Your mental health is so important and maintaining it is should be at the very top of your self-care list. Unfortunately, most times we wait until things start bursting at the seams or begin to fall apart before we address a problem, but what if we got ahead of the problem and nipped it in the bud from the jump? With all that in mind, here are six ways to mind your mental health:
Rest
In a hustle and grind culture, rest isn’t a message that’s often preached. However, rest is important, not only to your physical health, but also to your mental health. Your body and brain recharge and repair themselves while you’re resting. Rest gives your mind a chance to pause from all the messaging and information it’s bombarded with, on a daily basis. Rest is a necessary element to maintaining your mental health.
Slow Down
One of the many things I learned from the pandemic was the need to slow down. Prior to the pandemic, I was highly systematized and efficient, but always on the move. The pandemic came and forced me to slow down and it gave me the chance to realize how out of touch I was with many areas of my life. I also noticed how much peace and clarity I gained from slowing down. Slowing down removed a lot of anxiousness from my day-to-day life. Slowing down is key to maintaining your mental health.
Seek Counseling or Therapy
It’s no secret that seeking professional counseling or therapy has long been taboo in the Black community. However, when you’ve experienced trauma or are struggling mentally, seek professional help. There’s no need to suffer in silence when there are trained professionals who can help you pin point and talk through your mental and emotional struggles and walk you through to your healing.
Work Out
Working out is a great way to relieve stress and let off steam. There’s an old saying that “pressure bursts pipes.” Working out lets you relieve that stress that not only impacts your physical health, but your mental health too.
Manage Your Stress
To piggyback off the previous comment, managing your stress is another important key in maintaining your mental health. Stress can create all types of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Therefore, it’s important to identify what causes you stress, eliminate it if possible, or minimize it as best you can. It’s also important to find outlets for your stress, such as working out.
Stay Connected to Healthy Relationships
There’s a saying that it takes a village. It’s the same when it comes to maintaining your mental health. Everyone needs a village of healthy relationships around her to help maintain her mental health. You’re not always at your best and you’re not always aware of your own deficiencies and defects. You need healthy people around you to point those things out to you, in love, and hold you accountable. You also need those healthy relationships around to help speak positive affirmations and life into you.
What are some ways you’ve found to maintain your mental health? Drop a comment below.