May is mental health awareness month. We’ve been taught how to take care of ourselves physically. We stay active, eat well, throw on a mud mask occasionally, and pop a few vitamins when we remember. But talking about how to take care of our mental health is still glossed over or spoken about in hushed tones so no one will ever know that *gasp* we all have sad, mad, stuck feelings on the regular.
We all feel the ups and downs of the day to day. Sometimes the ups feel uppier and the downs feel… oooooof. We all experience feelings of depression and anxiety and I wish that people would talk more openly about their experiences to help each other know that it’s normal and okay. Our thoughts and mindset affects every single thing we do.
Taking care of your emotional and mental wellbeing is SO important so that you can be the YOU you’re supposed to be. Without conserving and tending to your own energy it’s nearly impossible to be the best version of yourself which translates to the kind of mother, daughter, friend, partner, teacher, breakdancer, or dog parent that you are!
These are Ten things that I do to keep my mind right, my emotions in check, and my wheels from flying off. They may help you, they may not, but let them inspire you to do things that work for you.
I eat whole, real foods. This is huge one for me, if I’m eating too many carbs, processed food, sugar, or alcohol I start to feel anxious, my energy plummets, and my brain is foggy AF.
I have a morning routine through which I practice energy in before energy out. I start the day by doing things that ground and feed my wellbeing instead of hopping on my phone or laptop. I soak up some good juju by meditation, reading, and writing before I check my email or start scrolling.
I sweat almost every day. Moving my body with exercise, a walk, or a dance party is so important to keeping my headspace clear.
I don’t wallow. I feel the feeling, allow myself to be sad, mad, feel blah for an hour or a few hours (sometimes a day) and then I move along. I use all my feel good tools to climb out of that wallowy bog.
I say no. I continually work on setting boundaries and not feeling guilty about having them.
I prioritize sleep. Sometimes I stay up too late and sometimes I go to bed embarrassingly early but I always aim to get enough rest to refresh and recover.
No comparison (especially for other women), judgement, gossip, mean girl vibes allowed. These things are nonproductive and hold us back. This negative speak goes for myself as well, self-talk that elevates is the way to go.
I realize that failing is part of the journey. I fail many, many times a day. I like to ask myself the question ‘if this doesn’t goes as planned what’s the very worst thing that can happen?’ and usually the outcome is not that bad.
I talk about my feelings. I no longer hide them or pretend like I’m fine if I’m not fine. I love to have real, meaningful conversations and sometimes this involves talking about the shitty things.
I trust my gut. If something feels unsettling or off I jog, skip, burpee out of there!
Taking care of your mental health translates into the way you do everything else. We all deal with feelings, challenges, and obstacles of different types. The more we talk about OUR shit, the more we make it okay for others to talk about THEIR shit. Take care of yourself and be kind, so kind to those around you.