15 Ways To Care For Your Mental Health
Do you care for your mental health?
So what is mental health? According to the World Health Organization, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”
I love this definition as it clearly shows mental health is about wellness rather than the illness. As a mindset trainer, I specialise in teaching people ways to care for their mental health. I work with developing a strong mental health to help prevent mental illness. I do not work with mental illness as this is not an area I am qualified to work in. I am always trying to find ways to help strengthen my mental health. I run for my mental health. I eat healthy for my mental health. I read for my mental health. Often I am exhausted just trying to keep myself from having a breakdown.
As a coach and a trainer, I am always trying to find ways to help strengthen the mental health of my clients. This is my passion and with each success story, it becomes stronger and stronger. I run for my mental health. I eat healthy for my mental health. I read for my mental health. The more I do these simple things, the less exhausted I feel.
Mental health starts with you. What are you doing to care for your mental health?
Of all things you can do in your life, investing in your mental health should be the top of the list. Sometimes it’s easy to just live by a list that is simple and not difficult to follow.
- It’s OK not be OK. Never be afraid to admit it. This is such a difficult thing to do for so many people but essential for healing. Not being OK just means that life isn’t happening as you had planned but with a little thought work and guidance, this can be changed.
- Failure is not a negative thing, it is a learning experience. This was an area I struggled with in the past until I truly understood that is I want to be the best version of myself – I need to evolve. With evolving comes change and challenges and this includes failing. Don’t let other people dictate your failures, your success and your learning – you determine it.
- Saying NO to people is OK. Yep, No No No. By saying no to something you don’t really want to do, you have the opportunity to say yes to something you really want to do. There are limited hours in every day – think of what will push you forward and where you want to spend this time. By doing this it makes saying no easier.
- You don’t have to go it alone. One thing that makes us uniquely human is the need for connection. A simple conversation with another person builds on this connection and realisation that you are not the only one who struggles internally. The old saying, a problem shared is a problem halved is so true.
- Perfection does not equal happiness. Perfection often causes anxiety and stress. In reality, what one person thinks is the right way, another will not. There is no such thing as a perfect anything. It is how you perceive it which will always be different to someone else – even if only slightly. Learning to relax on trying to be perfect will lead to greater happiness.
- There is no shame in needing medication. The truth is medication can be the difference between living and just surviving.
- Celebrate little achievements. This is a great way to take baby steps to becoming a better version of you. Life is about the journey, not the end because when the end is here – we are not. Your mind loves to think it is right, so celebrating the little “rights” along the way strengthens your mental health.
- Don’t always believe what you think. I teach the thought cycle which is your thoughts are a choice. Your brain likes to be right, fast and efficient and the more you think one thought, the more you will believe it. However, if your thought has been there for a long time, your brain goes into default mode and will always think it. This can be changed as thoughts are a choice. Let your brain take a chill sometimes and stop overthinking things.
- Time for yourself is not a sign of selfishness. Many women struggle with taking some time for themselves but a little time often makes you a happier person. Chaos in life is normal – having both positive and negative emotions is simply the yin and yang of life.
Don’t fight it, accept it. - Talk to yourself as you would your best friend. Listen to what you are saying to yourself and how critical you are being. Have you ever spoken to a friend in the same negative way? This should be a life rule – understand what you are thinking about yourself as it is a choice. If you choose to be kind – this MUST include yourself.
Care for your mental health – it’s the best gift you can give yourself.
Love always
Linking up with Kylie for #IBOT
P.S: If you need a little extra help, download my FREE ebook on – 5 ways to control your inner critic below.
There’s definitely no shame in meds. Without them, I don’t know if my husband would still be here.
Absolutely Amy. Some need it and that’s what helps balance them out. Essential!!
I think these days, we’ve really twisted up what ‘failure’ is. Failure means you are trying new things, failure means you are growing, failure is delay not defeat. And as Churchill said ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’. I think our relationship with failure shows the current lack of resilience in society.Something we need to work on. #IBOT
Absolutely agree. you can’t achieve and evolve if you don’t risk failure. It just means you found a way that didn’t work.
Celebrating achievements is something I could work on !
Most of us kinda take the little things for granted but add them all up – and they turn into a big thing – your life.
2, 5 and 8 were my big lessons that I continue to work on. Great post.
Ohhh Failure – when you want everything life has to offer and enjoy each step along the way – failure will always be there. Don’t think about what anyone else may think of you – just look at the experience, knowing you cannot change it but how great it was that you now know what doesn’t work.
Number – 8 – thought work my friend. use the thought cycle.
I love all of these Nat! I still struggle with failure though, mainly because my grandmother used to constantly tell me all the things I was failing at so it’s very engrained in my psyche that it’s a negative thing.
Failure stops so many people Toni. A belief is just a thought you keep on thinking. Start by trying to think something a little different – not too dramatic until that new belief is engrained. You are an amazingly strong woman – believe it.
I had never thought of “mental health” and “mental illness” this way, thanks for opening my mind to this. I think I usually associate “mental health issues” with “mental illness”.
I’m making 2018 my year to start saying no to some things and people. Number 3 is a great point.
Godo for you Bron. Many people think the same way you do Bron and that is why the stats show that the most important issue facing the youth of Australia (aged 15-19yrs) is mental health – with over 33% claiming it as their top concern.
There’s so much I love about this post, I was nodding along to everything in that list. I think number 3 has been a very important one to me and changed so much in my life. I’m still working on 9 and finding time for myself without the guilt creeping in #teamIBOT
We are always a work in progress my friend. Do you find that when you actually get time to yourself – you are a better mother, partner, friend … interesting really.
This is what I call a top ten! I’m getting really good at saying no so I can say yes to the things that matter. As for perfection, I think it’s massively overrated!
And the things that matter capture our hearts and leave real memories. Perfectionism – when you understand there is no such thing, it takes a massive amount of pressure off.
Those are some good tips! My biggest thing to learn is to say no especially at work!
Work can be a massive strain on mental health.