14 Best Self-Care Tips that Improve Mental Health & Wellbeing
Practicing self-care is more essential than ever when it comes to taking care of our emotional health and well-being amid tough changes,
Are you feeling a little under-self-cared-for? Many things can get in the way of us taking care of ourselves, including family caregiving responsibilities, work, social commitments, and more.
But, ultimately, when we do take care of ourselves and our needs is when we’re best able to show up for all of the other people and responsibilities in our lives.
Focusing on what makes us feel nourished and what gives us meaning is part of comforting the feelings of stress and anxiety and giving us a more solid foundation.
Here are some self-care tips for the purpose of inspiring your health & wellness — while helping you feel less stressed and more relaxed.
1. Prioritize Sleep — Your Mood and Immune System Are depending on It
When it comes to taking care of your health and well-being, sleep is pretty much always part of the answer. Getting enough good-quality sleep keeps your immune system running at its best to fight off infections. Scientists know sleep is also one of the top ways we can help keep stress in check & at a minimum, as sleep deprivation can make us more sensitive to the effects of stress, ramping up our reactions (or overreactions). The brain needs sleep in order to function; without it, you’ll be less patient and focused, make poor decisions, and be more moody, irritable, and emotional.
2. Know Your Personal Signs of Stress
Sometimes self-care is about knowing when you’re getting overloaded or overwhelmed and responding with micro habits that prevent all-out burnout.
For example, are you starting to withdraw from friends? Are you sitting in traffic swearing? Getting more headaches or stomach aches lately? this is learning from what you consider to be your overwhelmed “emoji” key. (We all have a unique one that resonates with us, right?) When you feel the need to text that emoji to everyone on your contact list, take it as a cue to ask yourself what you need. Maybe you need to roll your shoulders a few times and then go take a short walk. It’s about building up awareness and having the self-knowledge to check in and adjust.
3. Work. It. Out. Burn off that negative energy & bullshit
Spending a lot more time at home does not mean you get to be a couch potato. Staying active keeps your body healthy physically, keeping your risk of chronic health issues. It also boosts your sense of well-being. Exercise releases endorphins (hormones that make you feel good!), sharpens focus, and aids sleep. Staying physically active also lessens the risk of mood disorders, increases energy, and improves mood overall. Feel mad or angry? take it out on a punching bag, it will feel great.
4. Test-Drive a Workout You’ve Never Done Before
When it comes to fitness, people have a tendency to stick to what they know. But this might be the perfect time to hop outside of your comfort zone — while you’re still in the comfort of your home. That way, you may feel less awkward or like a newbie, while getting the benefits of joining a new online class. Check out options like Zumba, boxing, or dance workouts; or download apps that have a range of options.
Are you a yogi or have you considered starting a yoga practice? Now is the time. Yoga offers a laundry list of health benefits, from busting stress to stretching out inactive muscles to building strength to providing a burst of physical activity (depending on the type you do). Why might yoga be an especially useful tool to add to your coping arsenal right now? It links movement with breath. Because both factors can affect the body’s stress reactions, yoga can be a silver bullet in tough times.
5. Take a Forest Bath
The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” simply means walking in an area amongst trees and deeply inhaling the air. Trees release certain chemicals, like terpenes, that have been associated with the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which sends your body into “chill-out” de-stress mode. The practice is so powerful that forest bathing has been shown to decrease measures of depression, according to research published in June 2019 in Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine.
6. Avoid Mindless Snacking; Eat Intuitively Instead
Are you spending your days within eyeshot or at arm’s reach of your snack drawer? Rather than self-impose strict rules on what foods are off-limits, try intuitive eating. It’s not a diet so much as a way of eating that’s all about giving your body what it needs when it needs it. Intuitive eating doesn’t restrict any specific foods or have you counting calories. It’s a practice in which you listen to your body and pay attention to what you need in the moment. Is it time for a meal or a snack? You eat when you feel hungry, and you stop eating when you feel full.
7. Swap Out One Coffee for Decaf
Caffeine is one of the most researched substances, with more than 10,000 studies to date, according to a review published in 2017 in Food and Chemical Toxicology. That’s led to a wide range of conclusions, but one that’s fairly consistent is that having too much can lead to less-than-ideal effects, researchers conclude. They note that getting more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily can affect your central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, and sleep quality. Check your consumption and remember that not every cup of coffee is equivalent when it comes to caffeine content, it depends on the roast of coffee and how strongly it’s brewed. Too much caffeine can even increase anxiety and stress. So, enjoy your buzz, but try limiting your daily amount.
Yes, you read that correctly. Certain foods can actually have a stress-lowering effect. Warm foods like soup or tea are soothing, and the omega-3s in fatty fish may improve mood. Avocados are packed with vitamins C and B6, which are known to help reduce stress. Dark chocolate is antioxidant-rich, which is great for thwarting stress. Other foods that can help include whole-grain carbohydrates, bananas, oranges, water, and leafy greens.
Though you may be inclined to indulge in treats or your favourite cocktail, know that this may be counterproductive. Foods that exacerbate or mess with stress in a less-than-savory way include caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugars. You don’t have to cut them out completely but do limit your intake and enjoy them in moderation.
9. Develop a ‘Don’t Do’ List
Self-care doesn’t have to be an action item. It can be about freeing up space for the things that matter in your life and removing those that cause bad energy. After an especially draining day, take a few minutes to reflect: What dragged you down? How can you do less of that? Go ahead and physically write down a “don’t do” list, something that can serve as a reminder that holds you accountable.
This list helps you get unstuck. You may not get this perfect the first time, but you can keep making adjustments until you’re doing more of the things that perk you up.
10. Make Time for a Massage
Just 10 minutes of shoulder massage may be enough to increase relaxation, decrease stress, and improve heart rate variability, reports a study which published in September 2020 in the journal Scientific Reports. Heart rate variability is the measure of the variation in time between heartbeats, according to Harvard Health Publishing; better Heart rate variability signals that your nervous system is in a calming rest-and-digest mode, rather than a stressed-out fight-or-flight mode. Treat yourself to a professional massage, pick up a massage gun, or ask your partner or a loved one for a quick shoulder rub.
11. Use social media Mindfully
Social media and other virtual tools allow you to connect with friends and family even when you’re apart. But they can also have unintended consequences if and when using them becomes excessive or too consuming. How can you make sure you’re using them wisely? The more personal your social media interactions, the better, experts say (think direct-messaging people rather than mindless scrolling). Use it intentionally. Be selective about who you follow and what tools you’re using. And take time to disconnect. If you’re feeling isolated, make a point to call a friend or family member once in a while, rather than shooting out another text or Facebook comment.
12. Practice a Positive Affirmation
Spending some quiet time with yourself might be all you need. It’s good to teach yourself meditation as a positive affirmation: Pat your heart and say, “It’s okay. I am enough. I have enough. ”This is a nice mantra to use when you notice you’re not feeling okay,” Experts says.
13. Showcase your self love by pampering yourself
Taking care of your body in a way that feels like a luxurious break can boost feelings of well-being, Are your nails in need of a little TLC?
Give Yourself a DIY Facial Why limit your home spa experience to a DIY mani-pedi when you might have all the ingredients for a facial in your pantry? Face masks can be really beneficial for your skin because they’re occlusive, meaning they seal in their ingredients against your skin until you wash off the mask. Check out some DIY recipes like the oatmeal and turmeric face masks.
Take a bath, Why is a warm bath so incredibly relaxing? Research suggest one reason may be that it reduces inflammation. According to a study in the December 2018 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, just one hot bath can calm your stress response. Another reason is that you’re simply allowing yourself to take a break. “You’re taking time away from your to-do list and things you think you ‘should’ be doing,” “When that happens, you automatically feel like you’re dropping into self-care mode.”
14. Figure Out What Works Best for You When It Comes to Hacking Stress
Everyone deals with stress in different ways, and the stress-buster that works for you may not work for your best friend. Take a Health’s stress personality test, developed by mental health experts, this can help you better understand your stress personality and some of the best ways to cope with the challenges you face.
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