Tips on Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Taking care of your mental health is crucial for your well-being. We often tend to overlook our mental health because of shame, lack of time, or because it is not put into practice. Right now during this pandemic, we need to take care of our mental health more than ever. Here are some tips on taking care of your mental health.

I find this first tip extremely helpful for self-care. I use this vowel checklist on a regular basis to make sure I am doing okay.

A: Have I been abstinent? (This can be a challenge when it comes to food, TV, computer, and work.)

E: Have I exercised today? (Getting endorphins from my workouts definitely help my mood)

I: What have I done for myself today? (I love this the most because sometimes we give too much of our time to everyone around us. We forget to take care of ourselves and do things that we enjoy.)

O: What have I done for others today? (It is important to help or support those around us who need it.)

U: Am I holding onto unexpressed emotions today? (This is also a favorite of mine because sometimes we are so busy with life that we forget to check in with our emotions.)

Y: Yeah! What is something good that has happened today? (Sometimes we focus too much on the negative things and we need to focus on the positive things that we are grateful for.)

This second tip goes along with the vowel U listed above. Whenever I realize that I am holding onto unexpressed emotions from either today or days/weeks prior, I write in a journal. I find it helpful to put on a playlist or music that will help me focus on my emotions. I tend to listen to ballads because they help me focus on my emotions, which helps me write in my journal. I take my time to write down everything that I am currently feeling in that moment.

This third tip is a gentle reminder that I tell myself daily, “No matter how much gets done, or no matter how much is left undone, I am enough.” I have found this very helpful to remind myself that it is okay to be imperfect, and that my value or worth should not be tied down to an outcome that I cannot control. This has taught me how to find my self-worth despite my imperfections. This has been extremely helpful as a full time college student who worked part time trying to juggle everything in between. It is important to realize that “perfection” (however you define this) is unattainable, we cannot control how people see us, and there is no way that we can do every single thing that is expected of us or that we expect of ourselves.

The fourth and final tip is to reach out and build connection networks. It is important to be able to find or have support from people who can empathize with you. We heal knowing that people around us can understand and share what we are feeling. It makes us feel seen and not alone. Reach out to a friend or a family member today and ask them how they are doing. It will make you, your friend, or family member feel so much better being able to talk about your mental health.