Brush your teeth twice a day to prevent plaque buildup, and see a dentist on a regular basis for additional maintenance. It's simply a matter of basic hygiene.
But how often do you take care of your mental health?
Taking around 15 minutes each morning to maintain your mental health, whether you have a specific worry or are just trying to get through your day a little better, is something everyone may benefit from, according to Broderick Sawyer, a clinical psychologist in Louisville, Kentucky.
"It's like brushing your teeth before you need a root canal in terms of mental health," he said.
The hygiene is achieved by reducing cortisol levels, the major stress hormone. A daily stress-relieving activity not only makes you feel better now, but research suggest it may also boost your well-being later in life.
According to study from 2020, elevated cortisol levels can contribute to a variety of physical health issues. Emotional management has also been demonstrated to promote health resilience in older people, according to a 2016 study.
Sawyer has devised a way for maintaining mental health hygiene. He discussed why it should be a part of your daily routine and how to include it.
Sawyer recommends incorporating mental health hygiene into your daily practice as much as possible.
You do, in fact, have 15 minutes.
If you're busy and overwhelmed, setting out 15 minutes in the morning for relaxation may seem like another task to cross off your list. However, Sawyer believes that this inclusion will make the remainder of the list easier to complete.
"It's not that I don't have time," he explained. "You have time for a lot of things." "If we can truly practice mindfulness throughout the day, our mental health will require less of our energy and juice."
Taking the time to clear your mind at the start of the day ensures that the stresses of the day don't add to an already overburdened system.
And, according to Sawyer, if you start the day worried, that is often the baseline you return to throughout the day. You have a calm reference point to which you may return when you start with a clear, relaxed mind.
"Having a mental health hygiene practice is like cleaning your mirror and gazing into it and knowing what is and is not you," Sawyer explained.
He went on to say that knowing what a relaxed baseline feels like and what causes you to drift away from it will help you have compassion for yourself and others who may be nervous or agitated.
"We essentially 'practice feeling joyful' when we perform these things every day," Sawyer explained. "As a result, we can feel more confident in challenging life situations because we've done a good job of sustaining ourselves."
Here's how to include it into your regular routine.
- Experiment with new activities
Experimenting with different hobbies — anything that provides calm and lowers cortisol — is the first step in improving your mental health hygiene, according to Sawyer.
He went on to say, "It's about learning to treat and nourish that inner area with awareness."
To begin, set aside 15 minutes each day in the morning to consciously slow down and focus on your inner well-being. The activities you engage in during that time could be things you already do on a daily basis but have made more soothing, such as sipping your morning coffee slowly while taking a few deep breaths or listening to music you enjoy on your commute, according to Sawyer.
However, he said that switching things up, such as sitting outside, going for a walk, or stretching, could be beneficial.
The essential thing is to keep trying various things until you find something that works for you — and don't give up if it takes a while to see results.
Keep track of how you feel as a result of it.
Journaling is a crucial aspect of the experiment, according to Sawyer.
Making a note of how you felt after trying a new activity in your 15 minutes and throughout the rest of the day will help you figure out what kinds of things work best for you.
Do you feel more relaxed throughout the day? Are you feeling more energised? Are you more capable of dealing with stress? The feeling you're after may shift, but the goal is to establish a baseline that makes you feel better throughout the day.
Journaling can also help you maintain a positive attitude if you don't see the benefits you want from your practice right away, he says.
"You just stumble across those things as a result of your own practice of intuitively trying things out. Then, if they don't work, don't worry about it; just write it down "Sawyer remarked.Be aware of what you require at various times.
Sawyer stated that no single activity will always be effective. Keeping track of what you require in various situations might make a big impact.
"So, if I have a long day ahead of me with a lot of meetings, I might need to be a little more upbeat and upbeat. Because it's a busy writing day, I might need to be more laser-focused. Those are two distinct energies "Sawyer remarked.
He stated that this could mean finishing your 15 minutes with a shot of espresso one day and conducting a concentration meditation the next.Continue to add as needed throughout the day.
After a while, those 15 minutes in the morning might not seem so bad. In fact, you may begin to want mental check-ins at more frequent intervals during the day.
Sawyer recommended doing some low-impact physical activity, such as walking, biking, or yoga, at any time that feels good, but at least three times a week.
If you can, include some time to wind down at the end of the day, shutting off work notifications, walking away from devices, and taking time to decompress, he said.
"Once we locate that tool or set of tools for ourselves, we have to master how to use it," says the author.