It’s Mental Health Awareness Week this week and that means it’s a chance to focus in on how we can better support our on mental health. As a resilience coach, I know how much daily action matters when it comes to our mental health. Resilience is something we build every day through small, positive steps. And this is an approach that works for mental health in general too. Having daily non-negotiables means your self care is always on the agenda. Here are mine:
Non-negotiables for Mental Health Awareness Week
1. Writing down my thoughts. This gives me clarity on any rumination and negative feelings churning away in the back of my mind and helps me organise my thoughts.
2. Food that nourishes my gut. 90% of Serotonin is found in the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, so what (and how) we eat really matters for mental health and resilience.
3. Screen-free time. Especially the first 30 mins of the day. Our phones aren’t healthy when we spend too much time on them. It’s essential to limit screen time for basic brain health.
4. Pausing to connect to myself regularly throughout the day, especially if I start to feel difficult emotions. Regularly asking myself “how do I feel and what do I need?” ensures continuous self-care and helps stop emotional reactions from blowing up.
5. Breathing techniques to activate my parasympathetic nervous system. One of the fastest ways to calm an unruly mind is through the body. And the more you practice these techniques when you don’t need them (when things are good), the more effective they will be when you do (when things are stressful). That’s why I do them regularly every day.
What are yours?
