Continuing from last week’s series about self-care, we focus on Mental Self Care this week.
Self- care is a buzzword that is heavily used in the media and health and wellness circles. The basic concept requires taking time to slow down and care for yourself, but it goes a bit deeper than that.
As modern women, we tend to juggle a lot of responsibilities and often find ourselves stressed, worn out and physically drained. We unknowingly take on so many tasks without thinking about mental health. The pressure to continuously be switched on and busy has driven has put our health and wellbeing last whilst we continue to care for those around us.
For most of us, there are very few circumstances which can be compared to the severity of an in-flight emergency so it’s not hard to keep putting off self-care- until we find ourselves extremely sick or are completely depleted of all energy. This is when a lot of women realise that they haven’t been getting the oxygen we need to sustain ourselves. Suddenly it is clear that self-care is not selfish but is an extremely practical and important aspect of our lives.
Another concept people don’t think about when it comes to mental self-care is taking care of our environment, the environment that we live in and the environment that we are surrounded by. This means the people in our circle. People all give off energy and it vibrates off of each other. It is important to keep the mind balanced. Our mind can be divided into imminent and transcendent minds. We are stressed or resentful or experience infatuation, our imminent mind is at work.
We should also understand the biology behind strong emotions. The amygdala or ‘hindbrain’ can take-over our ability to think rationally. This activates the fight or flight response. When we are triggered by external stressors, we react in ways we normally wouldn’t. Our cortisol goes up, our blood sugar is imbalanced, we find ourselves judging and criticising and we don’t have inspired vision. We lose our focus and are not at our best. Working women, especially powerhouse women in business and entrepreneurs often find themselves in stressful situations so when we are aware of what the mind is doing, we can handle the situation differently. When our mind is balanced, we see things as they are as we feel more authentic and grounded.
When we look after our mental health, we:
Are more calm, balanced and resilient.
Can face external stressors better.
Have a clear idea of what is happening to us and not for us.
Don’t use language based on perception (less judgment and criticism)
What are some ways of improving your mental health?
Practice mindfulness: When we practice mindfulness, we allow ourselves to slow down and connect with our authentic self. This is the habit of being fully present at the moment—noticing your thoughts and letting them go, minus any judgment—can help you make the most of your self-care practices. When you make this shift in your mindset, the benefits of your self-care routine will be magnified, and you'll see a boost in your mood as well.
Surround ourselves with a positive group: have nurturing relationships. As humans, we are social creatures and require an array of social relations to thrive. When we are deprived of these connections, our brains shrink. strong relationships help to stimulate positive emotions. Without this, we find ourselves stressed. Set out sometime every day to connect with your friends, peers and to share your deepest thoughts with those closest to you.
As strong modern women, we have a lot on our plates. When we learn to make self-care a priority, every aspect of our lives becomes more pleasant. We will become more creative in our work and enjoy stronger bonds with the people closest to us. Life becomes enjoyable because we won't feel that overpowering sense of exhaustion that occurs when we put other’s needs before our own. Take the time to honour your own needs today, and you will find balance in your life.
When we practice self-care holistically and consistently every single day. And it becomes a habit. Amara Wellness Centre offers a diverse range of wellness programs specifically tailored to nourish mindful self-care practices. Our programs encourage modern women to have vitality, to thrive geometrically and bloom from within.
Keen to enjoy mindful self-care practices? Give us a call to find out what we offer!