10 Ways To Prioritize Your Mental Health Everyday

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is part of a person’s overall well-being. It is the aspect of an individual’s health that affects how people think, feel, and act. Mental Health is the emotional, psychological, and social aspect of your well-being, and it is crucial at every stage of life, from birth through adulthood. A person’s mental health helps to determine how they handle stress, relationships, and life choices. Mental health is equally as important as physical health!

Mental Health Awareness Month.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It has been in the United States since 1949. Mental Health Awareness Month was established by Mental Health America (MHA) (then known as the National Association for Mental Health). Throughout the month of May, every year, mental health experts and providers raise awareness about mental health conditions and emphasize the importance of mental health care. This awareness encourages people to seek. In line with raising awareness about mental health this month, I am sharing ten ways you prioritize your mental health!

How to Prioritize Your Mental Health Every Single Day – 10 Ways!

1. Learn A New Skill/Set A Goal.

Set aside time to learn something new or do something you love. This way, you are looking towards “something,” a new goal! You can learn new skills like gardening, cooking, or swimming. I am currently considering registering for a swimming class as well as learning how to garden. Learning a set of new skills can help you value yourself more. For instance, when people return to school to increase their potential in the job market. On the other hand, you can return to (vocational) school to learn a new skill that will fulfill your life, such as crochet.

2. Maintain Strong Relationships.

Stay connected with friends and family by surrounding yourself with great people who love and value you. Maintain strong, healthy, and supportive relationships to enrich your life. Social connections can help build an emotional, trusting environment and a sense of belonging. If you have a busy work schedule, then it may be great to set up a weekly “check-in” with the people you love. It could be via video calls, emails, text messages, etc. Photo below is my niece and I on Easter Sunday 2024.

3. Seek Help When Needed to Protect Your Mental Health.

Seek help and talk about feelings if need be. Expressing and dealing with your feelings is better than isolating yourself! Feel free to reach out for professional assistance if you need it. Typically, therapy, counseling, or support groups offer concrete help for mental health. Never feel ashamed to seek mental health therapy.

4. Keep Your Body Active.

Take care of your body. This sounds like a cliche, but it works. Personally, I feel better when I work out than when I don’t. Stay active and ensure that you are moving your body. Find an exercise that works for you and stick with it. You can register at your local gym, join a Zumba class, or take daily walks. The best thing about staying active is that you choose what works for you and what you will enjoy doing. I enjoy working out and I am committed to it. Also I do feel better after each work out session! See below!

5. Prioritize Your Mental Health With Better Sleep.

Sleep better and destress. Lack of adequate sleep and rest can contribute to or increase mental health issues and episodes. Sleeping and destressing can also help you look and feel better! You can start making plans to go to bed early instead of staying up late to watch your favorite games and movies and attend parties.

6. Eat Better.

Eat Well. Eating well-balanced meals is underestimated, and it shouldn’t. We have to promote healthy eating as an excellent form of self-care and taking care of our bodies. When I tell friends that eating salads daily is my self-care, they laugh, but it is really my self-care! If you need help with coming up with healthy, balanced recipe ideas, I can help! Check out my air fryer zucchini and chicken, spinach berry salad, and cobb salad. This nutrient-packed quinoa and black beans bowl is the perfect make-ahead/meal prep recipe.

Nutrient-dense + tasty quinoa black beans bowl recipe is literally the best thing E V E R! Listen, this is about to be your favorite quinoa bowl from now on (I AM NOT KIDDING)! Already cooked quinoa is deliciously sauteed with onions, bell peppers, mixed veggies, and spices. Sauteed black beans, chicken breast, mashed avocado, and fresh baby spinach completes this healthy quinoa bowl recipe! Finally, top this bowl with chopped fresh parsley and avocado slices and enjoy!

7. Self-care Routines.

Have a self-care routine. Think about the things that make you relax and feel better and include them in your routine.” Journalling, reading, praying, meditation, and other things that help you relax and breathe can help. Also, taking a walk in nature can help ease some tensions. See this post for ideas about what to include in your self-care routine.

8. Set Healthy Boundaries to Protect Your Mental Health.

Set boundaries to prioritize your mental health. The world moves fast and currently requiring of us to do more and more and more. For instance, as a blogger and online creator, it is never enough. I have to be on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and all the platforms, and to be honest, it eventually becomes exceptionally overwhelming. Last year, I started to create boundaries and learn to say no to things that may overwhelm me. I refuse to be on all the platforms. I’m not on LinkedIn, and I am gradually posting less and less on IG and Twitter.

9. Take Social Media Breaks!

In line with setting boundaries, saying no and taking breaks is absolutely perfect and can protect your emotional health. It means you are putting yourself first. Though social media is supposed to help us socialize, it is easily a place where people compare themselves with other people’s highlight reels and, unfortunately, can cause anxiety to increase.

Sadly, social media has a way of making the average person feel that they are not enough. So it’s essential to take breaks when you need them and come back when you are ready to start using them again without judging yourself harshly.

10. Prioritize Your Mental Health By Practicing Self Awareness & Mindfulness!

Become self aware of your environment and situations if you have anxiety or headaches when things are littered everywhere in your home. Then, think about decluttering and cleaning up. If you are very busy, hire a cleaning help. Perhaps once a month, a cleaning person can help you declutter.

Additionally, becoming mindful of the situations that tank your emotional well-being may help you nip it in the bud. If talking to certain individuals causes or increases your chances of depression, refrain from communicating with them. Alternatively, you can communicate with those people via a third party.

Bottomline:

It is essential to prioritize your mental health, as it is part of your overall well-being. I hope the tips we discussed will help you start protecting your peace, prioritizing your mental health, and saying no to the things that no longer serve your overall well-being. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health; it matters. Learn more about prioritizing your emotional and social well-being from MHA.