This year, on January 28th, will be the 12th iteration of Bell Let’s Talk Day, promoting mental health self-care and wellbeing.
It’s something that millions of people participate in, sharing stories and offering support to those who need to reach out if they are struggling.
I have always enjoyed the campaign since it began. After my dad passed away by suicide and I went through the Post Olympic Crash, it’s always been a top of mind subject for me.
When we speak up about our mental health challenges, we open the door to seek and receive help. At the same time, I always encourage each of us to consider how we can practice The Hero Mindset and accept personal responsibility for our wellbeing.
On January 28th, please continue the conversation around the importance of speaking up for mental health self-care.
While you’re at it, here are five tips to help you focus on your wellbeing so your mental health stays in check.
Prioritize Self-Care
Often when things get busy and you start to feel overwhelmed, one of the first areas you begin to neglect is self-care.
You stop taking time for a good meal. You stop exercising. You start staying up late. You stop seeing your friends.
You stop making time for yourself, basically.
In order to focus on your wellbeing, you have to make self-care a priority in your life just as you do anything else that is important. It’s basically practicing a form of self-love.
Even if it is just 15 minutes in the morning or throughout the day, you need to find a time and a place where you can just be with you.
Perhaps that is going for a walk, reading in bed, making breakfast with headphones on listening to a podcast.
What does self-care look like for you, and how can you prioritize self-care throughout your day?
What does self-care look like for you, and how can you prioritize self-care throughout your day? Share on X(Note: If you are looking for a keynote speaker or workshop to help drive home your wellness initiatives, contact Kevin here!)
Set Boundaries
Now, I have written about this topic several times and it will forever be a staple in helping you focus on your wellbeing.
Unless we learn how to say “No” and create boundaries, we will continue to struggle to turn off work and end up burning out.
One strategy is to practice the “3 P’s: Prepare, Pause, and Practice”. This will help you know what to say in advance when your boundaries are set and give you confidence to stand your ground.
Another strategy is to build in exercise snacks throughout your day. 15 to 20 minute intervals between meetings are boundaries that give you space to move around, get some water, and disconnect while working from home.
In my workshop, Boundaries & Burnout: How to Take Control, I dive deeper into this, but simply put, unless you set boundaries to focus on your wellbeing, there won’t be any wellbeing.
Unless you set boundaries to focus on your wellbeing, there won’t be any wellbeing.
Unless you set boundaries to focus on your wellbeing, there won’t be any wellbeing. Share on XCreate a Routine
Just a few weeks ago, everyone was trying to get back on track after the holidays. Trying to get out of a funk can be hard, and one of the first places to begin is create a new routine.
Routine sets you free.
How?
When you create a routine it frees up space in your mind to focus on something else.
For example, perhaps you want to stop hitting the snooze button in the morning. Developing a morning and evening routine of small things you do before bed or after you wake up help put you on autopilot and save your mental energy for other things, like your wellbeing.
If you have a morning and evening routine (that is healthy!), you free mental energy for things like self-care.
Additionally, as I mentioned above, maybe a 15 minute exercise snack once per day is one routine that helps you throughout the week.
Ask yourself, “What routine do I need to help improve my wellbeing today?”.
Write that down and get started today.
(Note: If you are looking for a keynote speaker or workshop to help drive home your wellness initiatives, contact Kevin here!)
Get Outside
This winter, I am back doing the #75HardChallenge!
Why?
Not because of the fitness gains. I want the routine.
I want the routine of getting outside at least once per day to do a 45-minute workout outside because it helps me focus on my wellbeing and improves my mental health.
During the pandemic, loneliness has been one of the biggest challenges even the healthiest people face, and I have found that not only has the challenge got me outside, but it has given me a reason to invite other people to join me, call a friend while I am out, and disconnect from my device and instead enjoy the world outside.
Getting outside will boost your physical and mental health, especially in the cold winter months.
You can even pick a theme for 2022 which could be “Get outside more”. It always makes me think of a quote I heard years ago which says “You never regret when you do, but you always regret when you don’t.”
Get outside today. You won’t regret it!
Get outside today. You won’t regret it! Share on XTake Things “.1” Step at a Time
If you haven’t heard me speak of it before, when I had to learn how to walk again, it was done by taking things one step at a time.
In the case of focusing on your wellbeing, you can break things down even further to take things .1 step at a time.
When you think about the ‘.1’, what does this mean for you?
For example:
- A “.1” might mean drink 8 glasses of water.
- A “.1” might mean eat three meals today.
- A “.1” might mean go for a 10-minute walk in the morning.
- A “.1” might mean read 10 pages of a book you love.
- A “.1” might mean take a hot bath before bed this evening.
Each example above is a form of self-care to help you focus on your wellbeing.
If we get off track with our wellness, it doesn’t need to be an overhaul to get back on track.
Ask yourself, “What .1 can I focus on today?”.
Start there.
In Conclusion
Focusing on your wellbeing takes time and effort, and if you are trying to recover from burnout, it can be very difficult when it feels like you don’t have the time or space to do so.
However, that’s why we need to keep looking for the small windows where we can focus on ourselves and prioritize self-care to help continue to perform at our best.
Think about which of these five areas you may be needing to focus on the most, and then decide to take action on one item today.
When you create space to focus on your wellbeing, even just for a small window every day, everything else becomes just a little bit easier, and that’s how you become a hero in your own movie.
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Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you succeed:
How to Manage Change Effectively
How to be Patient Managing Change
How to Stay Positive During The Winter
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Whenever you are ready here are the 3 best ways I can help you:
- Get a FREE copy of my autobiography (click here)
- Looking for a speaker for your next event? (Contact Kevin)
Learn more about The Resilience Toolbox Workshop (click here)