Mental wellbeing is the unique way that you handle your emotions, including your perspective and how you respond to stress. Having a healthy mental wellbeing can improve your mental health, build your resilience to difficult situations, and lift your mood.
Taking some ‘me time’ and indulging in some self-care is important to your mental wellbeing, check out our seven self care tips to improve your mental wellbeing.
1 Sleep and Routine
Indulging in a good night’s sleep is essential for our physical health as it allows our brain and body to rest and restore our energy levels which also impacts our overall mental wellbeing and health. Establishing a good routine can not only help our body’s wake and sleep cycle but can also provide some structure to stay organised, and provide a feeling of stability and control when stressed.
Tip: iPhone alarms come with a bedtime feature that allows you to set your wake up time, and a reminder at night for when you need to go to sleep.
2 Exercise
We all know that exercise is good for our physical health but did you know it is also good for your mental health? When we exercise our bodies release chemicals called endorphins which trigger a positive feeling in the body. Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can help boost your mood, lower stress and anxiety symptoms plus it also improves your physical health.
Tip: overcommiting and doing something you don’t like is a sure way to set yourself up for failure; start small with something you actually enjoy, maybe a YouTube dance class or a walk around the block.
3 Nutrition
Eating a range of healthy foods will give your body and brain the right balance of nutrients to work at its best. You will also find your sleep patterns, energy levels and general health will also improve with a well-balanced diet. Being mindful of foods you might gravitate to when stressed will help you understand and overcome emotional and stress eating (a very easy and destructive habit to fall into).
Tip: avoid diets and instead try to create healthy habits and eat 80% healthy foods and 20% treat foods.
4 Social Connection
Building meaningful relationships is an important part of your mental wellbeing as it allows you to feel connected to people and your community. Positive interactions contribute to feeling good, sense of belonging and self worth.
Tip: meet regularly with people you have a shared interest with i.e. sports, art classes, mums classes etc.
5 Learn New Things
Trying new things will keep your mind engaged which is an important part of your mental wellbeing. Research is showing that lifelong learning may improve brain function.
Tip: incorporate new ways to learn things in your daily routine such as trying a new recipe at dinner, listening to an informative podcast on your commute, reading a new book before bed or try taking up a new hobby.
6 Be Mindful
Mindfulness is about connecting with your immediate thoughts and feelings without judgment. Practising mindfulness allows us to stay in the present moment instead of wandering off with our thoughts in the past or the future which benefits our cognitive thinking and mental wellbeing.
Tip: mindfulness can be found not just in meditation but through a walk in nature, journaling, colouring in, and other activities that give you time to reflect on your thoughts.
7 A Little Kindness Goes Along Way
Being kind to yourself is a big part of being happy but did you know being kind to others is also a big part of your own happiness? Studies have shown that when performing an act of kindness, a chemical called oxytocins is released which stimulates the area of our brain associated with social connection and trust, which makes you feel good.
Tip: throw kindness around like confetti!