Self-Care: An Essential Nutrient

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and the two often have huge impacts on one another. In many ways, taking care of one is taking care of the other too. Self-care is essential to well-being, but it is often neglected in the bustling world we live in. Here, you can find a few simple tips that may help you to take care of yourself, mind and body.

 

1. Take a bath or shower

One of the simplest ways to help yourself feel better is to get clean. Taking a warm bath or shower can help your muscles to relax, releasing any tension you may be holding. You may not even realize how tight your body is until you loosen it up. Washing your body may also be used to wash your mind. Imagine your stress and worries washing down the drain, so you may step out of the shower with a clean body and a clear mind.

 

2. Write it out

Another great way to cleanse your mind is to write it all out. You can do this with pen and paper, or even on your phone. This is a fantastic way to get what’s in your brain out into something you can see and feel. Often, it can make the things bothering you seem a lot smaller. It helps you to put things in perspective. If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, it may help you to write a short to do list, so you can focus on doing one thing at a time rather than be bogged down by everything at once.

 

3. 5 Step Checklist

There is an article on this topic that you can find here, but I will briefly go over it again. The five basic human needs are food, water, sleep, exercise, and connection. If you feel stressed, down, or simply ‘off’ you may be missing something important. Be certain you’ve had a snack, some water, and moved about a little bit. It may turn your day for the better.

 

4. Clean your space

Often, the state of the space around us can reflect your state of mind. If your brain is feeling scattered or cluttered, the space you’re in may be in the same state. One way to combat that and help clear your mind is to clear your space. You don’t have to deep clean if you don’t want to, but simply taking five minutes to tidy your desk or room can help rest your mind.

 

5. Consider therapy

With mental health awareness on the rise, seeing a therapist or counselor is becoming much more common. It is widely agreed that everyone needs therapy at one point or another. Even if you don’t think you have any mental health concerns or diagnosable problems, it never hurts to seek help. Most health insurance plans cover mental health counseling, so it is always an option.

 

6.Do something you used to love

When stress and mental health problems arise, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Over time, you may stop doing things you enjoy as other things take up more of your time. It may help you to revisit things you used to love, even things you enjoyed as a child. Rewatch a movie you loved, pick an old hobby back up, or enjoy a food you haven’t had in a while. These things may help you to recenter yourself and feel a bit better.

 

7. Do the hardest thing first

Self-care isn’t always happy, leisurely things like taking baths or using a face mask. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s dragging yourself out of bed to exercise, sitting down to do the work that must be done, or addressing things such as trauma. These things can all be very difficult, but they may be the best thing in that moment. Sometimes self-care is hard, but it’s always going to be worth it.

Self-care is essential to your mental well-being. I can take many forms, not all of them glamorous, but all of them good. Foods Alive is here to support you and your health journey!