You visit your doctor, dentist, and wellness practitioners for regular check-ups. You schedule frequent hair cuts and hair color sessions. You hit the gym or move your body several times a week, and you make time for quality time with friends, family, and your partner. But when was the last time you checked in with yourself and your mental health?
No matter where you are in life—just starting your career and figuring out who you are as a person, juggling a busy family and so many activities, navigating the next chapter once the kids have left the house, or starting over after a big life change—you’re probably dealing with a lot of different stressors and emotions. While some of this is easy to manage or deal with on your own, sometimes you may need to press pause and reach out for help.
Ahead, we’re covering a few different ways to put the focus on your mental health and wellness, just in time for Mental Health Month.
Make a date with yourself.
Block out a little time in the calendar to sit down with yourself and be honest about how things are going. Walk through a typical day in your life and note how you feel throughout that day. Are you overwhelmed? Anxious? Quick to anger? Resentful? Can you deal with emotions and get back to center pretty easily, or is it a struggle to deal with criticism, conflict, or stress? Make note of these moments and how you react to them.
Honesty is the important word here. Do you feel sad, hopeless, or constantly exhausted? Are nerves impacting your life in a different way? Has your energy dipped, or do you deal with high highs and low lows? These are all important things to recognize.
Find time to do things you love.
It can be difficult to pursue hobbies and passions when you’re running all over with your kids or staying late at work every night, but finding time for activities that bring you joy and purpose is a great way to lift your spirits. Make plans you’ll look forward to, sign up for a class to try something new, travel, whatever!
Get enough sleep.
Sleep is so important for your mental health! When you’re not sleeping well, your body can’t “bounce back” and repair and restore itself overnight. You need quality sleep to function, so if stress, nerves, and anxiety are keeping you up at night, you’ll feel it the next day.
Move your body.
Exercise is a great way to boost your endorphins and get a rush of feel-good energy. For many people, going for a run or doing a tough strength workout can help them work through their emotions and stressors or put them aside for awhile.
Know when to ask for help.
If your day-to-day life has gotten more difficult in any way or you feel like you’re navigating some new-to-you emotions, there’s no shame in asking for help! If you don’t have a therapist, it may be a good time to find one; ask friends for recommendations to get started. If you do have a
therapist, bring these new feelings up right away, and if you feel like your therapist isn’t listening or isn’t the right fit for you at this time in your life, there’s no harm in finding a new one. Your doctor is another great resource, so don’t be afraid to reach out. They’re here to help you feel your best, whatever that feels like for you.