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What is Mental Health and Wellness?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health is defined as “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.”
But practicing good mental health is more than just experiencing the absence of mental illness. It is a state of true functionality in day-to-day life.
Individuals with good mental health can cope with normal everyday stressors, learn and work productively, utilize talents and abilities and contribute to society.”
World Health Organization
The Significance of Self-Care for Mental Health
Self-care has long been purported as a way to cope with various mental and physical health issues. But self-care is a broad category that can mean a lot of different things. The World Health Organization defines self-care as: “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.” But this definition is broad and, at least for us, difficult to understand. Let us break this down below.
It should be noted that self-care is not a cure for chronic illness or mental health struggles. Practicing self-care has been proven to help individuals manage symptoms of their illness while improving various aspects of health and emotional coping skills. So, it is worth it to dedicate some time and energy to these practices and habits, even if it is not the sole answer.
What You Can Do for Self-Care for Mental Health?
To develop a self-care routine, experts recommend starting with one practice to weave into your daily life. Starting small will make your goals and habits more manageable, and you can avoid feeling overwhelmed or defeated. Make sure to take note of the impact these small changes make on your daily perspective. Reflecting on the positives is part of this self-care journey.
If you do not know where to start, consider these recommendations below to get you going:
Exercise
It is highly recommended to complete 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, but that time can be broken up to fit your busy schedule. Try creating a routine with 15-minute walking sessions spread throughout your week. T
his is a great jumping-off point. And, if you need inspiration, take a look at our previous walking on sunshine challenge. This is a wonderful place to reference what other PLM members did to stay motivated and inspired when implementing exercise into a daily routine.
Eat Healthily and Stay Hydrated
According to Europe’s National Health Service, “a well-balanced diet provides all the energy you need to keep active throughout the day. A healthy diet has nutrients you need for growth and repair, helps you to stay strong and healthy, and helps to prevent diet-related illness, such as some cancers.”
Develop a Sleep Routine
Having a sleep routine can improve your physical and mental health. A solid sleep routine results in better processing and decision-making and helps alleviate daily stressors. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists a host of benefits that include getting sick less often, maintaining a healthy weight, and lowering your risk for diseases such as heart disease or diabetes.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness techniques have been directly connected to reducing symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Some reports even suggest that mindfulness improves sleep quality and lowers blood pressure. Find time to clear your mind and meditate or journal. These practices have many physical and mental health benefits.
Make a List of Goals
When you can plan out your day and get clear on what really matters to you, it will help you stay in the present moment. Making a list of goals can help you to break down what needs to be focused on and what can wait. Instead of depending on your brain to sort through your priorities, get them out of your head and onto to some paper. This will help to clear your mind and lower your stress.
PatientsLikeMe.com has an easy to use Goal Tracking functionality if you need some ideas of how to get started on tracking your goals.
Connect
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “when people are socially connected and have stable and supportive relationships, they are more likely to make healthy choices and to have better mental and physical health outcomes. They are also better able to cope with tough times, stress, anxiety, and depression.”
Practice Gratitude for Mental Health
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness “Many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier.” Implementing a daily gratitude practice can improve sleep, mood, and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease. How? According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, behavior changes biology. “Positive gestures benefit you by releasing oxytocin, a hormone that helps connect people.”
According to Harvard Health, “gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
PatientsLikeMe recently launched a gratitude challenge in our healthy living forum. This might be a great jumping off point to start practicing self-care. Members throughout the site with a host of conditions are taking time to reflect on what is making them feel gratitude on a daily basis. Want to join the conversation? Hop in here!
Start Small but Start with Self-Care for Mental Health
As always, we know that starting new practices and habits when you are already struggling with your physical or mental health can feel like a big feat. That is why we are encouraging you to start small and simple. What is the lowest lift for you on the self-care list above? What is the one thing you can start implementing today that you did not do yesterday?
Get active, get inspired, and get going! You cannot experience positive changes until you begin. We are rooting for you! Visit PatientsLikeMe.com for more helpful tips and tools to make your life a bit easier!