Basic Self-Care Strategies to Help Give a Boost to Your Mental Wellness

Basic Self-Care Strategies to Help Give a Boost to Your Mental Wellness

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

How long has it been since you took a step back, took a deep breath, and just existed in the world? How long has it been since you took the time to enjoy a self-care day or activity with the intent to improve your mental health and stability? If you can’t answer this question, or if the answer is an emphatic too long, it might be time to treat yourself to a day of relaxation.

Why is self-care a good idea? One of the biggest benefits is the boost you get to your mental health after a prolonged period of not paying much attention to your own needs. While everyone’s strategy for mental stability is different, here are some ways practicing self-care is a boon for your mental health and a few key strategies for making sure you are giving yourself the time to recuperate:

The advantages of a good night’s sleep

When you think about “self-care,” you may think about a day at the spa, with massages and pedicures and other lavish activities. But did you know that one of the most integral ways to practice self-care is by getting enough sleep? It sounds simple, but the importance of getting a full night’s sleep (seven hours or more for adults and eight to 10 hours for teenagers younger than 18) is a critical part of maintaining a good relationship with your mental well-being. Lack of sleep has been attributed to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. People with seasonal affective disorder are often known to either sleep too much or too little.

The bottom line: Go to bed. You need the rest.

Taking care of money

Caring for your wallet can also be a form of self-care. Financial distress has often been linked with mentally taxed activities, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Practicing good money management techniques such as saving up your cash to make big purchases, creating and sticking to a monthly and yearly budget, and tracking where your money goes are great ways to ensure this kind of cyclical mental health worry is not as much of a burden as it could be.

Another way you can practice financial self-care is by refinancing your home. Refinancing allows you to decrease the equity you have in your home and free up cash or decrease your monthly mortgage payment. It can give you the breathing room you need -- and breathing is a definitive form of self-care.

Eat healthily and exercise

This may also sound like a no-brainer, but many people overlook the importance of diet and exercise when they are developing self-care strategies. Keeping a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, limiting processed foods, and focusing on getting plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids can help you improve your mental health and protect your brain from age-related decline. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to and address your gut health. Exercise, meanwhile, has also been shown to improve brain function and push endorphins that help you feel better. Whenever possible, get outside to enjoy the benefits of sunshine while you exercise; 30 minutes outside can help your body produce the vitamin D you need to stay healthy. If getting outside isn’t always possible, there are ways you can easily bring nature indoors.

Consider getting a pet

Pets are great companions, and they can have a dramatic effect on our mental health. While getting a pet could help give a little happiness to your days, this isn’t a decision you should make immediately. Consider which type of pet, if any, is good for your living situation. Also, take a look at your budget, as adopting a pet — be it a bird or a Basset hound — will cost money. In addition to food and other basic necessities, your pet will need some accessories; many people decide to purchase a comfortable bed or pad for their dogs to sleep in, while cat owners will purchase scratching posts for their felines to use. 

All about the mindset

Mental health and physical health are inextricably linked, and you have to take the time and make the effort to prioritize this part of your life. Burnout isn’t good for you in the short or the long term, and a good way to minimize burnout is to adopt the “constant holiday” mindset -- where you recognize that you are on a journey in your everyday life and embrace that idea.