Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month (before I told you on Instagram)? As someone who’s passion for this blog is built upon taking ya’ll on my “never-ending pursuit of health and happiness” it felt irresponsible to not talk about mental health. And even more irresponsible to not be honest about it. So today I’m opening up by taking my own mental health seriously and sharing the things I do ensure I stay in good mental health.

I am a chronic worrier. I stress out a lot. A perfectionist. Type A. Anxious. I want to plan everything out and when my plan gets thrown off it is mentally draining. I’m overly emotional at times. I have days where I feel sad and I don’t have a logical reason why (those are the worst). Overall though, I’m a relatively happy person, but I’d say that’s largely in part because I’ve figured out ways to keep my mental state in check and maintain a positive outlook. And it’s not always easy. But being in tune with these feelings and actively having strategies to make sure my mental health stays a priority is VERY important for my overall health and wellness. Today I’m happy to share my ways of maintaining my mental health and challenging you to try something new with me to make us all even stronger.

 

READING

In the last couple of years, reading has been one of my absolute favorite ways to unwind and relax which is exactly what is needed for good mental health. For me, reading takes me into another world, with great stories that make my mind wander and escape. It’s a great way to unwind (without a screen) at the end of the day and can really take your mind off the things that are making you anxious/sad/etc. It takes some discipline to get off your phones and get in bed early enough to do it sometimes, but it is always worth it and definitely has helped.

 

DRINKING TEA

The funny thing about this one is I’m not even a HUGE fan of tea. But in the last couple of years, I’ve been exploring different varieties and finding that when I’m really stressed out, the act of making a cup of tea and then slowly sipping it seems to calm me and help me to relax. You HAVE to slow down to make and drink tea, so try this when you’re feeling anxious and I bet you’ll find you’re feeling a little bit better afterwards.

 

TALKING WITH FRIENDS

The LAST thing you should do when you’re feeling not so great mentally is keep it to yourself. Don’t you dare convince yourself that no one cares or that you should be ashamed of your feelings/pain. You are loved by SO MANY and you are NOT ALONE. Everyone goes through things and it’s during these times when you need to dig deep into the community around you and talk it out with those you love and who love you. I’m thankful to be surrounded by a ton of beautiful people in my life who I can talk to when I need it and I probably don’t do this enough (though my mom and sister may think differently 😉 ).

 

PRACTICING GRATEFULNESS

Someone once told me that a great way to combat anxiety/sadness/stress is to focus on gratefulness. Some of you may be thinking….. what if I have nothing to be grateful for? You ALWAYS have something to be grateful for and focusing your mind and energy on how grateful you are will INSTANTLY make you feel better. In a few rough patches in the last year I’ve practiced this strategy in particular and I have to say it has been ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE ways to squash my anxiety.

 

YOGA/WORKING OUT

Have you ever been to a yoga session in a terrible mood and come out with the birds singing and rainbows coming out of your……….YUP. SAME. When I go to yoga I do hot power yoga and there is something about dripping with your own sweat and still holding difficult poses and the instructors telling me to be kind to my body that just makes me feel oh so on fire! I’ve instituted the strategy of working out to combat stress/anxiety in my regimen pretty much daily and OMG yall it really is true what Elle Woods says…. “Exercise gives you Endorphins. Endorphins make you happy”. Again, days where I’ve been feeling low or more anxious than normal, even when I don’t want to do anything, I KNOW I need to get to the gym and work it all out. And I ALWAYS feel better. Things feel more manageable, and bonus….. it’s not so bad for your health in oh so many ways. Don’t have time for the gym? Go for a walk. Just do something and I promise you’ll reap the benefits in many ways 🙂

 

THE CHALLENGE – BONUS STRATEGY

MEDITATING

I’ve recently read that some of the most successful people in the world practice meditation. I’ve also read an article that the healthiest people practice meditation. So the question is, if we all want to be happy, healthy AND successful, why the heck aren’t we meditating?!

I’ve tried meditating a few times before but have never kept it up, but ALWAYS been interested in it. So this week, in the LAST WEEK of May, for Mental Health Awareness and to practice something that will only make your mental health stronger, I want to challenge myself AND YOU to practice meditation. EVERYDAY. UNTIL MAY IS OVER.

Now don’t tell me you don’t have time. Meditation is however long you want it to be, but can be as short as two minutes. That being said, you need two uninterrupted (as best as possible) minutes.

Never meditated before and have no idea what do to? Perfect, me too. So below are a few of the guidelines which basically say relax and don’t worry about perfection because that doesn’t exist in meditation.

• Sit for two minutes (or longer if you have it)
• Phone on airplane mode/not near you at all unless you are using it as a timer
• Pick a time that you can do it everyday (best morning or night)
• Don’t worry about doing it right, just do it
• Check how you are feeling
• Try not to focus on any single thought, let them come and go
• Consider self love during it

 

Are you up for the challenge? Visit my Instagram @JustMetJess to learn how to check in and do this with me daily. Do you have some other tips for how you maintain your good mental health? Please share below I’d love to hear!

 

XO,

JESS

 

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