It’s Time for YOU – 7 Steps to Elevate Your Well-Being

How often do you place yourself first? Perhaps you’re a mom, a student, a veteran, or a caregiver. You most likely are busy putting others above you, that you forget that you cannot pour from an empty cup. When you have the heart of a person who serves and supports us, we often forget about our own needs. Sometimes it comes from the voices of others, maybe, you learned from a young age to put others before your needs. It seems like a good mindset until you’re burnt out and exhausted. We cannot do it all, all of the time. Sometimes all we need is a helpful mental health tip or two.

However, along with the stress of doing it all and supporting others, society often tells us to do “self-care”, “pamper yourself”, and so on. It sounds like a great notion until it requires a significant amount of finances, time, and resources on your end.  Wellness is based on 8 dimensions. This includes physical, emotional, mental, relationship, environmental, financial, socially, intellectual, and spiritual. Much of wellness focuses on that financial and physical sphere. However, this doesn’t always renew the spirit and soul. Especially when you’re missing the dimension of wellness you need support in.

Additionally, sometimes we forget as individuals that self-care and well-being include even the smallest things. Such as basic living needs based on Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs. Are you sleeping, pausing, breathing, eating well, moving, and so on. Here are some tips we at Elevate You Counseling want to remind you to do to elevate your well-being. Sometimes going back to the basics is more rejuvenating than a new wellness routine can be.

 

Mental Health Tip #1 – Mindful Breathing

Our first mental health tip is about breathing. How often have you considered your ability to breathe today? Maybe you are living with this hum of constant anxiety that never seems to go away. Or you just don’t think about the amount of oxygen getting to your body. As individuals, it’s important to focus on our breathing abilities. Especially for women. Men tend to take much deeper breathes than women, but women tend to breathe more shallow, so being more intentional about how you’re breathing and taking a few deep breathes day to day can do wonders for your mental and cardiovascular well-being.

Try this:

Start with a deep breath – breathing helps you relax and reduce stress. There are many activities that incorporates breathing such as exercising, yoga, karate, meditation (mindful breathing), and relaxation exercises. Studies have shown how deep breathing increases oxygen and stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, increasing your calmness. Deep breathing is more than just a deep inhale and exhale. There are 4 types of breathing. This includes:

1. include eupnea (normal quiet breathing requires contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles)
2. hyperpnea (the term for breathing in more air than you normally do)
3. diaphragmatic (requires contraction of the diaphragm also called deep breathing)
4. costal breathing (contraction of the intercostal muscles also called shallow breathing)

 

Mental Health Tip #2 – The Power of Unplugging

Technology continues to improve yet too much of it can cause you more stress than you think. Technology is everywhere! We have our “smart” phones not only to make phone calls but to text, do research on the internet, check emails, keep calendars, shop online, order food, listen to music, podcasts, explore social platforms and even watch live or recorded shows or news. It’s a handheld computer that can give you voice commands or reminders with all kinds of personalized ringtones at your disposal.

Unplugging from technology will help reduce your stress and anxiety. This will give you the time to focus on what brings you joy; reflect on things that you are grateful for.  It’s time to connect with your environment by the use your senses to hear the ocean waves or birds chirping, feeling the wind create goosebumps on your arms, or feeling the warmth from the sun rays, using your sense of smell of baked goods or freshly cut grass, taking the time to taste your foods, slow down and savor each bite, or using your sense of sight as you look at the mountains covered in snow or the various shapes or colors of leaves.

Benefits of Taking a Step Back from Technology Includes:

1. Unplugging gives you time to just be present, becoming more aware of your thoughts without the clutter of interruptions of beeps, rings, or vibrations from your device. 
2. Trying to unplug gives you more time to do something physical like a quick stretch, walk, jog or that exercise class that you keep skipping.
3. Unplugging before you go to bed helps with your sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is a term that is used to describe habits or routines to promote a good night’s sleep. Routines help promote consistent, interrupted sleep. You also want an environment free from electronics and also creating an environment (color schemes, pillows, comforters, etc.) to promote a restful place that suits your style. Smartphones have programs to help you unplug, reminders to start winding down, track your sleep, and wake up time to help improve your sleep.  
4. Can improve your cycles of sleep ( better REM and wake cycles)
5. Poor sleep exacerbates symptoms of anxiety and depression

Mental Health Tip #3 – The Practice of Self-Reflection

Have you ever considered the power that reflection can have on your well-being? Often we are moving so much day to day, that we forget to take a moment to pause and give ourselves space to process the events of the day. Reflection can start with something simple. Some may buy small desk calendars to reflect on famous quotes from great leaders, comics, inspirational words, scriptures, or artistic images to elicit an emotion, produce a positive emotion or replace a negative thought pattern from ruminating in our minds. Additionally, reflection allows your brain to take a break from the day-to-day tasks.  It gives you an opportunity to become more self-aware of what elicits a positive feeling or physical reaction (ex. smile, laughter, tears…) or discover what is meaningful. Lastly, taking time to reflect gives you time to take a break. We are busy taking care of the needs of your family, work, school, household chores, paying the bills, driving, shopping, etc.

Mental Health Tip #4 – Nutrition and Your Mental Health

Did you know that research shows what you consume impacts your health and well-being? There’s a strong connection between nutrition and depression. In fact, healthier eating can promote fewer mood fluctuations. Additionally, what you eat can affect the structure and functioning of your brain; your gastrointestinal tract, the home of bacteria influences the productions of neurotransmitters. Therefore, it’s important to be intentional with what you eat to support better gut and brain health. A healthy well-balanced diet creates space for a better mood.  Lastly, Hydration is key. Mild dehydration can affect your mood and ability to concentrate.

Mental Health Tip #5 – The Benefits of Mental Health Check-Ups and Prevention

How often do you go to your MD? Do you feel safe or comfortable doing so? Finding the right physician and medical doctor is needed in order for us to get the right access to support. For example, a medical diagnosis affects your mental health, chronic illnesses – heart disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes or cancer, chronic pain, thyroid problems. If you’re feeling exhausted, fatigued, or resentful managing your existing or chronic illness your may need to take this mental health tip to an actual doctor for support. Consider this, Are you self-medicating? Using alcohol, smoking, over-eating, or binging. Perhaps, you’re an individual dealing with menopause, it’s more than just a body change. It impacts the whole individual. There is a mental, physical and emotional change. Take space, talk to a therapist, and see an MD. Lastly, know that getting mental health checkups are just as important as your physical health check-ups

Mental Health Tip # 6 – Incorporating Something New

Is there something that you have been wanting to practice or try? You have time! Explore new hobbies, routines, sports….It doesn’t have to be a mind-boggling new skill. In fact, it can be a simple change like changing rooms for your work-at-home environment, trying a different path for a walk. Consider how organizing your day, workflow, pre-planning your meals can help. Or, organizing your home, office, rooms – creating a space with a positive, inviting environment can improve your mood. Lastly, if organizing is your strength, maybe focus on welcoming changes to your schedule, have room to be spontaneous.

Mental Health Tip #7– Take the First Steps to Ask for Help

Remember, that you’re allowed to ask for help! You may be fearful about the negative stigma associated with asking for help, remember this when it comes to asking for help:

• Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness
• Investment in your well-being takes time. It’s not a quick fix. 
• Know your resources
• Don’t wait too long to ask for help! 
• Know who your support system is (family, friend, therapist) 

 

Need Support Practicing The Mental Health Tips?  Begin Online Therapy in California with Us Today!

It’s time to elevate your wellness. It is not always an easy process, but long term it is a healthy and manageable one. It can help you live more fully and get the support you have been uncertain to ask for. Begin by speaking with a skilled online therapist at Elevate You Counseling. Together we can begin to move through issues, so you once again feel like yourself. To get started in therapy, follow these simple steps:

1. Contact Elevate You Counseling
2. Talk with an expert online therapist
3. Elevate Your Wellness with Us!

Other Therapy Services at Elevate You Counseling

If you are looking for a different kind of support, we can help with this too. At Elevate You Counseling, we offer PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, caregiver counseling and eldercare counseling, therapy for veterans, family therapy, depression treatment, therapy for moms, infertility therapy, postpartum support, anxiety treatment, and individual therapy. Additionally, we offer group therapy which includes topics such as grief and loss, and caregiving. When you are ready to take the next steps and begin online therapy in Kern County, Fresno County, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. Our therapists also provide support via online therapy in Georgia and online therapy in South Carolina. We are here to be your support!