Indulge in Self Care With Brad Krause

The Power of Self-Care for Mental Health

by Brad Krause

If you feel like the world keeps shifting beneath your feet, you are not alone. Right now, we are all facing instability and uncertainty. In the chaos of it all, it’s easy to forget the importance of self-care. However, being kind to ourselves is one of the most important things we can do. Here’s a look at a few forms of self-care, and how they’ll make a difference for your day-to-day life: 

Eating well for a happy life!

Meeting Physical Needs 

Nutritious food, plenty of water, a good night’s sleep: We all know we’re supposed to get these things, but how often do we neglect them? Most of us are lucky to knock out one of the three once in a while. If we’re truly committed to meeting our nutrition, hydration, and sleep needs, however, our mental health may flourish. 

All of these things are directly correlated to your mood. Eating the right foods, which includes things like bananas, beans, and avocados, can help reduce your risk of depression. Hydration keeps you energized and focused. Poor sleep is an especially vicious cycle, with one bad night leading to another and another as your tired mind turns to anxiety cycling. Focus on getting a healthy diet, drinking 11 to 15 cups of water each day, and practicing good sleep hygiene. Already nailing these recommendations? See if your skincare routine or exercise habits could use a boost. Your mind and body will both thank you. 

Protecting Your Wallet 

Money is one of the biggest sources of stress we face on a day to day basis, and that was true before our current economic struggles. Job insecurity weighs on many of us right now, and many more are already facing unemployment. Taking care of your finances is an important form of self-care that can make this less anxiety-inducing. 

There are several ways you can do this. Big moves, such as refinancing your mortgage for a lower monthly rate, are good for those who need economic stability sooner rather than later. If you think you have a month or two of cushion to give yourself a safety net, then focus on building up your emergency fund. The traditional advice is to have six months’ income set aside. Right now, however, more is better. 

Seeking Joyful Experiences 

If it’s hard to see the light, create some. Right now, you may need to put in a little bit of extra work to experience happiness. Odds are, joyful moments are not falling into your lap. Seek them out, however, and you’ll be amazed at what you find. 

There are several ways to seek joy. You can visit a local park for a hike in nature. You can pick up a new hobby, such as drawing or learning a musical instrument. Even something as simple as calling up an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while can make a massive difference for your mood. You cannot simply talk yourself into happiness; you must put in the work. 

Staying Mindful

One of the most effective forms of self-care you can use is a daily mindfulness practice. Mental illness is often rooted, in part, in mindlessness. When you’re anxious, for example, you spend a lot of time worrying about the future, or the past, or what other people think, or any number of unknowns. Depression drives us to be mentally absent and disconnected from our lives. 

Over time, these symptoms become habits. Practicing mindfulness helps our brain unlearn these habits and develop new ones. Instead of worrying about how you worded something yesterday, you learn to notice the way the light comes in through your window. Instead of checking out from your life, you learn to actively check in. The result is powerful. Study after study shows that mindfulness improves both our mental health and our physical health. Learning to live in the moment pays off massive dividends, and it only takes ten minutes a day. Try out different types of mindfulness practice (it’s not all meditation) to see what works best for you. 

Finally, give yourself permission for self-care. We all have an urge to help others, but we cannot pour out of an empty cup. Right now, we all have to find ways to treat ourselves with kindness. Small steps will give you the strength you need to keep yourself and your community thriving.