As we head towards the end of mental health awareness month, we want to share with you 6 ways to prioritise your mental health...
1. Stand up to self-sabotage
We all have that little voice in our mind that tells us we aren’t pretty enough, smart enough, cool enough, or good enough, and quite frankly, it’s hard to not listen to it. However, it isn’t impossible.
When a negative thought comes to you, reverse it, keep doing this until it comes naturally and you actually believe it. Instead of saying “Look how pretty she is, I wish I looked like that”, say “She is very pretty, but so am I, we are all unique”
It sounds strange but by persistently standing up to that silly little voice, you will re-gain back your power.
2. Scroll less, read more
We have all heard the spiel about how social media is great but it can be harmful to our mental health, but it is true.
We are all guilty of aimlessly scrolling through Instagram and finding ourselves comparing every inch of us and our lives to others. Next time you find yourself doing this, try picking up a book instead.
Reading has the power to not only relax you, it can alleviate symptoms of depression, increase motivation levels, and helps to improve sleep. According to Dr David Lewis, reading for as little as 6 minutes a day can reduce stress levels by 60%.
3. Move your body
No one is saying you have to go out and run 5 miles, but simply moving your body for at least 10 minutes a day can have huge positive impacts.
There are so many ideas for you to move your body, whether that’s joining your local football club, practicing yoga, having a dance party in your bedroom, or going for a walk. Once you find that one thing you enjoy, it will make it so much easier.
4. Get fresh air daily
This doesn’t mean going just for a walk outside everyday (although, if you enjoy it we do highly recommend it!), it can be simply sitting outside for 5 minutes every morning while you enjoy your coffee, or opening up the windows when you are working.
The smell of fresh air and the feel of it against your skin can eliminate symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is such a simple tool but is so effective.
5. Feel your emotions
Have you ever heard that phrase “bottling it up”?
This is when you have negative thoughts or emotions and instead of allowing yourself to feel them or speak up about them, you hide them away in your mind and try to erase them. By doing this, it only makes your bottle fill up quicker and will lead to it not being able to handle anything more.
What happens when you poor too much water into your bottle? It explodes… that is exactly what happens when we pour too many of our thoughts and emotions into our mind and keep them there instead of dealing with them.
You have to let yourself feel your emotions, don’t hide them away.
6. Ask for help when you need it
Like our previous point, when things are affecting you negatively, the best thing to do is to feel the emotions first and then ask for help if you need it.
Talking about our issues helps to empty the bottle and eliminate stress, anxiety, and depression. Simply put… a problem shared is a problem halved.
There are people out there to talk to, whether that be your best friend, your parent, a teacher, or even your doctor.
Comments