It is important to take care of our mental health through daily and weekly self-care. There are times in life when we are going to feel overwhelmed whether it’s impending deadlines, a long to-do list, tension with a family member or friend, everyone experiences stress. The response to that stress is what impacts our mental health.

Having healthy practices that reduce stress and enhance our mental well beings can be done through self-care. If you are new to adding self-care to your routine it can be difficult to know where and when to start. So, what is self-care? Self-care refers to activities and practices that you can engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain your short- and long-term health and wellbeing. Below are some ways to incorporate self-care in your daily routines.

Practice gratitude.

Research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Remind yourself of everything you’re thankful for rather than focusing on everything that went wrong.

Take a deep breath.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, a quick way to begin to alleviate those feelings is by doing breathing exercises.

Write it out. 

Writing down why you feel overwhelmed or anxious is another great way to help alleviate those feelings.

Ask for help from your social support network.  

Your social support network is there for you to lean on if you need to talk things through. Reach out to a friend for a virtual chat or pick up the phone and call a family member.

Incorporating self-care strategies can not only provide immediate benefit, but also have a lasting positive effect on overall mental wellbeing. Next time you feel stressed or overwhelm try one the self-care strategies listed above.