This is a particularly overwhelming time. Many of us are feeling anxiety, stress, and depression and the pandemic didn’t help. Fortunately, thanks to greater awareness and education, prioritizing mental health for many women ranks as their top priority in life. Now is the time to make your mental health a priority.
How Can You Prioritize Your Mental Health?
1) Try to Take Care of Yourself Everyday.
While schools and employers are embracing work and study from home, it doesn’t mean you should be on your devices all day. Set boundaries for yourself by prioritizing time for you.
Exercising is a great way to focus on taking care of yourself and has numerous other benefits to mental health such as improved quality of sleep. Exercise can be taking advantage of the many outdoor activities Colorado has to offer, taking a yoga or group fitness class, or simply enjoying a walk around the neighborhood.
2) Digital Detox
It’s no secret that connecting to social media and digital devices everyday and often throughout the day leads to heightened anxiety, feelings that we must achieve more, FOMO (fear of missing out), and impacts our self-esteem. If you find yourself reaching for your phone when waiting in lines, stopping at traffic lights, walking down the street, sitting on your couch, waiting for meetings, classes or picking up a child from school then it’s likely time for a digital detox. At the very least it’s time to put the phone away from arms reach and become more mindful in the moment. Turning off app notifications on your phone is a must because they are only there to draw you back into screen time.
When digital detoxing, practicing mindfulness with breathing exercises can help you return to the present moment rather than focusing on the future. If you enjoy your morning coffee or tea, how about taking a deep breath in to smell the aroma before that first sip. Returning to the present is the goal of a digital detox.
3) Personal Time Off
It’s okay to not be okay and it’s okay to take personal time off. Your managers and supervisors want you to be at your best. If you need to take time off for yourself, it’s okay. It’s not a badge of honor to go through the year without taking your vacation, sick and PTO (personal time off) days. You have a right to take time to focus on yourself. Check your employee handbook and if you work for a larger organization know your federal labor rights.
It’s not a weakness to take mental health breaks. Do you take time off if you have a fever or dental appointment? Then you should consider time off for mental health.
4) Support through Therapy
The value of finding a therapist who listens and supports you through the challenges you face cannot be understated. Finding a therapist that you can talk with authentically and honestly about how you are feeling prioritizes your wellbeing.
At the Colorado Women’s Center your therapist may help you gain a better awareness of your emotions and identify the triggers and obstacles that influence mental health. Sessions with your therapist can help you cope with stress, anxiety, insecurities, process trauma, discuss life events, break unhealthy habits and enable a stronger sense of self that leads to a healthier state of mind and more empowered path forward in life.
If you are ready to live life fully and unapologetically, Colorado Women’s Center is the place for you! We are deeply passionate about helping women of all ages thrive. We are committed to your healing, and your growth. And, we have the experience and knowledge to guide you to a better you! Schedule your first session today.