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Modern life can take its toll and we are now all getting better at talking about our mental health. However, we should think about taking care of our mindset as a necessity, rather than a luxury that we only do when we are hitting a low point. This is why we need to embed our lives with the right practices. The road to a resilient mindset is much like exercise and eating healthily—about doing the right things on a regular basis. So here’s some practical practices that you could benefit from bringing into your life.

Journaling

One of the most powerful and cathartic tools is journaling. Journaling is, for many, a very sacred practice because it’s quality time between them and their thoughts that allows them the luxury of separating who they are from what they’re thinking. This is something that’s always worth pointing out, especially in regard to mental health concerns because your thoughts are not necessarily who you are. 

Carving out time to reflect on your thoughts and your emotions can give you far more clarity into your thought processes and who you are. Whether it’s expressing gratitude, exploring a challenge you had that day, or making notes of your daily experiences, you become more in tune with who you are, which is only going to help you in the long run. What’s more, journaling can be a very personal experience from the pen to the journal itself. You can take advantage of a booklet printing service so you can create a personalised journal and make it a major part of who you are.

Cultivating Healthy Boundaries

One of the most essential parts of mental health is the ability to say no. Self-care is about understanding where you are going beyond your comfort zone too much and why there’s a benefit to slowly expanding your comfort reach. You need to feel confident in the fact that you are establishing healthy boundaries, so you have a greater sense of autonomy and control. As a result, you will have a far more positive mental outlook on your life. But this is all about making sure that you understand where you’re being stretched beyond your capabilities. 

Boundaries could stem from your job, your home life, or even something from within you. For example, if you are living in a neighbourhood that is unsafe and you are concerned about external forces pushing you out of your comfort zone, you need to figure out what can help you protect and preserve yourself better. This could be a sense of confidence and self-assuredness you get from something like a self-defence class. If you understand where your boundaries lie, this is one thing, but you then need to defend these with all of your might.

A Digital Detox

Constant exposure to our screens is not healthy, not just because looking at our phones late at night can disrupt our sleep, but we really have to understand the fatigue we’re experiencing when we are exposing ourselves to constant news and negativity, as well as making ourselves have that FOMO in life. That’s not to say you need to be away from your phone all of the time because this is impossible in certain circumstances. However, if you can start to look at how much you engage with your phone on a daily basis and slowly start to take that number down, you are heading in the right direction. 

We need to allow our minds the opportunity to reach and reset. Importantly, we’ve got to remember that if we’re constantly giving our brains the dopamine hit that comes with scanning social media or we are always looking for something, there is no sense of downtime. A digital detox involves setting aside specific times for you to unplug, and you’ve got to be strict with this, as well as engaging in activities that do not involve screens. Much like someone who has an addiction to a certain thing, being able to replace this with something healthier is the best way to begin.

Final thoughts

Of the methods to help with your mental health, there are other mind-boosting practices like meditation and exercise, as well as nutrition. If you are feeling like you cannot cope for whatever reason, these three practices are worth incorporating into your daily life. However, never feel like this is the be all and end all.

If you find yourself struggling, you should never hesitate to seek professional help. Counsellors and therapists will be able to get to the root cause far quicker and also give you coping strategies based on your individual needs. Self-care is an ongoing process, and rather than waiting for it to get to the point where you cannot cope and understand just how better you will function in life by nurturing your well-being.