Looking after yourself and your mental health looks extremely different for everyone. And this is something that has become increasingly clear since my time working at Stress Matters. All of us are so different and that really is the beauty of wellbeing – it is not a one-size-fits-all approach and we all need to find things that work for us as an individual.
During the Pandemic I had got myself into a bit of a rut and I knew something needed to change. I was introduced to the Couch To 5KM app and started to add this to my routine. I hadn’t appreciated the benefits of implementing exercise into my routine and how this would affect my overall wellbeing. I feel that we all know that participation in regular exercise is good for us but remember, there are so many ways to exercise that aren’t just going for a run. It could be:
- Pole dancing
- Yoga
- Weightlifting
- Horse riding
- Pilates
- Aerial hoop
I also believe that having a routine is highly underrated when it comes to looking after your mental health. As someone with anxiety, routines are very important to me and help me keep my head above water. Having a solid morning routine can really help with keeping your mind clear, managing your time, and ensuring that you focus on yourself.
Here are a few things that I do in my routine:
- No social media whilst getting ready – it can be a massive time waster, can bring down your productivity and mood and can increase your comparison with others.
- Limiting the amount that I listen to the news – I know that being well-informed is very important but I catch up on the world at lunchtime once my brain has had time to wake up.
- Putting my phone on DND – There is a feature on iPhones where you can set personalised ‘modes’, I have created one called ‘my morning routine’. This silences all texts, notifications, emails and calls. Once I am ready to be contacted by the outside world I will turn it off and tackle my day.
- Having a chilled playlist to start your day – Being over-stimulated too early in the morning can cause you to be irritated throughout the day. I always have a chill playlist on hand that can ease me into the day and wake me up. 99% of the time it is Taylor Swift.
One big revelation that I came to at the beginning of the year was that as much as I can eat right, have a routine and exercise regularly, sometimes that doesn’t fix everything. This year I have been on a journey of starting anti-depressants and beginning CBT therapy (CBT = cognitive behavioural therapy). It felt really scary to start this but once I came to the conclusion that I had done everything that I thought I could, I knew it was time to ask for help. Since starting these treatments it has felt really empowering to know that I am taking steps towards looking after myself and I am already feeling the benefits.
Supporting your mental health can take a bit of trial and error to see what works for you but by becoming more self-aware, it can help you focus on what works for you. And if you feel that you have tried everything and still feel like you’re a bit lost, it’s okay to ask for help 💜
