In today’s hustle and bustle world, taking care of our mental health can sometimes be put on the backburner. We can easily get distracted by our never-ending home or work tasks and feel like we are being pulled in many directions. Our mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and affects how we feel, think, and act. It can be challenging to place ourselves and our mental health as a top priority.
When we can practice building better mental health behaviors, we may find some personal benefits:
- Lowered acute and chronic stress levels.
- Better work-life balance. More time for hobbies or social time.
- Setting personal boundaries and delegating tasks that may be overwhelming.
- More time for rest, relaxation, and better-quality sleep.
Building healthy mental health behaviors can be challenging, but with time and practice it can become part of your daily routine. Here are a few tips to get started focusing on your mental health behaviors.
Stay Active – Regular physical activity boosts your self-esteem and keeps your brain and body healthy. It can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and help you sleep better. Plan activity into your weekly schedule.
Healthy Nutrition – Placing focus on healthy, well-balanced nutrition is not only good for your body but also your brain. It allows you to get the proper nutrients that your body needs to function at its best. It can also help you feel more energized. Like planning your activity, look at your week ahead and plan what meals or snacks may support your goal of healthy eating. Also, focus on staying hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day, and limit your alcohol and caffeine intake as they may increase stress levels.
Remain Social – Keeping in touch with your friends and family on a regular basis will help you feel more connected. Look for ways that you can be involved in the community or with faith-based groups for additional social outreach. Stay connected with your primary physician in case you have questions or concerns. Also, if you feel like social media is getting stressful, try to limit your screen time.
Organize and Delegate Tasks – Daily and weekly tasks can be overwhelming. Organize your tasks into daily, weekly, or monthly tasks. Delegate items to others if there are other things that they can complete to take some items off your to-do list. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Prioritizing yourself and your mental health are very important to living a full, healthy life. Practice these strategies in your daily life to improve or maintain your mental health.
Coach Sarah