Mental health is something I have touched on here before, as I feel it’s really important to get your mental health in a good place. With your mental health in a good place you will find the rest of your life fall into place, at least that’s what I have found. There are lot of ways you can look after your mental health so I thought I would share you my top 10 self care tips. These might not all work for everyone but you never know until you try.
Stop comparing yourself to others
The first important tip I have is stop comparing yourself to others, we are all different and brilliant at different things. There is no point always putting yourself down over what others are doing, because you feel you aren’t as amazing as they are, try turning those negative thoughts into motivation and inspiration to make you better at something. Someones life may look perfect from the outside but we all have our struggles and insecurities.
Don’t be afraid to say no
Saying yes to everything, especially in blogging, can become very exhausting and overwhelming, as it comes with a lot of projects to juggle and deadlines to meet. Sometimes its good to say no, if you feel its not right for you or you don’t have time. By saying no you are taking charge of you decisions you will make you feel so much better for it. Just remember that saying yes is good too, as it opens doors to new and exciting opportunities.
Take a leap of faith
Taking a leap of faith, whether it you personal life or work, is so good. At the time you can feel very overwhelmed and anxious but once you have taken the plunge you will then be able to see how much you have gotten out of it. Without pushing our comfort zones you won’t be able to grow, with risk comes the potential for great rewards.
Be kind to yourself
Being kind to yourself is something I always try and do. If you always beat yourself up over the things you have done wrong your find it will really affect your mental health. If you do something wrong, make a mental note of what you would have done differently and move on, don’t beat yourself up over it. I think we are all guilty of not being kind enough to ourself and giving credit to ourselves where it’s due.
Celebrate the small things
Celebrating success doesn’t have to be on major events, like a job promotion or anniversary, you should also celebrate the small things in life. This is something I know I need to work on, as I always feel something can be improved on thus stoping me from stepping back and seeing that every step is an achievement. Here’s a little list of small things to celebrate you could celebrate:
- Being invited to your first blogging event
- Going to the gym event though you had no motivation to go
- Surviving Monday
- Speak-up
Working towards your dream
For me having a goal to work towards really helps me stay focused and motivated. Everyone has a dream so why not start making little markers so that one day those little markers turn into you achieving your dream. Your dream doesn’t have to be extravagant, but its good to make it something you could achieve in the further, like owning a house for example. Sometimes having the little carrot in front of you really helps you focus all your energy and get the most out of your mind.
Exercise
I have recently taken up swimming three times a week and its amazing how much exercise affects your mental health. Exercise is a great way of distracting your mind from life and purely concentrating on a sport, whether it’s 15 mins or 1 hour, ever minute helps. You will also feel a lot happier in your self as you are working out your body and therefore generally feeling healthier and fitter. Thats a scientific fact!
Set a Bedtime
Having a set bedtime and a good bedtime routine is something I have mentioned a lot on my blog and that’s because it is so important. You mind needs time to rest & recover from the day and for that you need to good peaceful nights sleep. It’s not all about the length of time you are asleep for but the type of sleep (if you have 10 hours of sleep but wake up every 2 hours you won’t feel as rested as 6 hours of continuous deep sleep). Everyone will need different amount of sleep, if you always wake up feeling tired then try going to bed earlier or create a relaxing bedtime routine to stick to.
Give Yourself Some Headspace
Having some time in your day to yourself and for your mind can make you feel so much better. Allowing you to reflect and let your thoughts free can really make you feel more relaxed, less anxious, and in a better mood. Try taking up meditation and mindfulness training. I recently started taking just 10 minutes every morning with my husband to reflect and listen to a Headspace session. Headspace make it so much easier to practice mindfulness and after a few sessions you can truly feel the results. Its also a lovely way to start your day.
If you have any other self care tip then please let me know and have a lovely week!
Steph x
Aw I loved this post Steph. A great reminder of how to live a positive life! I try to keep to most of these things and it’s true! You feel so much better especially with the simple things such as sleep and light exercise. Thanks for sharing – ? X
Author
Thank you, so glad you liked it. I completely agree x
Good tips here. Thanks for sharing!
Author
Thank you x
I love this Steph . This is how im feeling at the moment as ive got new dreams that are starting to become real and im a little scared and anxious about it . So thank you steph xxx
Author
Thank you! Go for it and good luck with achieving your dreams x
One thing I didn’t realise I lacked was celebrating the small things. Thanks for tips! xx
Author
I think it’s the one thing everyone misses x
Exercise and good amounts of sleep are sooooo important! It’s amazing how much of a difference they make!
Becca // http://becc4.co.uk
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They really are x
Having a set bedtime is always a great idea! It’s helped me ?
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I swear by having a set bedtime, means i wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day x
Once upon a time I used to follow every single thing you mentioned. I don’t remember when I stopped, or why I stopped. I wish I can find the courage once again to start fresh.
Author
I think overtime things start to sleep without us realising. I go through phases of doing all of these things and then get out of the habit and kick myself for it x
Doesn’t it get tiring; the cycle of being active and then inactive and then again active…???
Author
No for me it motivated me to get back into doing all those things again x
You’re awesome…
Loved this post, especially the bit about saying no. I’m such a ‘yes man’ and often leave myself putting everybody else before myself, just so I don’t disappoint!
Poll x
Author
I think it can be really hard, I never wanted to hurt people feeling so always use to say yes. It’s good to say no when things are right for you, allow yourself to do something for you x
I loved this! One of my biggest problems is that I don’t appreciate the small things and I see them as “normal” even though they’re not xx
Chloexlizabeth.blogspot.co.uk <3
Author
I still do too, its so easy to go about life and think that a small thing is not worth celebrating but it is worth it. If you celebrate the small things then you will be more likely to celebrate the huge success too x
This is such a good way to get a positive outlook. Saying no sometimes is such a good one, and setting a bedtime – it’s something I never think about but probably should!! Great post x
Author
Thank you. There are so many things you can do for your mental health and onething will work for one person and not for another. It’s just finding what works for you x
Saying yes to everything can be quite difficult. However I am so happy that since I started to say ‘yes’ to more things I experienced so much more than I ever imagined. Everything with moderation! 🙂 Love, Iga http://www.igaberry.com
Author
Thats a good point, getting the balance between saying yes and no so that you are happy and comfortables. Saying yes means you get more opportunities coming your way x
Self-care is so important! I really need to work on setting a bedtime and sticking to it.
Author
Try to gradually get yourself into a bedtime routine, your more likely to stick to it them if you suddenly force yourself into a set bedtime x
I really like this post! especially the celebrating the small moments one, people these days are scared to celebrate themselves in fear of seeming too confident I think.
– Philippa x
https://wordpress.com/view/philippawimbledon.wordpress.com
Author
completely agree! we are also too scared because we are always judging our selves on other people success x
Such a great list of self care. I’m deffo guilty of not doing most of these. I’ve bookmark this to come back to when I’m having a bad day. Thanks for sharing beauty x
Author
Thank you, hopefully this will help x
These are all such great tips!! I do a self care feature on my blog. You really don’t have do much to engage in self care. It really is all about changing your mindset about the things you do. You don’t have to go out of your way to do self care. Thank you for sharing ?
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You’re welcome. I completely agree x