Simple Tricks for Using Self-Care to Better Your Mental Health
Simple Tricks for Using Self-Care to Better Your Mental Health
written by guest blogger Brad Krause
Is there an easy way to take better care of your mental health? You may be surprised to hear that the answer can be “yes” if you know how to incorporate more self-care into your life. Self-care practices can help you manage your mental health, so why not add some healthier habits to your life? To get you started, here are a few self-care tips for taking better care of yourself — and for taking better care of your mental health as well.
Make Some Time to Really Relax
Most people know that rest and relaxation are vital to maintaining your mental health. You need to have a little downtime to allow your mind to recharge and get a break from stress. Meditation is a great self-care practice for preserving your mental health, so take a few minutes each day for mindful meditation. Create a space at your office, as well as your home, where you can spend a few minutes in quiet, contemplative thought. A spare room or even a closet can work at home, but you may need to escape to a park to give yourself a break from work.
Relaxing your mind is important, but you also need to find ways to relax your body as well. We don’t always realize how much tension we carry around in our muscles and how that physical stress can impact our mental health. If your schedule has you spending most of your time on your feet, you need to take extra care to soothe those muscles. Professional massages can do the trick, but when this is not in your budget, using an at-home foot massager can work as well. Treating yourself to a Belmint Shiatsu Foot Massager, or another quality foot massager, can help take the tension away from your body and aid in relaxation at home.
Reduce Levels of Stress in Your Life
Giving yourself a foot massage may take some stress out of your day, but you also need to find more impactful ways to decrease the tension in your life. When you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, try getting out for a nice long walk. Exercise has been shown to reduce feelings of stress and increase endorphins. As an added bonus, spending time outside also has stress-relieving abilities. One study showed that workers who take time off to enjoy nature returned to their jobs happier, healthier, and more focused, as opposed to those who do not take any time outdoors.
Exercising outside is a good way to manage your stress levels, but you can enjoy other relaxing activities outside as well. Spending time in your garden, relaxing in the park with your favorite book, or even eating breakfast on a patio all can help you feel less stressed out. Another way you can keep excess stress away is to learn how to turn down family and friends so that you can avoid overworking your schedule.
Improve Your Life by Improving Your Sleep
Better sleep could very well be the key to better health — and even a better life. Studies show that individuals who get around seven hours of restful sleep every night report more feelings of satisfaction with their lives. Sleep allows your body to recover and heal itself, and the same sleep can refresh your mind as well. So, use self-care practices to improve your sleep hygiene. Start by turning off your screens at night and opting for more relaxing rituals instead. The intrusive light from screens can actually signal your brain to keep you awake, resulting in poorer sleep and even chronic insomnia. When you still have troubles falling asleep, you may also want to consider making changes in your bedroom. Replace sheer curtains with blackout drapes to keep things dark and quiet, and lower the temperature inside your room.
When you are looking for simple ways to improve your mental health, you should look no further than self-care. Self-care practices can have some powerful effects on your body, your mind, and your emotional health. Start making your own self-care a priority now.
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