Taking care of yourself is more than just going to therapy or taking an antidepressant. It’s about creating a healthy, balanced lifestyle that allows your mind to flourish. Your mindset is everything. Here are seven ways you can do this on your own.
Introduction
When you’re feeling stressed, it can feel like there isn’t any time to take care of yourself. You may even worry that if you take some downtime to relax, you’ll miss out on something important or get behind on your work. However, when you don’t take care of your mental health, it can have serious consequences for your physical health and well-being. Here are seven ways you can take better care of yourself mentally so that you’re happier and healthier in the long run:
Find time to meditate.
Meditation is a great way to quiet your mind and focus on your breathing. It can be done anywhere, anytime, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. Meditation apps are an especially easy way to start this habit—a quick Google search will show you plenty of options.
Once you’ve gotten adjusted to the idea of meditating, try finding time in your day to just take five minutes by yourself with minimal distractions (if possible). You’ll feel more relaxed and focused as a result!
Talk to a therapist.
Therapists are trained to help people work through their mental illnesses and problems, which can be helpful if you’ve been struggling with depression, anxiety or other issues. They can also provide a different perspective on your situation, helping you see things from a new angle that may make it easier for you to cope with your stressors. A therapist can teach you techniques for managing your emotions more effectively and give advice on how best to deal with situations that cause distress.
Take care of your physical health.
Taking care of your physical health is an important part of taking care of your mental health. This doesn’t mean you have to be the picture of fitness, but it does mean making sure you’re eating right, getting enough sleep, and finding time in your schedule for relaxation.
Physical exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, reduce stress levels and depression symptoms, boost self-esteem and moods—and that’s just a few examples! If you struggle with anxiety or depression, it might seem like the last thing you want is another thing on top of all those other things keeping you up at night (or during daylight hours). But exercise can be an outlet for pent up energy that can help keep negative thoughts at bay. And if nothing else—it’ll feel good!
Similarly for eating right: some people have found success in adopting a ketogenic diet because their mental health improved so much from losing weight and feeling better physically overall. But there are so many diets out there that it’s hard to know what’s best unless someone tells us personally how they’ve experienced it themselves; ask around among friends or family members who have tried different diets before committing yourself fully into one program alone; don’t forget about our resources section below where we list more resources including sample meal plans based on common dietary restrictions (veganism being one example).
Do things that help you feel more in control.
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Do things that help you feel more in control.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to do things that help you feel like you have a little more control over your life. Some examples include:
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Volunteering or giving back to the community in some way (and if this doesn’t appeal to you, try something else on this list)
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Taking care of a pet (if pets aren’t your thing, there are other things on this list)
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Creating art or music—even if no one sees it but yourself!
Explore your spirituality.
Another way to take care of yourself is by exploring your spirituality. This can be done through seeking out new religions, finding one that works for you, and seeking out community and connection with other people who are on the same journey as you.
Why? Because religion helps us feel less alone in our struggles. We see others going through similar things, which makes us feel less isolated. It also helps us realize that life has meaning beyond ourselves—our family members or friends’ lives matter too!
Express yourself creatively.
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Express yourself creatively. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to express yourself. Creative expression is a great way to let out stress and anger, and it can even help you think more clearly.
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Try art activities like painting, photography or writing. If you don’t have any artistic skills yet, try a creative activity like dancing or singing that feels more natural to you but still allows for self-expression—or maybe even something as simple as listening to music or playing an instrument!
Prioritize balance in your life.
Balance is a crucial part of mental health, but many people overlook it. There is a difference between balance and perfectionism—one will make you feel good, and the other won’t.
To achieve balance in your life:
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Prioritize sleep and exercise. You can’t be at your best if you’re tired or out of breath all the time, so get enough sleep and find an activity that makes you happy (even if it’s just taking a walk around the block). Not only will these help keep you physically healthy, but they’ll also give your mind some much-needed downtime from schoolwork or work tasks.
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Don’t overdo things! If something seems like too much for one day, there’s no shame in saying “no”. Your mental health is important too; don’t push yourself too hard!
You deserve to feel good!
It’s easy to get down on yourself when you’re feeling insecure, but this is an unhealthy way of thinking that can lead to low self-esteem. Instead, focus on what you have accomplished and how good a person you are. You’ve done so much in your life so far and deserve to feel good about everything!
You are important—everyone is. Whether it be a friend or family member, each person has earned their place in the world by being themselves. They don’t need anything else to make them worth something because they already have all they need: themselves! And guess what? You have yourself too! It may not seem like enough at first glance (because we can always find flaws), but once again I say: YOU’RE ENOUGH AS IS!
Conclusion
If you’ve been struggling with mental health issues, we hope these tips have helped you find some relief. We know it can be hard to take care of yourself when things get tough, but remember: your mental health is just as important as your physical health! You deserve to feel good about yourself and function at a high level—so make sure you do everything in your power to ensure that happens.
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