When all of my responsibilities fight for my attention all at once, it can be easy to get distracted and neglect taking care of myself. Being busy isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, I love everything that I’m involved in and wouldn’t trade the experiences for the world. However, it’s also important to make sure I’m checking in with myself both mentally and physically.
- Say no to too much
I am a big yes person. I’ll say yes to things left and right. I love hanging out with my friends and getting into our little shenanigans together. However, if I’m stressed and I need a minute to collect myself, I have to say no every once in a while. I know that FOMO is real. I get it, I have it. However, sometimes I have to sacrifice one hangout to make sure I’m not burnt out. The same goes for you. There will be more hangouts and such. Saying no to one to prioritize your mental health is totally valid.
- Go to therapy
I know tha everyone and their mother says to go to therapy. However, hear me out. Even if your life is at its peak and not a thing is going wrong, still go! Sometimes, it feels good to talk to someone outside of situations or to just let all of your feelings flow as they come. There would be times I went into therapy not knowing what I was gonna talk about and ended up unpacking something I didn’t even know I had to talk about.
- Turn off app notifications
I admit, I am someone who finds myself chronically online sometimes. I’m not proud of it, but it happens. I find that social media drains my emotional battery. However, a lot of the people I talk to are long distance and I don’t get to see them in person; so, social media is my only option for communication. So, I found a way to meet myself in the middle. I turned off my Snapchat notifications, but didn’t delete the app. This way, I still have access to my friends, but I’m not tempted to check it everytime I get a notification every 2 seconds.
- Do mini puzzles
I find that doing puzzles such as sudokus, online puzzles, the wordle, and games alike help me to both take my mind off of stressful situations while also keeping my mind occupied. A game that doesn’t take much brainpower but is still enjoyable is my go-to. Between homework assignments, I’ll crunch out a quick puzzle to give my brain something else to focus on. I have found that it works wonders!
- Affirmations!
Sometimes when I’m stressed, I find it super helpful to remind myself why I am here and why I’m capable of hard things. When I am down on myself, I find things to be more mentally exhausting. However, daily affirmations help me prioritize my mental wellbeing in the midst of the stress. Some examples include: “I am here for a reason,” “I’ve made it this far, and I can keep going,” and “I am capable of difficult things.”
I hope these tips help in prioritizing your mental health. Remember to do things that make you feel your best!
