“Your health is your wealth,” said a wise person once. Health, it’s not just physical health. Your mental health is equally important. It’s about being healthy in your mind as well as in your body.
Good mental health practices look like:
Journalling – Get those thoughts out of your head. The most common go to is writing. There’s also talking, drawing, creating in some form.
Affirm – Affirm your worth to yourself constantly. Pick five affirmations that resonate with you and run them as a loop in your head. Count them off on your fingers as you say them. “I am worthy. I am enough. I am kind. I am nice. I am courageous.” Whenever possible say them to yourself as you look in a mirror – while washing your hands is perfect. This is super important because the thoughts you affirm over time will become your default.
Meditate – Meditate or practice mindfulness (awareness of being present) every day. Be still within yourself. Look for your centre.
Good physical health practices look like:
Eating – Eat more nutritious, whole foods that you enjoy. Be balanced. Aim for a rainbow of colours everyday.
Avoid – Avoid stimulants as a habit. Daily consumption, especially by yourself, is an indicator that something is not working. The occasional glass of wine/coffee/G & T on a hot afternoon with friends is fine.
Sleep – Get to bed early enough to manage 8-9 hours of quality sleep every night. Waking up in the middle of the night with your brain racing? That’s stress. Get up. Write it all down. Go back to bed.
Exercise – Move your body in ways that you love everyday. Aim for a minimum of 20 minutes that challenge you physically.
Sunlight – Our human bodies need a minimum of twenty minutes of direct sunlight hitting the back of your eyeballs everyday – that means no sunglasses on – on a bright, sunny day. We need an hour a day on a gloomy overcast day – in snatches of five minutes is okay.
We’ve all heard the saying, “A happy parent makes a happy home.” The time and energy you invest in yourself comes back to you ten fold. It’s not only a gift for you, it’s also a gift for your family.
And the biggest bonus – not only are you treating yourself well, you are also modelling a best self care practise for your kids. Ask yourself, “How do I want my kids to treat themselves when they’re an adult?” The way you treat yourself now is the what your kids will remember and likely continue as adults.
If you want your teenagers to grow into happy adults, you need to show them what that looks like.
Book in here for a one-to-one exploratory call if you’d like to discuss a new direction for your life.