5 Practical Tips to Manage Your Mental Health

For our holistic well-being, it’s crucial to approach our mental health the same way. We can proactively engage in preventive care – daily measures we incorporate to our routine to keep us at peace and and in-tine with ourselves – and preventive care as we seek help towards healing and recovery.

Identifying difficult emotions

There’s power in putting a name to our emotions. However fleeting, it’s important for us to acknowledge what causes us stress, anxiety, anger, and more. Tracking and making ourselves fully aware of your triggers may help you deal with these emotions or situations when you encounter them in life.

Red Light, Green Light

This technique is for flagging how we’re doing inside. Like a traffic light, we give ourselves colors to identify if we’re doing good (Green), dong bad (Red), or somewhere in between (Yellow). This informs us where we’re at mentally, and hopefully will allow us to intervene  and recharge before things get too difficult.

Wheel of Emotions

This is a technique to use when we’re feeling complicated emotions that we cannot pinpoint ourselves. By starting with an overall keyword at the center, we follow the wheel outward to more specific words that express our emotions. Once we know exactly what we’re feeling, the path to seeking comfort and solutions becomes easier to find.

The Power of Journaling

Beyond our to-do lists and meeting notes, journaling for our sake and no one else’s can help. In line with the previous tip, tracking yoru emotions in certain situations would help in understanding your mental wel-being.

The self-reflection that comes with writing down or even voice-recording what we’re feeling, how our day is going, and what is bothering us has proven to have therapeutic benefits. Make sure to allocate at least half an hour in your daily bustling routine to process, meditate, and reflect on the day’s emotions and experiences.

Understandably, it may be difficult to start journaling when you don’t know what to write about. A great way to begin is searching for prompt questions to answer consistently.

1. Describe your day.
2. What are you most grateful for?
3. What was the most difficult thing you did today?
4. What made you feel most inspired today?
5. If you could change something about your life today, what would it be?

Mind-Body Connection

Many of us have heard of exercise as a way to manage good mental health. To get a better understanding of its effect, the focus of these exercises is on mind-body connection. When we pause our minds from thinking (or sometimes, overthinking) and focus on our breathing and movement, we are allowing it to rest.

Yoga is one way to practice mind-body connection, but other somatic exercises such as breathing techniques (pursed lip breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, or 4-7-8), head-to-toe body scans, posture exercises and stretches can do the trick!

Mental Health Consultations

Booking a mental health consultation for the first time may be scary, but knowing what to expect may reduce some of the pressure.

• First thing to note is that your therapist or counselor will create a safe space – a supportive environment where you can openly express your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
• You may start with sharing what you want to talk about or how you’ve been feeling.
• It’s also great but not required to share what you hope to achieve from the session.
• Remember that it’s totally okay if you don’t come in with a fully-formed thought because you can process and figure it out together.
• Based on what you share and what you want to get out of the session, the doctor may explain certain approaches or techniques that you can take with you in your daily life.

Hive Health offers mental health coverage with a hassle-free booking experience.

‍

Finding Structure in Your Day

Discover the importance of structuring your day for mental well-being. Explore strategies for setting routines, maintaining a health work-life balance, and incorporating self-care rituals daily.