*I am not a mental health expert and all opinions are my own based on my experience. Everyone has different lifestyles and there is no one size fits all approach. I have included some resources at the end to use at your own discretion. If you are struggling please don’t be afraid to seek out help.
Today I am here to remind you about the importance of self-care. For this blog post, I am going to define self-care as prioritizing you’re well being. Sometimes when I get overwhelmed or anxious I am in survival mode. Or I am trying to help or please others forgetting to take care of myself. But self-care is important because you need to take care of yourself. You need to allow your body and mind time to relax. I have included some self-care ideas that I have tried below and if you have any ideas that you use for self-care comment down below.
1) Say No more often
This is something that I struggle with because I don’t like to disappoint people. But I have realized that it’s okay to say no if you don’t want to overcommit yourself. This can help give you the confidence to establish boundaries and priorities.
2)Physical activity
Ride a bike, dance, do yoga or some form of physical activity if you can. My therapist told me that any form of physical activity can help when you are overwhelmed. It doesn’t have to be yoga but if you want to do yoga go for it.
3) Journal
You can write or draw your thoughts and feelings, how your day went and more. I have a couple of journals one is for writing down my thoughts and feelings and another one for when I travel. I don’t use them very often but when I do journaling it helps me compose my thoughts.
5) Therapy
I included therapy because sometimes people decide that they need a professional to talk to for whatever reason and that is okay. There are many resources and insurance companies that help make therapy more affordable if that is what’s preventing you from going. Talk to your insurance company to see if therapy is included in your health insurance plan.
Some of these things may not work for everyone and that is okay. Each person should decide the best self-care methods for them.
Resources
- CDC Mental Health Resources https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm
- Mental Health America https://mhanational.org/finding-help
- Finding an affordable therapist: https://www.self.com/story/find-affordable-therapist-guide
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
- Setting spending related priorities: https://www.frugalwoods.com/2019/10/30/how-i-try-to-align-my-time-and-money-with-my-highest-priorities/
