Simple Self-Care Strategies
for Improved Mental Health
written by Brad Krause
Many people assume that self-care refers to a ridiculous amount of daily pampering — expensive massages, retail therapy, and the like. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Self-care, at its most basic, is the principle of finding time for yourself each day — time to relax, eat a healthy diet, and get a good amount of sleep. For some, massages and other activities of that ilk may be beneficial, but those should be activities that support a healthy routine that is already in place. Here are some of the most important self-care habits you can take on when you are first starting to explore the world of self-care.
The Effects of Nutrition
The food you eat plays a large role in your self-care routine — if you regularly rush through your lunch with fast food or processed, microwaveable food, you are doing yourself a disservice. You can make your overall health better by improving your diet.
Healthy eating provides you with the nutrients you need to go through your day, and it can also support your mental state. Boredom is a major cause of less-than-stellar eating habits; by cooking meals you haven’t tried before, you can help yourself focus on nutrition. To give your nutrition an extra boost, take a multivitamin once a day. Multivitamins can improve gut health and raise your mood and energy levels.
The Effects of Exercise
Exercise is typically noted for its physical effects, but it plays a role in your mental health as well. Studies show that it enhances your mood as a result of the spike in the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin, in addition to the fact that it refocuses your brain and leaves you feeling that good kind of tired. Besides your traditional gym workouts, there are plenty of fun workout classes to try such as Pilates, Zumba, Pound, cycling, obstacle courses, and yoga.
Keeping your workouts fresh and different can help you stay motivated too. If you want to track your progress, look to a smartwatch that offers real-time health readings and fitness tracking. Actually seeing the results you’ve put in throughout each day reinforces that you’re making strides in your fitness goals.
The Effects of Yoga
When it comes to finding inner balance and mindfulness, yoga is a tried and true method of healing, exertion and working toward inner alignment. The beauty of yoga is that you use your breath to guide you through poses, creating a more mindful practice and making it easier to leave your stress off your mat. Over time, a yoga practice can help you take a different perspective on your stress and health. Incorporating a regular practice through Yoga with Adriana provides the perfect opportunity to move, breathe and improve overall well-being.
The Effects of a Clean Home
A big source of stress can actually be taking place within the confines of your home. If you live in a cluttered environment, you’re doing your mental health a disservice. Your mind is tailored to organization and order, which explains why you could be feeling overwhelmed in a messy home. You may also turn to unhealthy strategies for coping with the mess, such as oversleeping and eating processed foods.
These bad habits won’t make the clutter go away. You must organize your stuff to clear the chaos from your home and mind and create a calming atmosphere. The benefits of a clean living space are numerous: improved sleep and mood, better eating habits, and increased focus, among others.
The Effects of Sleep
Have you ever noticed how irritable you become when you consistently get less sleep than you require each night? This is because your body isn’t getting enough time to recharge from the previous day’s work. A lack of sleep can leave you feeling drained, with a headache and general fatigue, even when you first get up in the morning. Even worse, it can impact your ability to think under pressure and actually get work done successfully, which can add to your stress and reduce your ability to fall asleep even more. By standing up to stress and making a point to start focusing more on a good night’s sleep each evening, you will help make the rest of your life much more positive.
Remember, self-care is not a complicated idea. All it refers to is the habit of taking care of your baseline needs like sleep and nutrition. Start exploring the world of self-care today by making a decision to cook a healthy dinner, declutter your living space, and get a full night’s sleep tonight!
Photo Credit: Pexels
Author: Brad Krause brad@selfcaring.info selfcaring.info/