I struggled for a long time understanding what taking care of your mental health looked like.
Something that helped me was thinking about it like this.
Just like we go to the gym for our physical health, we can make time to go to the mental gym.
Options
For your physical health, you have options like lifting weights, yoga, running, etc. and you pick the thing that feels good to you.
For your mental health, you have options that help you check in like journaling, therapy, a walk, or sitting quietly with your coffee. You can pick which one of those feels good to you.
Planning a Time
When you’re planning your physical workouts, you have an idea of when is the best time to workout based on your schedule and when you have the energy to do it.
For your mental health, you can do the same thing. You can plan a time you’re going to check in with yourself based on your schedule and when you want to slow down.
Consistency
For your physical health, you have seen that you get stronger and healthier the more consistently you workout. You aren’t just strong automatically after 1 workout.
For your mental health, the same thing happens. The more consistently you make time and be intentional about showing up for your mental health, the stronger it becomes.
–
Just like the physical gym, the mental gym routine starts when we simplify the task, make a plan, and start taking action.
