Make Your Mental Health a Priority With Everyday Self-Care | Blissfully Serene

1. Make Your Mental Health a Priority with Everyday Self-Care Even when you take good care of yourself, there are times when you just don’t feel your best. Whether you’re tired, sick, or just stressed out, there are times when we get out of balance. The best way to restore that balance, and keep these problems from cropping up in the first place, is to make simple self-care part of your regular routine. Is Your Body in Balance? Having balance in your body may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about addressing mental health problems, but the imbalance in our bodies absolutely leads to issues like stress and anxiety. One example is how our gut health affects overall well-being. Akkermansia is one “good” bacteria that aid metabolism. Another key bacteria to know is bifidobacteria, which protects your intestinal lining from being damaged by harmful microbes. Understanding the importance of the gut flora can help you decide if there are any foods you should be eating or avoiding. It can also help to use digestive supplements, which not only prevent physical problems but also reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Achieving balance in your body and mind starts with the right diet and supplements, and it also comes from maintaining everyday healthy habits. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating right, along with getting enough sleep and managing stress, may play a role in keeping your immune

2. system strong. We may not think of sleep as a self-care practice, but it is essential for good mental and physical health, yet many of us brush it off as optional. If you don’t get enough sleep, make it a priority, and work on any issues that are keeping you up. Where Do You Focus Your Time? It’s normal these days to go through life focused on what we have to get done, but sometimes, self-care requires us to look at how we spend our time and if it is being used wisely. If you feel stretched thin, you may need to say no at times. When you scale back your commitments, it’s easier to prioritize the things that matter most. Do You Take Time to Relax? If you don’t take time to relax on a regular basis, stress builds up and can lead to mental health problems like anxiety, as well as physical symptoms like chest pain and tension. Taking time to relax and reduce stress should be part of regular self-care that is preventive, not just reactive when you get overwhelmed. If you look at relaxation as something that is expensive or takes a lot of time, you won’t do it. Instead, Shape recommends creating daily rituals that are easy to achieve. These rituals can be anything that relaxes you, such as sipping warm tea, doing a quick workout, or reading a good book. Taking time to relax works even better when you do small things throughout the day, rather than trying to carve out one big chunk of time. How Can You Create Balance in Life? Balance in your body is a start, but self-care also includes creating balance in your day-to-day life. Along with relaxation, are you also making time for the other things that give life meaning? Many of us are trying to achieve that elusive work-life balance. As one contributor to Forbes explains, instead of focusing on achieving perfect balance, we should really work on integrating the different parts of our lives better. The right way to do this varies for everyone, but one key self-care strategy that works for many people is to set boundaries. Setting boundaries as self- care often mean leaving work at work, rather than bringing it home, so you can get enough rest and make time for fun and relaxation. In some cases, self-care is as much about what you don’t do as it is prioritizing the things you should do. The reality is that self-care shouldn’t be just one big thing you do to treat yourself on occasion. True self-care is putting yourself first with small, daily actions that boost your health all around. Blissfully Serene has a wide range of best products for relaxation to help you with your daily self-care. Be Blissful. Be Serene. Photo credit: Pexels