7 Self-care Tips to Improve Your Mental Health
Have you ever heard the saying that we can’t take care of others' needs when we haven’t taken care of our own? It is one of the things they tell us during the airplane safety demonstration at the beginning of every flight–put on your own oxygen mask first before attempting to help others with theirs. Self-care may be something that doesn’t seem attainable to you. After all, life is busy, and adding one more thing to your to-do list may seem counterintuitive to boosting your personal well-being. But self-care and mental health are deeply connected, and we can only thrive when we set aside time to take care of ourselves.
The good news is that taking care of ourselves can be easier and cheaper than we think. There are many things that are basically free that we can do to show love and care to ourselves. Implementing a proactive self-care routine is a wonderful way to improve your mindset and well-being and, as a result, improve your work performance, relationships, and physical health, too.
Here are 7 ways to get started with your self-care.
Connect with a friend
Social connections are essential for mental health. Make time to connect with friends and loved ones. It can be through a phone call, video chat, or in person. Even if it’s been a while since you’ve talked, send the text. Sometimes just connecting with another person makes you feel less alone, reduces stress, and improves your mood.
2. Go for a walk
It can be easy to turn inward when you’re dealing with a stressful situation. To keep some perspective, go outside for a short walk. It can be in the morning near your home, during your lunch break, or in the evening with your family. Getting outside calms your nervous system and reminds you that changes happen everywhere in nature. The world keeps going, and you can too.
3. Drink a glass of water
Sometimes the way our minds feel is directly related to how we have nourished our bodies. Being dehydrated can make us confused and fatigued. Make sure you are getting your daily intake of water, which, depending on age, height, weight, and activity level, can vary from person to person. Just start with one glass of water a day and try to increase intake every week.
4. Write it down
Putting thoughts on paper can help them hold less power over you. Sometimes writing out the stress or anxiety you’re feeling can help make sense of it. And if you’re having cyclical thoughts, writing them down can help stop the internal repetition.
5. Take a break from the screens
Try to take a break from screens, whether it’s an hour, an afternoon, or a whole day. Mindless scrolling is not only a time suck, but it is also linked to lower self-esteem, sleep issues and more. And, the constant bombardment of news and information is often too much for our brains to process. Consider using your phone’s screen time feature to monitor your usage, disabling push notifications, or hiding your most enticing apps in a folder not on your home screen. Stepping away from the screens can help create a sense of calm and quiet away from the doomscrolling.
6. Take some breaths
We breathe all the time, but we can go hours without noticing our breath or taking a full, grounding breath. Breathwork promotes relaxation and can bring you into the present moment. Practice being intentional about your breathing and setting times throughout the day to take deep breaths. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique (take in a breath, counting 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, and then slowly release the breath, counting 8 seconds) a few times a day and notice how you feel before and after.
7. Prioritize sleep
Sleep can determine so much about our mental health, and if we don’t get enough, the impact on anxiety and depression can be drastic. Dedicating yourself to improving sleep habits can really pay off in the long run. Try to increase natural light intake (see #2 on this list) earlier in the day and reduce blue light exposure (see #5 above) later in the afternoon and evening. Avoid caffeinated beverages in the evening, which could disrupt healthy sleep. And create a calming nighttime routine that signals and eventually trains your brain to understand that it’s time to sleep.
Often we get so busy caring for others that we forget that we are humans in need of care, too. That neglect of ourselves and our own needs can lead to worsened depression and anxiety. I It’s less important which self-care practices you do than it is that you start learning to take care of yourself. Practice leads to progress and better health. Just keep reminding yourself that you’re worth it.