5 Tips on How to Maintain Your Mental Health
In celebration of Mental Health Awareness month, below are my top 5 tips on how to keep a strong mental health game…. Especially right now!
1) Celebrate awareness. Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions is step 1. Acknowledge they exist. Be with them. Don’t push them away. Sit with them, and know that they are real. Running away from your feelings is a form of escaping reality, which is not helping you live your best life.
2) Create healthy Boundaries. Know your limits and communicate them with the people around you. Saying NO more than saying YES is essential to establishing crystal clear boundaries. Everyone receives energy in different forms – whether it is being alone, being around people, reading, shopping online (eeek!), launching a side hustle, running, watching Netflix, or a combination of all of these… you get to decide what is most important to you, and stick with it!
3) Self Care is NOT selfish. My entire life I was told to always put others before myself, always be cautious of other people’s feelings, always go above and beyond for others… and while I agree with these sentiments, you cannot completely neglect YOUR own priorities. Taking care of you should be #1 priority. Otherwise you are going to burnout, and not be helpful to anyone – especially yourself.
4) Move your body every single day for at least 30 minutes - my run coach Lori holds me accountable to this. I’ve joined her online workout groups, and even though I cannot physically leave my house to go on a run or walk (thank you #workingmomlife), I am getting in at least a little sweat every.single.day. It gets the blood pumping through my body, builds more structure in my day, forces me to get out of my work routine, & lowers cortisol (the stress & aging hormone) – Why would you NOT want this?!
5) Take action - Seek support & get EXPERT advice. Have you ever heard the phrase “Don't go to the hardware store for milk.” Well in this case, inspirational quotes, scrolling through social media, drinking too many margs, and chatting with friends can sometimes only get you so far. Invest in yourself – surround yourself with other people who you want to be like and learn from. Trust me, this is life changing!
Remember, my goal is to teach you, show you, and empower you on how to THRIVE inside your career AND your life! And, as someone who has worked HARD at maintaining a positive, focused, and intentional mindset, I completely understand how life can throw you some lemons sometimes... However, YOU are the CEO of your own happiness!
p.s. let’s make sure we check in on our strong friends this month, especially right NOW. You never know who might need you.
Always with you,
Ash
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