“Self-care.” “Wellness.” “Mindfulness.” All of these words and concepts, though probably all good-intentioned, can get confusing quickly. We believe context is everything in mental health. We also believe that finding peace and purpose helps you flourish. Here are Simply Psych’s Seven Keys to Self-Care to help ensure you’re able to maintain the holistic life you desire.
1) You are not your circumstance.
Context is so important in mental health care. But that does not mean that you are defined by or viewed as your specific circumstance.
For example, what you do for a living is a part of who you are, but it will never be all that you are. We hope you enjoy what you do everyday, but – whether you’re currently employed or not – know that work-life balance doesn’t exist.
Remembering this distinction will help you to remain grounded as the wonderful, unique person that you are, regardless of the state of your work.
You are so much more than a job, concept, project, or idea. Separating yourself from whatever is causing you stress or anxiety will help you prepare yourself to overcome it.
2) Let go.
“Resign your position as general manager of the universe.” This quote by Jeffrey Gitomer is compelling and to the point. Nobody can do all and be all. Neither can you.
Remember, you are exceptional, but not the exception. So relax and focus.
Find your niche/hobbies/community, and go hard in the paint in that area. Be fully committed to excellence, but not perfection.
Control will only result in burnout, and refusing to let go of all the excess will stifle your growth.
3) Prioritize your priority.
We each have something that motivates us every day. (For us, it’s empowering mental health clinicians and their private practices!) Write yours down and stay focused.
Let your “Why” be your driving force so that when the overwhelming hard times come (and they WILL come), you can feel encouraged to keep going and finding success.
It can be a personal goal or a desire for the betterment of someone else.
No matter what, define it and visit it often to stay motivated.
4) Sleep and quiet.
“Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom,” as stated by Francis Bacon, is a truth so often impossible in our modern era of constant distractions and unlimited content.
Not to mention we spend a third of our lives asleep, so make it count.
Getting above the din and spending time in solitude/silence helps clear the mind, and allowing time for our minds to fully rest in sleep is vital to a healthy, ready-to-conquer-the-day attitude.
Stop scrolling, let the silence speak to you, and get some consistent sleep.
5) Stay active.
We advise that you burn some calories at least five days a week. Working out, doing a vigorous puzzle, going out dancing with friends.
Get moving and crank up that metabolism.
Nobody is surprised by the fact that an active lifestyle promotes greater overall health and wellness, including mental health.
Two recent studies have even shown how exercising boosts cognitive functioning as well as brain power.
Yet we so often neglect to carve out time or push ourselves to actually be active.
Make it a priority, and your mind and body will thank you.
6) Forgive yourself.
You’re going to mess up. A lot.
Accept that it’s part of the learning process and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Without failure, how could we learn and grow?
The key part of getting back up after failing is forgiving yourself.
Without releasing yourself of shame or regret, they’ll slowly corrode your energy and enthusiasm.
As the risks you take become smaller and smaller, you’ll have no chance to fail; thus no chance to truly grow.
7) Ask for help.
You can’t do it all alone. Building a community to be a part of makes all the difference in the world.
Seeking the insight and perspective of others not only makes you a sharper, more rounded individual, but it also sparks greater creativity and potential as inclusivity and collaboration are critical drivers of growth and success.
Humility is wisdom in action. Reach out when you need it, and be ready to offer support when it is asked for.
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Simply Psych is in the mental healthcare space to help all people feel better.
We do this primarily by providing the best practice management solutions for mental health clinicians so that they can spend more time using their training and expertise to treat patients/clients.
That’s how you feel less tired and more inspired!
We also just really love amplifying quality mental health edutainment and resources.
Together we are better, and it takes all of us collaborating with each other to fully reintegrate mental health into our modern lifestyle. How can we help?
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