5 Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health

Our mental and emotional health affects everything we do. If we are not in a good place mentally or emotionally, then we can’t fully show up in life.  That’s why it is important to prioritize your mental health.

Many individuals live very busy lives.  This can often cause many to live life reactively instead of proactively.  This means when something happens causing the world to turn upside down, only then do we prioritize things like our health or wellbeing.  However, I encourage you to be proactive in taking care of your mental health instead of reactive.

Here are 5 ways to do just that. 

Prioritize sleep.

Quality sleep is essential to positive mental health.  Most of us know that sleep is important, but we don’t always realize how much it impacts our state of mind and emotions.  Finding ways to get the rest you need will help you better manage life’s challenges.

Connect with others. 

With the emergence of technology, it is easy to feel disconnected from the world around you even if we are more connected than we’ve ever been. Close, healthy relationships with other human beings are a protective factor in maintaining mental health.  Find ways to deepen existing relationships or create new ones.

Exercise. 

Movement and exercise can help to relieve stress and release tension.  It can help you feel more relaxed and increase the release of feel-good hormones like endorphins which can improve your mood.  Moving a little every day helps support your overall health and well-being.

Acknowledge your feelings. 

When we don’t acknowledge how we feel, our thoughts and emotions pile up and increase the risk of coming out in unhealthy ways.  Being aware of how you are feeling and what may be causing you to feel that way can help you to be less reactive when unwanted feelings emerge.  Journaling or writing down your thoughts is a great way to express and get on paper what you are experiencing.

Practice gratitude.  

Our thoughts affect how we feel and how we feel affects how we act.  Often times negative thoughts are hard to manage, but finding ways to reframe them into something positive can be beneficial.  One way of doing this is to express gratitude. Take a moment at the beginning or end of your day to just think of 3 things you are thankful for.

Don’t be afraid to seek help. 

Sometimes our thoughts and feelings are overwhelming, leading us to feel alone in the struggle. You don’t have to struggle alone.  Seeking help from a mental health professional can assist you in discovering ways to manage the challenges and problems you face. It’s okay to not be okay and reaching out for help can be an important step in improving your life.

Prioritizing your mental health can sometimes fall on the back burner.  However, learning ways to be able to prioritize it makes all the difference.

Christy Pennison, LPC-S, is a board-certified professional counselor and owner of Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting. She is a therapist in Alexandria, LA,  who specializes in working with children and adolescents through various mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges.  She is passionate about inspiring hope through counseling to help individuals move forward and live fully.