This week is Mental Health Awareness week and to support you in managing your mental health I have compiled 5 things for you to focus on to ensure your wellbeing remains healthy.
Problem Solving - How often do we worry unnecessarily? To keep good mental health, figure out what is actually bothering you and come up with tangible solutions to move forward. Overthinking can exhaust you mentally and make you ill. Work out what the issue is and then what is in your control right now. For bigger problems such as whether to leave a job. Write a pro's and con's list and then "park" the subject in your mind for a few days to let things seep in. Your mind might be grateful for the rest!
Identify Your Thoughts - And potentially change your life Our thoughts influence our feelings and our feelings influence our behaviour. Start noticing what you are thinking and then think about how that might make you feel. If you are overly negative all the time it would be no surprise as to why you don't feel good.
Create a Self Care Practice - Take time for you It can sound cliche and some may argue that running one bath won't change how we ultimately feel. A self-care practice is a little more than reading one good book and expecting our outlook to change. It is what we do on a regular basis to keep ourselves in check. Think of it like going to the gym, going once won't make much difference but going regularly is proven to keep us healthy.
Structure - Plan your time When we don't plan our days we waste mental energy making decisions about what to do next. This can be exhausting! This with a dose of unproductivity is a fast way to start feeling depressed. It is proven that lack of activity can cause depression. Start planning your days and notice how it impacts how you feel. You will get more done and feel good about yourself.
Stories - What story are you telling yourself? Everything that happens to us is meaningless. You may bork at that idea but it is true. Each event and situation only has the meaning you attach to it. Crazy isn't it when you think about it. Next time something happens, notice what story you start telling yourself. Is it a positive and inspiring one or something that will lead you further down the road of ill mental health. Please note I am not suggesting for one second that if something goes seriously wrong to try and paint it with a rainbow. You can always tell the story but with a note that things will get better. Victor Frankl is a great example of this.
I hope you find these helpful and you are keeping well during this time.
If you need some extra support then please don't hesitate to get in touch at zoe@thetreeoflifecoaching.com