Tips to help with your mental health #1 - Self-Care
When I’m working with clients who are really suffering, the first thing that’s often really clear is that they’re also struggling with their self-care. Think of it as a downward spiral, the lower someone feels or the more pre-occupied their mindset, the harder it is to focus on self-care. Then the less focus on self-care, the more people struggle with mood, emotions, thinking ability and self-esteem and so the cycle continues. Focusing on self-care can be very hard when you’re feeling low or overwhelmed so enlist the help of your partner, friend or family member to help you if you’re finding it too difficult to do it by yourself.
But what do we mean by self-care? Well the basics are things such as:
Eating healthily - Are you getting a good amount of healthy calories and getting enough vitamins and nutrients from your food?
Drinking healthily - Are you drinking two liters of water a day and avoid alcohol? (Remember alcohol is a depressant)
Getting enough sleep - Many people who struggle with their mental health have too little or too much sleep. Try to aim for between 6 and 8 hours.
Fresh air - Get out at least once a day for a short walk and some fresh air. Try to avoid being distracted by your phone and focus on your surroundings whilst taking some deep breaths of fresh air.
Exercise - Physical exercise is so helpful when you’re struggling with your mental health. Obviously exercise within your health limit but cardio work such as jogging, fast walking, cycling, swimming and sports can all help a lot. If you’re struggling with anger, a weights workout or boxing class can do you the world of good!
Personal Hygiene - Try to shower and wash regularly as well as wear clean clothes. Feeling clean can do wonders for your mental state. And don’t forget to clean your teeth, again it can improve the way you feel about yourself significantly.
Having a comfortable living space - if your home is in a dirty, messy or disorganised state, it can be hard to relax and feel comfortable at home. Enlist the help of a loved one to help you organise or clean your living area and you may find yourself feeling slightly better in your safe space.
As we said earlier, these things may seem difficult or even impossible to someone who is significantly struggling with their mental health, so even if you just try a few of these self-care tips to begin with then it can make a big difference to how you feel.
Whilst taking self-care time, remember to avoid unhealthy pursuits such as alcohol, gambling, drugs, smoking or unhealthy eating. Although these may feel like self-care at the time as they provide an escapism from day to day life, ultimately they are not going to make you feel any better about yourself.
There are many other methods of self-care which are more down to the individual, for example your work / life balance, taking a relaxing bath, indulging in hobbies and past times, going for a massage, going on holiday, or simply reading a book or listening to music. We’ll look more at other methods of self-care as we explore more mental health tips in future posts!