Self-Care for the Mind: How to Boost Your Mental Health

Self-care is a term often used these days to describe how a person can make positive changes for themselves to get healthy or feel better, but it’s also a way to keep your mental health in check. In this day and age, when the world is so full of stressful events and imagery, it’s imperative to make sure you can take care of both your mind and your body. Anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders can lead to physical health issues that take a toll, so you’ll actually be doing your body a favor by focusing on your mental and emotional needs.

Fortunately, there are several easy ways you can get started in order to boost your mental health. By taking a look at your daily routine and assessing it, you can determine which things you can change for the better. Do you get enough sleep each night? Eat healthy foods and drink enough water? Give yourself breaks from social media and devices now and then? All these things and more will help you create positive change in your life for years to come.

Here are five of the best ways to boost your mental health.

Change Your Environment

Our homes are where we go to relax after a long day at work. Therefore, it stands to reason that your house should be a comfortable and relaxed environment where you can find peace and shed the stresses of the day. Having a spot of your own to meditate in can help you learn to cope with anxiety and even assist with the symptoms of PTSDfor many people. Create the perfect areato sit and focus on yourself by choosing a quiet room and adding candles, soft music, and/or room-darkening curtains or blinds. 

Learn to Say ‘No’

Learning to decline when someone asks for too much of your time or energy is crucial in an age when so many of us are simply trying to get through the day without too much stress. Whether it’s at work or at home, try politely saying “no”when you don’t feel you can help someone or when you’re being asked to take on too much work. Remember that the only person who can look out for your mental health and well-being is you.

Get Some Sleep

Many Americans don’t get enough sleep at night, waking in the morning to tackle the day without much energy or positivity. When you can get quality sleep, your mind and body both benefit and you’ll be much better able to cope with any stressors that come your way. Besides that, it can help you prevent illnessand even disease. 

Treat Your Body Right

When you feel unwell physically, your mental health also suffers, so it’s important to take steps to treat your body well. This means getting daily exercise for at least 30 minutes and eating foods with a high nutritional valuethat will boost your metabolism. Making healthy lifestyle changes can be difficult, so start slowly; take healthy snackswith you to work or school, such as nuts, dried fruit, or granola, and introduce at least one fresh vegetable into every meal. 

Turn Off Your Devices

Most of us are guilty of tuning in several times a day when it comes to social media, smartphone apps, computers, and television, and this screen time can be detrimental to our physical and mental health. Learn to unplugfor a little while every day and give yourself time to relax with a book, take a walk outdoors, or nap. The more you can do to give yourself a rest from technology and the constant barrage of info that comes our way each day, the better you’ll feel.

Self-care is one of the best ways there is to help your body and mind heal, rest, and perform well each day. Think about the specific ways you can help yourself succeed, and then take steps to incorporate these healthy choices into your lifestyle. With a few changes, you’ll decrease your stress and increase your quality of life.

Guest post by Jackie Cortez