My PhD research is on the topic of mental health, so it made me think about mine. Often we forget to think about our state of mind in our busy schedules but it is so crucial to invest time into looking after our mental health. There is so much noise and distractions in our lives that we lose perspective and our mental health takes a back seat. I have put together 5 ways in which I look after my mental health.
🙏 Count your blessings: In today’s day and age it is so easy to get lost in wanting more in life. We see people around us and on social media with more money, better jobs, going on holidays etc, the list is too long. In all this, we forget about the countless blessings we have already been given. So my tip #1 is to spend a few minutes each day/week to count your blessings. This can be anything; no blessing is too big or small. Your life is not in competition with anyone, the sooner we understand this and are content with what we have the better our mental health will be!
🆓 Stop glorifying busyness: We have encountered a new disease- busyness! How often do you hear someone tell you how busy they are? People are “too busy” to message back, “too busy” to fulfil commitments and “too busy” to spend time together. When will we realise that being busy is not cool or a badge of honour. Yes, I realise some days can be very busy but it’s become a habit for many of us to use this tag. Does it really always take 3-5 working days to reply to a message? Some days just spend a bit of time doing nothing, trust me you will feel a lot more content.
🧘🏽♀️ Spend time with yourself: We shouldn’t be scared about spending time alone, there won’t always be someone around you and that’s OK! Now and again it is refreshing to just be by myself and clear my mind. Don’t be dependent on other people to make you happy!
🗣 Tell someone: If you ever feel down or sad, talk to someone about it. Sometimes it’s nothing serious, all we need is to express it and for someone to listen to us. But if you keep it all inside you, it can turn into something more serious! If you are religious, this doesn’t even have to be a person. Just spending a few minutes praying really helps calm the mind!
🍪 Have a hobby: Find something that you enjoy doing. Something unrelated to your work, day to day jobs and chores. I recommend something creative because it expands our mind and opens it up to a whole new world. For me I love baking! Thinking of new and interesting recipes and of course then I get the added bonus of eating yummy baked goods! It helps me de-stress. Maybe even join a club or society so you can do things you enjoy with other people who enjoy it too!
Nafisa's Notes 