Prioritising Your Mental Wellness

As a Psychology Finalist, I am pretty passionate about mental health. So often we talk about things we do to maintain our physical health, so that we don’t become ill and require medical attention. But the same is true for our mental health! I think it’s so important to look at how we can maintain mental wellbeing before things become more difficult – prevention over cure. So today I am going to be sharing some things I incorporate into my life to maintain my mental wellbeing and maybe there’s one or two you don’t already do that you might find beneficial.

1. Become your own bestie: let me explain what I mean here. Treat yourself with the love, kindness and respect that you would show your closest friend or a family member. Try and notice any negative self-talk you engage in and aim to foster positive affirmations instead.
2. Eat well: by well, I mean prioritising whole, nutrient dense foods, but also allowing room for fun foods that aren’t so nutrient dense. With diet culture so prevalent these days, it’s hard not to be swayed by fads or quick fixes – but these things only work in the short term. I think it’s really important to view nutrition as what you can add to your diet, rather than what you should take away. Nothing is off limits and food is to be enjoyed!
3. Movement: my daily non-negotiable. Whether it’s a heavy leg day at the gym, or a light walk to my favourite coffee shop. Exercise just makes you feel energised and happy. And the best part is…there’s something for everyone. I spent years convincing myself I just wasn’t sporty, because I was awful at all team sports. Little did I know I just preferred exercising solo and the only competition being myself. Now, the gym is my happy place and I love it.
4. Relationships: they say the people you surround yourself with are a reflection of you, so take a look at these people. Are they people you want to be like? Is your relationship with these people healthy? I am such a strong believer that a few, close friends always wins over having many, but less meaningful connections.
5. Downtime: a little bit of stress is adaptive and good for us. But too much, and it has the opposite effect. It’s so important to take time to relax and do things you enjoy. I try to do at least one thing every single day that I enjoy, and sometimes this is as small as treating myself to a Starbucks on the way to my 9am. Other times, I need a full day off. Nobody can be on it, 24/7, and taking time out means you can just come back stronger than before!