4 Simple Reminders to Improve Your Mental Health & Link Up On the Edge #283
Our mental health is an essential component to our overall health and well-being. As such, it is important to periodically check in with yourself to ensure that you are maintaining a proper balance and keeping yourself healthy in all aspects of your life.
If you are feeling like your mental health could use a little boost but you are not sure how to go about it, these four simple reminders are all you really need to get started. And all of them are free and can be done at home!
1. Reach Out/Stay Connected
If you are experiencing episodes of depression or anxiety, it is a natural inclination to isolate yourself away from others. But too much isolation, even if self-imposed, can transition into downright loneliness which will further exacerbate an already low mood.
Too much time spent in solitude can also lead to racing thoughts. Without an outside perspective to keep you grounded, you can sink deeper into your depressed reality. If you have been struggling with unstable or depressed moods, speak with your GP about options in talk therapy, or you can even reach out to a trusted friend. Talking it out with any understanding and compassionate person will quickly begin to alleviate some of the anxiety that comes along with any mental health struggle.
2. Fresh Air
Research has shown that being outdoors for up to 15 minutes a day can vastly improve your mood. When you are feeling down or the weather is just too unsavory, stepping outside may feel like the last thing that you want to do. However, fresh air and getting just one step closer to nature can have an immediate effect in relieving stress or anxiety. Studies have also shown that being in closer proximity to nature can also help mitigate symptoms of depression. Fresh air is a natural mood booster.
3. Read for Inspiration
If you need inspiration for making small changes in your life that deliver a positive impact, you can begin by reading a self development blog. Websites that focus on healthy living and self improvement are great resources that can inspire you and help boost your mood and shift your perspective.
4. Exercise
It is common knowledge that daily exercise brings a host of benefits to your life. A regular exercise routine keeps both the mind and body healthy for maximum daily performance. Studies have indicated that five 30 minute sessions of exercise per week is ideal for improving overall health. When the weather permits, taking your exercise outdoors adds the extra benefit of fresh air and sunlight.
If you do not already have a regular exercise routine, it is important to start slow with low impact exercises to avoid the risk of injury. You may also want to consult with your doctor before adding any type of new exercises especially if you have been sedentary for an extended period of time. Personal trainers are also a valuable resource for helping you to curate the best exercise routine for your needs such as a low impact push workout for maximum muscle building and toning.
When you are dreading exercise, keep in mind that it is the quickest, most natural way to boost your endorphins. Endorphins are a group of peptide hormones produced by the body to relieve pain and reduce stress. They are the “feel good” hormones and we can tap into them just by getting up and moving a bit.
Adopting healthier lifestyle habits really does have a direct impact on your mood and your overall health. As you travel your personal journey of self improvement, remember to also grant yourself some grace if you occasionally resort to an old comfortable not-so-healthy habit. And then get back on track to your beautiful life.
What types of routines do you implement to maintain a healthy life balance?
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Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Dress and Socks-Target / Poncho-Gift from my friend Sheryl / Shirt and Leggings-Old Navy / Boots-ShoeDazzle / Scarf-Torrid / Hat and Gloves-Wona Trading / Earrings-Anjolee
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
40 Comments
Maureen
These are great tips Shelbee and I couldn’t agree more that it is very important to check in with ourselves periodically. Exercise for me has been such a life saver. Not only does it make me feel stronger and calmer but it truly is one of my stress relievers. I love that it helps clear my mind like no other and I am able to think better. Your outfit is so cute and cozy! Love your boots and hooded poncho! Wishing you a great weekend ahead.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Maureen! I hear you about the exercise bit. I hated exercise for so many years and just wouldn’t do it even though I knew the radical benefits it would offer. It wasn’t until this pandemic that I really started focusing on how beneficial it is. Yoga has saved me in so many ways the past two years….both mentally and physically. It really is all tied together, too. Your body can’t feel well if your mind is unwell and your mind cannot be well if your body is unwell. They have to both be in tip top shape for the best type of living! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! We are getting hit with a giant snow and ice storm right now!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
These are great reminders! Getting outside always clears my head and when I’m consistent with exercise, I just feel better in general! Have a great weekend!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jill! I have gotten to the point with my daily yoga where I approach it the same way as I do sleep. My body needs it everyday to be at maximum performance. And the days when I don’t get it in, my body lets me know by feeling kind of crummy! I hope you have a magnificent weekend as well, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Oh yes, yes, yes– all of these!! I find with good company, lots of fresh air, some good books, and exercise I can get through just about anyhting.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Me, too, Joanne! It is the perfect recipe for survival of most things! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Rosemary Davis
So many great insights, Shelbee!
Thanks for sharing with us.
Fresh air and exercise are key mood enchanters for me…I always feel better after time spent in nature.
Rosemary
http://www.DistinctlySouthernStyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Rosemary! A blast of fresh air after being cooped up indoors all winter long really is like a breath of new life, isn’t it? I just love the sensation of that natural high! I hope you have the most wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Exercise and being out in nature always works for me! Getting the wind through my head! Have a great weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It is so good for the soul and what is good for the soul is good for all the other parts of us! Happy weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
100% agree with all of these!
Jennifer
https://www.curatedbyjennifer.com/daily-habits-for-more-energy/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jennifer! Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carol
Good tips to remember for preserving our mental health! You look great in the gray sweater dress, too. Thank you for hosting the link-up.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carol. I lived too many years off-balance. I am so glad to share these little reminders as we all could benefit from them including myself. I hope you have a blessed weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
Good tips for staying well Shelbee, especially relevent post duing the winter and with the pandemic. Love all of your textured layeres in varying shades or red and grey in this outdoor outfit-the beanie is adorable! All that snow OMG! Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for the link up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Di! I need my cozy layers as you can clearly see! I woke up this morning to a flooded basement because it has been so warm this week all the snow melted with no where to go. And now we have a snow day from about 6 inches of ice and snow which is stopping soon to be followed by a lake effect storm tomorrow that is threatening another 6-10 inches. I cannot wait to drive south in a few days! Have a fabulous weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
Exercise helps me so much with my mental health. I really feel it when I skip a while. These are all great reminders!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Laura! If I skip yoga, I feel it immediately the next day through my entire being! I have started viewing daily exercise as necessary as sleep and food and water! I just feel better when I treat my body better.
xoxo
Shelbee
jess jannenga
I am someone that just does not like the Winter months. It certainly is better here in NC than Pittsburgh, but I find the bareness and darkness tough to deal with sometimes. I am self motivated with exercise, so I really look forward to my daily workout. It does make you feel better! Cuddling with puppies helps too! 🙂 These are all great tips, being outside gives me a boost too.
Your outfit- I love! I am all for cozy knits and sweater dresses. Love the plaid too! Wow, lots of snow!
Enjoy your weekend!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jess! I am the same as you in the winter. The shorter days and the barren trees and everything is covered in snow here….it all brings me down. I have stopped calling it winter blues though and have decided to embrace winter simply as my hibernation/rest season. Not all animal species hibernate, but some do…just as not all humans hibernate, but I do! And cozy clothes are best for hibernation season! This dress is so warm and soft that I had to buy it in both colors available! Have a great weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
I don’t know how you manage to make a snowy day look so inviting! I think staying connected is so vital, and the Internet has been a truly magical invention in that regard. We can make new friends, easily stay connected with the old ones, and even find your perfect mate.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hahaha, Michelle, I think I make it look inviting because I am always laughing in the snow. It’s my only coping mechanism to stay warm! I agree with you about the internet. Even with all of its evils, it really is an extraordinary blessing and I am so grateful for it especially now! It makes me laugh though when people say social media isn’t “real life”. It is so perfectly real that it’s frightening.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lauren Renee Sparks
Top notch tips! Here’s wishing you good mental health!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Lauren! Wishing good mental health to you and everyone else, my friend! Have a blessed weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Tricia
Thanks for the reminder! It’s so true. Got to make an effort not to feel isolated. Went to lunch with a friend today. Tried to listen as much as I talked. Ha! Hope she’ll go out w/ me again. 😯 Weather is all over the place in Virginia. Hope you enjoy your upcoming road trip 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tricia! I love that you tried to listen as much as you talked! Isn’t it funny when you have been isolated for a while how much you need to say when you finally have someone to listen? Being a chatterbox is a good release sometimes! The weather up here in NY has been equally erratic. We just had a few days of warm weather that melted the mountains of ice, causing flooding. Then it all froze and we had a storm yesterday with about 4 inches of snow. We cleared that away and today there is another 8-12 inches forecasted. Ugh. I cannot wait to head south for a few days! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
We are made for human interaction…that’s what’s been so tough the last couple of years. The only human I’m constantly interacting with is Nigel…and I’ve been interacting with him for 46 years!!! Seriously, I’ve begun visiting a 90 year old friend who makes me laugh until I snort! She makes my day! Exercise, really, Shelbee? I hate exercise, but I do it…and I know you’re right…that was sarcasm!!
Thanks for the link up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Marsha, I agree with you completely! But how great that you have a friend who makes you laugh until you snort! I always told Jeff if you can make me laugh, you’ll have me forever! And he is still making me laugh 14 years later…I hope that continues forever or at least 40 more years….forever is a really long time and none of us ever make it quite that far, do we? Haha.
Okay, so I hated exercise for at least the first 25 years after graduating from college. I was an athlete all through my childhood and college years and I was so burnt out from exercise by the age of 22 that I stopped completely…until last year! Now I view exercise as necessary as sleep and food to keep me feeling my best. It makes me enjoy the exercise more when I categorize with two other things that I love…sleep and food!
I hope you have a lovely weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ayesha Ayub
You are absolutely right. Whenever i am feeling low i simply get out, spend some time with nature like watching sunset from my balcony or have little walk and that work like a magic.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ayesha, thanks so much for sharing your self care tips! A little bit of outdoors is so good for the soul, isn’t it?! I hope you have an amazing weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Grace
That hat is too cute. And these are some great tips! Exercising always works wonders for me. Sometimes I find myself getting sad or antsy in the winter time, and then I realize it’s because I haven’t been outside exercising enough! Thanks for sharing and hope you have a great weekend.
Miles of smiles,
Grace
gracefulrags.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Grace! I immediately turn to yoga when I start getting that antsy agitated feeling. I think any kind of exercise that forces us to focus in on our bodies is great for our minds! And a zap of fresh air in the winter time is like one of the most amazing rushes of goodness, isn’t it?! I hope you are enjoying the weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
These are such great tips Shelbee! Running works wonders for my mood, I feel totally rejuvenated afterwards, even if it’s on a treadmill. Just having that time without other distractions is so important.
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Emma! Yoga does that for me. The uninterrupted quiet time to focus completely on my body and mind is wonderful for my soul!
xoxo
Shelbee
Chickenruby
You’re making me feel cold. Love the look of the snow, but the reality isn’t alwasy the same as the expectations. Keeping talking is always good, sometimes it can be hard to find the right person to talk to though. Walking the dog and getting outside for me keeps me happy.
Thanks for linking with #pocolo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I always feel cold, Suzanne! Haha. I guess that’s the price of living in perpetual winter. Oh, I totally understand the struggle of finding the right person to talk to. If you choose the wrong person, you can end up in a worse place than if you had just walked the dog!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Thanks so much for this. I need these reminders so very much. Might turn into a lesson for my students.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks, Patrick! They are good reminders for me, too. And easy things for anyone to do to maintain a healthy balance. I would love to hear how the lesson turns out if you go that route!
xoxo
Shelbee
Stephanie 139a
Thanks for joining us at #PoCoLo – good advice here, but oh the snow!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Stephanie! There is another snow storm upon us but I escaped for the week to a much warmer place!
xoxo
Shelbee