4 Steps to Great Mental Health & Self-Care

1. Strike a balance.

Between work, social obligations, family, and the rest of life, time becomes precious. Striking a sustainable work/life balance is very important to maintaining mental health and preparing you for any sudden changes that life throws your way. This is especially important when working remotely, since the lines between work and personal are more blurred than ever.

Find out where your limits are, avoid interactions and events that drain you, and include your own wellbeing and self-care as a priority. For example, you can block off time for things you enjoy. If you’re normally a people-pleaser, practice saying “no” to people if you know the event would be too much. If you’ve felt too overwhelmed by others, block off alone time, meditate, or otherwise take a step back. Do the reverse if you’ve been feeling isolated – reach out and connect.

The important component of striking this balance is knowing yourself, your stressors, and exactly where that balance lies.

2. Stay positive.

Positivity has been shown in studies to have a dramatic affect on trauma recovery, physical health, mental health treatment efficacy, and more. Actively reframing your thoughts to focus on more positive intentions, hopeful feelings, and collaborative thoughts will dramatically improve your quality of life.

• There are many activities and ways to do this, like:
• Positive and uplifting mantras
• Mirror pep talks (ex: saying “you’re beautiful” to yourself in the mirror every morning)
• Avoiding self-deprecation
• Avoiding thoughts of the past
• Thinking about what you want the future to look like
• Write down all your strengths and accomplishments
• Watching, listening, and reading uplifting or light content
• Surrounding yourself with with positive-minded people

3. Keep consistent.

Life is constantly changing, but your basic day-to-day should be somewhat predictable in order to maintain your physical and mental health. This is especially true for your medication, diet, and sleep schedules. Consistent physical habits lets your body know what to expect and be more refreshed and prepared for the day, which better enables your brain to handle stress and triggers.
Passing this on to other areas of your life can also be beneficial. If you find yourself having a hard time getting together with some friends that always make you feel good, schedule a recurring Thursday evening dinner date. If you struggle to get your kids to school on time because you’re never sure who’ll have the one car in your family, set up a schedule for who has it when. Turning confusion into routine can iron out unnecessary stress.

4. Aim for better.

So you struck a great work/life balance, you’re focusing on the positive, and you created a strong routine that you’re knocking out of the park. What’s next? The final step can sometimes be the hardest: set goals for yourself.

Identify one or two areas only that you want to improve. Break any big goals (ex: buying a house) into many small, achievable ones (ex: looking for a better job, saving money, learning more about the house buying process). Set specific actions you’ll take, a specific deadline, and be reasonable about what you want to achieve. Keep reminders and motivation around so you stay on track, but also don’t beat yourself up if you don’t quite make it. The keyword for this step is “aim”; as long as you’re working towards the goal, you’re succeeding.

Some healthy goals are eating a more balanced diet, going for walks, cleaning your home, reading more, learning meditation or breathing exercises, drinking more water/less soda, or spending more/less time with family or friends.

Mental health is a lifelong journey of self-discovery and change. These steps are meant to help everyone, regardless of their path, find meaning and drive in the world around them. As with all self-care, specific activities to achieve these steps depend on you and your lifestyle. Find what works for you!