(BPT) - A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body when it comes to achieving and maintaining wellness. Yet in the midst of navigating a global pandemic, while still having to juggle work deadlines and family obligations, it can be all too easy to neglect our mental health.
October 10, as it has been every year since 1992, is World Mental Health Day. Established to educate, raise awareness of and reduce social stigma around the subject of mental health, the annually observed day is also a great time for all of us to consider our own mental wellness and what we can do to improve it. Here are four simple ways to reset, recharge and bring a sense of balance to our busy lives.
Take time out to treat yourself to an extra dose of self-care with these easy, mood-boosting activities, and to take care of your mental well-being. Also, World Mental Health Day presents a golden opportunity for all of us to come together and support one another by sharing our journeys. Here are some suggestions for fostering a greater connection with yourself and creating a stronger sense of community.
Get in Touch with Nature. Spending time in nature offers myriad mental health benefits — and it’s completely free. Go for a quick walk outside and feel your stress levels go down as you bask in the glorious sunshine and let the fresh air enter your lungs. Being outdoors in the natural light can lift your mood no matter the time of year, and the physical activity will do wonders for both body and mind.
You can also bring nature into the home and try your hand at some indoor gardening. All you need is a nice, sunny spot with good ventilation and a few tips on how to get started — which are easy to find on the internet nowadays. Sustainability blogger and YouTuber Immy Lucas has great advice to offer on growing your own food, which she shares along with some delicious plant-based recipes in a new short film.
Do Something Creative. A creative hobby can help take your mind off the stresses of everyday life, and boost your confidence through the satisfying act of making something yourself. Hand-crafts like knitting and crochet let you apply and improve your own skills while producing practical items such as beanies and sweaters, or endearing keepsakes like teddy bears or Christmas decorations. If you don’t have any resources at hand, you can easily buy a DIY kit for a fun sewing or hand-tufting project.
Dancing to a catchy beat can also help lift your mood and ease anxiety. Plus, it’s an activity that’s even more fun when you share it with others; the combination of movement and music is a time-tested way to feel good and spread positivity. Join a dance class or showcase your moves online on popular platforms like TikTok. There are always a lot of fun, easy challenges, like LG’s Life’s Good global dance challenge, that anyone can join in and dance along to.
Reconnect with Loved Ones. Connecting with others and forming lasting social bonds is important for everyone’s mental well-being. In those times when we feel emotionally fragile, it’s so often the affection of friends and family that help to get us through. Stay in touch with the people you care for by writing a letter, crafting an email or just picking up the phone and making a quick call.
An even better way to catch up is to organize an in-person get-together, such as a barbecue cookout, or a picnic in the park. You’ll enjoy the company of those you love and hold dear, and come away with shared memories that you can reminisce and laugh about for years to come.
Perform an Act of Kindness. Helping someone in need not only uplifts and empowers them, but makes us feel good as well. Performing an act of kindness can help give you a sense of purpose and increase your connection with, and empathy for, those around you. Paying it forward also encourages others to do their part, forming a chain of ‘kind acts’ that can end up impacting the whole community in the most positive of ways.
Giving to a charity devoted to assisting those with mental health issues — or any worthy cause — is also an excellent way to practice kindness to others. Sign up at a local volunteer group to help out, or make a cash donation. You could also take action as a conscious consumer — companies like LG Russia and Rare Beauty have launched donation drives to support the wellness of the entire community. LG Russia’s annual blood donation also saw a fantastic turnout by the younger generations of Moscow and Rostov, who united as one to give selflessly in support of the nation’s blood banks. Rare Beauty’s Mental Health 101 campaign raised a hefty sum, providing mental-health resources to teens.
However you choose to mark World Mental Health Day, and whatever chores and tasks you need to get done, make sure to be kind to yourself and to those around you.
