Our first priority as parents is ensuring that our kids have everything they need right here and now. If they’re smiling, healthy, and all-around enjoying life, then we can sleep easy. However, it’s always important to ensure that we spend at least some time thinking about their future, too. If your kids are happy when they become adults, then you’ll have done a supremely good job. It’s all we want for our families, after all! While there are no guarantees for future happiness, there are some things that’ll definitely push them in the right direction. While there are a whole host of child psychology books out there, in this post we’ll take a look at a few easily achievable things that are good to teach your kids.
Image Credit: Chenspec from Pixabay.
Do you know how to look after your mental health? Some of the obvious ways may pop into your mind, including:
Practicing self-care.
Doing things you enjoy.
Seeing a therapist or taking medication, as needed.
These can all be simple effective ways to look after yourself. However sometimes a little bit more is needed. Getting yourself into good routines is a great starting point. But if you are feeling especially low then doing things to distract yourself can also be really helpful. Things such as, taking a walk, listening to music, doing some exercise, having a glass of water or even practising meditation have all been successful for me. Some things require more attention and I have noticed three areas which can have a big impact on mental health and would like to look at them a little deeper.
1. Look After Your Body
Looking after your body helps with your mental health more than you’d think. Eating right and exercising aren’t the only ways you can do this.
There are several ways to do so, including:
Getting enough sleep.
Drinking enough water.
Avoiding smoking/drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
These are basics for mental health, making sure the body is working optimally helps the brain to work optimally. However sometimes no matter how much effort we put into our physical health some people can still have issues with this. For example with the link between body dysmorphia and plastic surgery . Body image can be a very detrimental factor when it comes to mental health as our expectations don't always live up to reality or societies standards. To help this I would limit social media and really focus on the goodness your body provides you. I myself having had three children can now appreciate my stretch marks a little more as they have provided me with such a gift.
2. Break Up Monotony
Having a routine can often be recommended. It can make you feel safe and secure. It can also lead to monotony, however.
Over time, this can impact your mental health. While you should still have a routine in place, you should aim to break up the monotony.
Plan things spontaneously. These can be one-offs or something that you decide to do relatively regularly. More than making plans spontaneously though, just make plans. Make sur you always have something in your diary that you can look forward to and enjoy.
You wouldn’t need to go too extravagant with these plans either. Instead, the focus should be on something that makes you feel happy, it could be as simple as a solo coffee date or a meal out with friends..
It’ll not only improve your mood, but help relieve any boredom or complacency you may be feeling.
3. Set Realistic Goals
Many peoples’ mental health can suffer because they feel as though they’re not accomplishing anything in their life. That could be financially, academically, professionally, and more.
Setting goals for yourself can help with this. If you already have these, then making sure they’re realistic is vital.
Should they not be realistic, then you might find it hard to achieve or or near impossible to achieve them, which can negatively impact your mental health. Adjusting your goals and putting a plan in place to achieve them is highly recommended.
Not only will this help your mental health, but you’ll be better able to achieve your goals. It could be worth having an overall aim broken down into smaller easier to achieve steps. Small and steady will help you to achieve your goals.
Though that could mean taking more time to achieve them, your mental health will be better for it.
How To Look After Your Mental Health: Wrapping Up
Figuring out how to look after your mental health can be overwhelming. It doesn’t need to be as difficult or complex as you’d expect. You have multiple options available and hopefully this article can act as a starting point. Determining what works for you can take time, although it’s more than worth spending time on it. Your mental health is key to your happiness so it is about time you started investing in it.
Hi everyone,
I am currently on summer holidays and really enjoying time out from blogging and work in general. I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed and destressed. I recently got back from a holiday to Ibiza for my 30th Birthday which you may have seen on my Instagram (there is a stories highlight on my profile if you want to catch up) and it was my first holiday away from the kids, it has been over 5 years since I've been on holiday without them. They say travelling is good for the soul and this trip really was. I had time to myself and time to think without being interrupted. My thoughts were allowed to wander, to work themselves out, to understand. And this is how I have come to this post today.
I came to the realisation that the last decade had been quite a crazy one. I almost felt like I had lived a lifetime in 10 years, graduating, getting engaged and married, having my first baby, buying my first house, having my second baby, buying my second house. I realised I had been doing a lot of chasing, trying to reach goals, always wanting more, always trying to achieve more. But now it is finally time to accept. Accept what I have, what I have achieved and to be satisfied with it.
Acceptance is so important, just being able to go yes I am where I am and that is ok can change everything. I think social media makes it very hard to accept our lives. We are constantly watching people with lives that are so much more luxurious than ours, that it sometimes becomes a bit of a normality. It can be a good thing as it makes us ambitious, working harder to earn a bit more money to buy that designer handbag, or in my case coffee table. I'm obsessed with home interiors at the moment, especially since I moved house. My Pinterest account is full of ideas. But anyway, it can also be a bad thing as sometimes some of these ambitions might be unrealistic which can in turn make us unhappy with what we are unable to achieve. Accepting where I am and not knowing what the future holds feels good for once.
I've learnt to accept people change. I am at a different place now with what I want. Things that made me happy a few years ago, no longer mean anything to me, relationships I had, no longer mean anything to me. Accept not everyone is going to be genuine and on your side. One thing I have learnt is it is important to make and break relationships, especially toxic ones, or even ones with people who just don't do anything for you. Relationships are all about give and take so don't be afraid to end relationships where it is all take.
Relationships take so much more work when you get older. Life gets busy, you need to make more time to see those family and friends who are important to you, I lost two friends last year one very suddenly and the other to a long term illness, but it taught me to really value those people who mean something to me and make time for those relationships. It's so easy when we are younger to see your friends and family all the time. But in the real world relationships become so much harder. So if you are in my life at the moment, it's because I genuinely value you and love you.
I've learnt to accept people change. I am at a different place now with what I want. Things that made me happy a few years ago, no longer mean anything to me, relationships I had, no longer mean anything to me. Accept not everyone is going to be genuine and on your side. One thing I have learnt is it is important to make and break relationships, especially toxic ones, or even ones with people who just don't do anything for you. Relationships are all about give and take so don't be afraid to end relationships where it is all take.
Relationships take so much more work when you get older. Life gets busy, you need to make more time to see those family and friends who are important to you, I lost two friends last year one very suddenly and the other to a long term illness, but it taught me to really value those people who mean something to me and make time for those relationships. It's so easy when we are younger to see your friends and family all the time. But in the real world relationships become so much harder. So if you are in my life at the moment, it's because I genuinely value you and love you.
I have honestly learnt to accept myself, love myself and my flaws. I don't care as much for my appearance anymore, I'm so much more interested in being a good role model for my girls. Showing them it's ok to be completely natural and still own it and be confident. Don't get me wrong, I still love to get my glam on as you can tell from my Instagram, but it just doesn't matter as much anymore. I think finally at the age of 30 I am learning to love my natural curls, although it is always a love hate relationship as they have a split personality.
Accepting yourself and loving yourself is really hard but essential for happiness and maybe with age mentality changes a little. Accept not everyone will like you, I care less about what others think about me now and more about what I think about myself. People will always judge and there is no point putting energy into things you can't control. Since I have started thinking a little more selfishly for myself and my family, I have genuinely become happier.
I have also accepted not everything has to go to plan as there is a bigger plan and bigger picture. So I go with the flow a little more and have learnt to be a little more spontaneous. I have got so much more I want to achieve in life, charity work, write a book, start my own business, maybe more kids? Ahhhhhh. I said MAYBE. But what I know is I have achieved so much already. By the age of 30 I am married, have two babies and have bought my second home and have my shit together - kind of. But for once I am owning it. I am not chasing anything. I have everything I need, I am grateful and I accept it. Thank God.
Amina xx
Accepting yourself and loving yourself is really hard but essential for happiness and maybe with age mentality changes a little. Accept not everyone will like you, I care less about what others think about me now and more about what I think about myself. People will always judge and there is no point putting energy into things you can't control. Since I have started thinking a little more selfishly for myself and my family, I have genuinely become happier.
I have also accepted not everything has to go to plan as there is a bigger plan and bigger picture. So I go with the flow a little more and have learnt to be a little more spontaneous. I have got so much more I want to achieve in life, charity work, write a book, start my own business, maybe more kids? Ahhhhhh. I said MAYBE. But what I know is I have achieved so much already. By the age of 30 I am married, have two babies and have bought my second home and have my shit together - kind of. But for once I am owning it. I am not chasing anything. I have everything I need, I am grateful and I accept it. Thank God.
Amina xx
Hey Guys,
This week I've got something a little different for you and a bit of food for thought. How many of you go through your everyday only interacting with people you know or have been introduced to? How many of you feel nervous to strike up new conversations or even smile at others in your community? I for one can say I am guilty of both of these. Social media has made it so much easier for us to be less social with those around us but instead focus our efforts on dialogue online. Permission to Smile is an initiative that has started in Birmingham encouraging people to come together as a community and simply interact more with one another.
When I was contacted by Martin Graham, one of the founders of the initiative, and made aware of the campaign, something struck a chord with me. What's better than society and communities working together to benefit everyone? Whether it be by having a conversation with some one who is feeling isolated, or going shopping for someone who might be struggling to get outdoors. Working together works out for everyone, but it starts by communicating, and a smile is just that. It is the initial communication to say I am warm, open and welcoming.
Only a month ago I had been battling and supporting to save my local children's centre for this exact reason. It was the one thing that had given me support when I had had my first child. Meeting other like minded people from my area gave me a sense of belonging and togetherness. It gave me so much happiness to know other people from my area with kids my age and to know we could be there for each other if we needed. I then began to think about what life would be like if I didn't have service like this. It made me realise we can't rely on the council of such services anymore as cuts are being made everyday and we need to take action ourselves.
This is where we come in. How can we take part? Well, firstly by doing exactly what it says, in every day life there is no harm in smiling! We tend to walk around avoiding eye contact with people just in case the worst happens.... a conversation starts! So simply just smile, or say hello. It could make someones day. Permission to Smile have also set up a crowd funding page in order to get the word out there and hopefully launch an app where people who live local to one another can meet up and start engaging with one another, it is also hopefully going to become a school programme and introduced into school lessons. You can donate here. The website is due to launch on the 12th May with a event in the city centre to celebrate.
So if you are in Birmingham why not show some support, but no matter where you are you have permission to smile! Being nice doesn't cost a thing, so if there is one thing you can take from this post it should be that!
Amina xx
