Enjoying ‘You Time’: The Mental Health Benefits of Self-Care
/
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
With the completion of our Success Series 2019, we’re shifting our focus slightly and concentrating internally on the steps you need to take to make sure you have the energy and motivation you need to continue your self improvement journey. The post today is a contribution from Brad who runs the blog Selfcaring.info. Selfcaring.info is focused on helping all of us to realise that we need to put ourselves first, and take all the steps necessary to nurture our mind, body, and soul before we can truly improve and sustain our journey to becoming the best version of ourselves..
Good mental health is every bit as important to your overall well-being as physical health. Unfortunately, most people are not be taking it as seriously as they should. Studies have found that 18 percent of people suffer from some form of mental disorder and more than half do not receive the treatment they need, which is one reason why it’s so necessary to take self-care seriously. The mental health benefits are too important and they affect every aspect of your life.
Get your sleep
Sleep may be the most essential factor in self-care. It’s absolutely indispensable to your overall health, affecting everything from the immune system to cognitive functioning. Without the right amount of sleep (at least 7 hours a night), it’s hard to concentrate during the day, maintain good relationships with people at work, and resolve problems logically and coherently. Restful, restorative sleep alleviates stress and anxiety, makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight, and keeps your focus sharp during the day. If you’re having a hard time getting to sleep, it may be time to take a hard look at your sleep environment.
A sleep-conducive bedroom
Again, sleep is absolutely indispensable to your health. But you can’t expect to get the rest you need sleeping in a space that’s too warm, too light, too noisy, or on a mattress that’s uneven and uncomfortable. Your bedroom should be absolutely quiet, completely dark, and kept at a temperature no higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) to keep your body temperature down at night. If light and noise are a problem, consider adding blackout shades, sleeping with noise-canceling headphones or a white noise app, and consider replacing an old mattress with a new one if it’s been at least seven to 10 years since you last replaced it. If insomnia persists, try meditating for an hour before bedtime, taking a hot bath, or doing some light reading. Another idea is to bring in a humidifier into your bedroom if you find yourself coughing at night because the air is too dry.
Downtime
It’s common for people to equate downtime with wastefulness, or even laziness. The drive to be up and doing, to stay busy cleaning, fixing things, or making money, can lead people to dismiss relaxation time as counter-productive. But everyone needs time away from responsibilities and deadlines to do something they enjoy and find rejuvenating. It could be reading a book that has special meaning, vegging out in front of a favorite movie, or taking a long walk through the woods. Relaxation is rejuvenating in much the same way as sleep; relaxation improves focus and increases your energy level. So make time for those things that really matter to you.
Setting boundaries
Most of us like to help others, especially our loved ones, but you need to make sure it doesn’t become overwhelming and that you’re not giving up too much available free time. You can’t relax if you’re always on the go, so learn to set boundaries and (diplomatically) say “no.” It doesn’t make you a bad, ungrateful person. Think of it as taking care of yourself so you can be there when friends and family really need help. That’s tough to do if you’re run down and fatigued.
De-emphasize social media (a little)
Technology makes it possible to stay in contact with others around the clock and keep tabs on events through social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media outlets are hugely important communications venues these days. But it’s possible to overdo it, to spend too much of your time peering at that little screen and reading about your best friend’s cousin’s vacation. Set aside a few hours a week to shut off social media and spend that time by yourself.
Self-care is a favour you do for yourself. It’s essential for your mental health and your sense of well-being. It’s very easy to overextend yourself and lose sight of the need for downtime, so take self-care seriously and never feel guilty about feeding your soul.
Blog photo courtesy of Unsplash
Commanding genuine respect, one that doesn’t rely on your position power is one of the hardest things to do for an introvert. There are five simple actions we can adopt straight away that can help us to establish our presence in the room and command the attention and focus on what we have to say.