Mental Health Self Check – It is widely understood that maintaining your physical health is crucial when it comes to keeping your body healthy and in shape. However, oftentimes people underestimate the critical importance of promoting your mental health as well. Poor mental health can create adverse outcomes both psychologically as well as physically. At Horizon Plymouth, we understand the importance of taking care of your mental health, and always advocate for regular check-ins with your mental state. To this end, we have compiled a list of ten ways that you can check in with your mental health and pay it a visit every week.
- Take up journalling: Journalling can be an excellent way to get the conflicts, problems, and feelings that are chasing themselves around your mind out on paper. It can help you process emotions and move past them in a more objective manner.
- Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of calming the mind and spending time engaging in the present moment by deliberately quieting other worries. This practice can take just a few minutes each day but can have incredibly positive mental health impacts as you improve your ability to clear your head and focus on your current state.
- Engage in physical activity: Physical and mental health are intrinsically tied to each other and improving one can improve the other. Spending a little bit of time each day engaging in light exercise such as yoga, walking, or swimming can help create endorphins and leave you with a clearer head.
- Good sleep hygiene: Because improper sleep can have many cognitive effects, check in with your sleep every week to make sure that you are getting enough good-quality rest. Keep screens, food, and light away during the night and stick to a healthy bedtime routine.
- Spend time with leisure activities: Leisure activities can be a good way to let your mind rest from a busy period as you spend time in diverting activities that are interesting to you. Carving out even just a few minutes to do something you love can have positive mental health effects.
- Develop a support system: Surrounding yourself with trusted individuals that you can talk to and lean on for support is a good way to promote your mental health. Developing a support system means that you have people around you who can offer advice and take on burdens in your life that are too difficult to bear alone.
- Pay attention to nutrition: Just like physical activity and sleep, what you fuel your body with can impact your mental health. Eating balanced meals and staying hydrated are all part of a good mental health regimen.
- Practice gratitude: Intentionally being thankful for the good things in your life can result in a more positive outlook on life overall, especially when gratitude is practiced daily over a period of time.
- Challenge yourself: Reaching outside your comfort zone by trying a new activity or teaching yourself a new hobby can be very rewarding mentally as you push the limits of what you believe yourself to be capable of.
- Give yourself grace: Ultimately, nobody is perfect and every single individual will have good days and bad days. Giving yourself grace on your bad days can help you to look forward to and celebrate the good days that much more.
If you are having trouble regulating your mental health and feel as though you could use some guidance or more individualised support, the counsellors at Horizon Plymouth would love to help you in your journey. Our team is experienced, professional, and friendly, and we love helping each of our clients along the path to happier and healthier states of mind. So don’t wait—whether you are deeply struggling with your mental health or just want a little extra “maintenance,” contact Horizon Plymouth today to schedule your initial consultation!