the above in moderation. Focus on lean proteins, fish ( yuck!), fruits and veggies. Our mental health is fueled by the food that we feed it.
Tip 5: Listen to Podcasts
Podcasts are blowing up as a popular medium to gain daily and weekly educational value for FREE. I created a show Finding Her, to help women learn skills in self-awareness. I believe the show has exploded in success because there are women in dire need to learn more about themselves, their deficits, and how to create a foundation that begins with personal development.
Here are a few of my favorite podcasts (of course I listed mine):
Finding Her: https://anchor.fm/findingher
The Mindset Mentor
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-mentor/id1033048640
Earn Your Happy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/earn-your-happy/id1087926635
Straight Up with Trent Shelton: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-up-with-trent-shelton/id1489061681
Tip 6: Attend a Retreat
As a guest speaker and as an attendee of conferences especially in the public education field I enjoy going to retreats. It allows me to travel, meet new inspiring like-minded women, and spend time learning more about myself. The benefits of attending a retreat can include time in a new environment, personal growth, the experience of new activities, meeting new people, growing a healthy mindset and more!
Tip 7: Become Besties with YouTube
Can’t afford to travel to a retreat? No biggie. Learn to navigate YouTube to access FREE material in the area of personal development, creators showcase their material for free on this platform. I find value in TED Talks, meditations, and workouts.
Tip 8: Meditate
Learn how to sit in silence and apply this to your daily or weekly routine. No special place or clothing required. I began slowly with as little as five minutes working towards being present with myself in silence. As your practice grows you can use tips and strategies to make your practice stronger. If you need a guided meditation- I got chu! Thanks, YouTube!
Boho Beautiful:
Tip 9: Gratitude
What are you grateful for today? This is the question I ask each and every one of my guests on my podcast. I believe that we can conquer our fears and combat our growing anxieties with a strong gratitude practice. More times than not we tend to focus on the negatives and the lacking that we have in our lives instead of being grateful for what we have in our lives right now. I have found that a growing practice in meditation will help you acknowledge what you have in your life at this very moment.
Tip 10: Sleep Schedule
I am a sleep monster. It is one of my favorite hobbies. I require no less than eight hours a night to wake up rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. Adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to function at their best during the day. Of course, children require more. How many hours of sleep do you get on average a night?
Tip 11: Therapy or Talk Time with a Trusted Friend
There is no shame in attending therapy. If you are unable to find one, have no insurance coverage, or are not ready to talk with a therapist that’s okay! Meet with one of your trusted friends that can talk you through moments that are hard for you. Here is a resource to help find a therapist in your area.
.https://www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist.html
Tip 12: Accountability Partner
2020 is the year to be accountable for the changes you want to make in your life. Who is going to hold you accountable? yourself? Studies share that you are more likely to make changes and meet goals in your life if you are held accountable by someone other than yourself. Find an accountability partner, one that will help keep you focused and on track for meeting your goals. It can be a trusted friend, colleague, and or family member.
Tip 13: Affirmations
Daily affirmations are powerful and easy to use. Ideas to spark your daily positive mindset include: setting your passwords to a powerful affirmation, post it’s on your bathroom mirror, car or fridge, clothing that has affirmations on the chest, pick a mantra to say to yourself every day. I know it may feel silly at first, but as you grow your practice you will easily apply them throughout your day subconsciously.
I am a fearless leader.
I am a warrior.
I can face and overcome hard things.
I am strong.
I am a beautiful, resilient, badass Mo FO. ( sorry I got carried away).
Tip 14: Exercise
At least 30 minutes per day. Walk during your lunch break, join a local gym, Yoga practice, anything to keep your body moving and get your heart pumping for optimal health.
Tip 15: Soak Up the Sun
I live in the Pacific Northwest and the sun spends most of its time hiding behind the dreaded winter, wet, and grey skies in Oregon. My family and I work hard to plan time in sun-filled areas to help us make it through the gloom and doom in Oregon. Sun exposure is important to help us with lowering our blood pressure, mental health including mild depression, bone health, improves mood, and can help our bodies produce vitamin D. Remember to protect yourself with sun hats and sunscreen.
Tip 16: Sensory and Tactiles in Your Home
I am a special education teacher who specialized in working with students impacted with autism. They used sensory items including the use of a sensory room to help them calm, decrease fear, and learn how to apply coping strategies to their daily routines in a school and home setting. Personally, I think we all can benefit from having sensory items in our homes and safe spaces. Sensory and tactile items in your home can help you become grounded and work alongside your meditation practice. Here are a few items you can use in your home to help meet sensory and or tactile needs.
A weighted blanket ( they have breathable summer blankets as well)
Visual pictures of your favorite places
Lap Blankets
Back scratcher
Massagers
Stress balls
Yoga Swing
Calming music
Tip 17: Volunteer
One of the best things anyone can do is spend time helping others less fortunate. Whether it be checking in on a sick friend and running their errands, or helping at a local fundraising event, giving back in our communities helps us build acts of selflessness. Check-in with a local organization that speaks to you and call them to see how you can help.
Tip:18: Manage Stress
Manage your stress through learning about yourself and your triggers, coping skills, and self-care. The devastation caused by not managing our stress levels can be deadly. Leading us to diseases, health issues, and mental breakdowns to name a few. Access my free guide that shares the four components of self-care here:
Tip 19: Speak Your Truth Through Journaling
Journaling is important as you can compartmentalize your thoughts throughout your day and spend time each night or morning unpacking your box of thoughts or experiences. I would urge you to start with doodling and or writing in a journal that has dots to promote creativity. You can also find writing prompts that can help guide your journaling practice. What I love most about journaling is that you can do it anywhere including using paper and pen, online, and or in any other way that allows your creativity and ideas to shine. Check out the amazing creative process of bullet journals.
Tip 20: Inner Child Activities
What did you enjoy doing as a child growing up? I remember experiencing high levels of happiness and minimal stress when I was busy creating. I am a lover of the arts including painting, drawing, writing, and listening to music. I tried dancing, but was never allowed to participate in sports and or join a dance class as a child. I had a dream of becoming a writer or a stand-up comedian. To be honest, my podcast allows me to shine through my personal creative process and make people laugh each week. I love the arts! The second inner child activity for me is going with my family to Disneyland. That is a special place for me as it is full of nostalgia taking me back to a time where worries about the realities of life were non-existent in my mind. BTW, the teacups are my favorite ride. Make a list of all the activities you loved doing when you were a kid and implement it into your life asap. Disney Plus counts too!
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