What do you actually do when you have one of those bad days in life? Can you still remember the last time you had a day when things did not went well. When those days come, it feels like you are in your dark days but, it is nice to have a list of self-care ideas for us to feel better. Ideas that will help ourselves not to think negatives thoughts that sometimes becomes the way that turn our bad days into a worst one.
Hello friends! How are you? I’ve been through my ups and downs of life lately this month of June and I’m slowly embracing it. Honestly, it was hard but learning to embrace it as part of my growing process made me realize that it is okay to have bad days and the need to practice a self-care routine will automatically help our minds to know what to do when we are stressed.
Well, according to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Self care is really great for our mental health as it helps you to manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy and even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact. (source) More than that it also helps us to reduce our stresses and depression.
I’ve heard and learned that many of us (especially my classmates) face struggles when it comes to our mental health and may need more to do than our typical self care routines. With that, I would like to share my self-care to-do-list whenever I feel that I am having a bad mental health days. I hope you’ll find this helpful and interesting!
Here’s my self-care activities for a bad mental health days.
Self-Care for Bad Mental Health Days
Mental health has been talked about more recently as people bring awareness to everyone. Especially last month where we celebrated May as the National Mental Health Month where the time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma of so many experiences that sometimes we aren’t aware of. Therefore, many people struggle to address their mental health because they don’t know how.
Few of the things we can do to take care of our mental health could be:
- Getting a lot of sleep
- Eating a balance food and keeping yourself hydrated
- Exercising
- Journaling
- Engaging in self-care activities
…and the list could go on. With that, if you find yourself struggling to take care of your mental health, try using self care.
1. Connect to a friend
Calling a friend or someone whom you are close with may help you feel a lot better after speaking to them. You may want to consider calling your best friend or your accountability sisters just like what I have with my DGroup Sisters in Christ. Having your friends who wants what’s best for you can help you identify things around and will cheer you up if you express your truest thoughts and feelings to them. Try to be more transparent in order for them to help you, to whatever struggles you might be facing alone.
One thing you want to avoid doing is to isolate yourself when you’re having a bad day or not feeling well mentally as this could cost you more than you know. Sometimes, isolating ourselves could lead to unwanted thoughts that cannot help you compose ourselves again.
2. Journal your thoughts
Journaling is another way of what they called Brain Dumpping. It is when you compile yor thoughts and you simply write down all your thoughts and feelings in an innventive way to clear your mind after all those negativity.
3. Listen to soft and relaxing music
Music can actually relate to us whenever or whatever we feel. The best thing is that in this digital age we can accesibly turn on our favourite soft and relaxing music from our phones or other electronic gadgets to help us ease our mind in just a click. Probably for me this is the easies and quick way to change the things of what I feel. For me, I listen to soft worships songs. You may check the link below for my playlist if you are in Spotify or YT Music.
4. Unplug from social media
This is really-really a BIG to-do for myself honestly whenever I feel bad for myself or if I am mentally drained. As social media can be harsh to our mental health as there are so many negative things out there. More than that, it can also occupy a lot of your precious time to do things that could help you build yourself instead of scrolling up and down. So, turn off that device for an hour or two. Put that thing in “DND” mode and just do whatever you need to and reduce your time on social media. For you are a wonderful human being that can also live without social media in life, unless you have an online pressence or business. But, remind yourself that social media doesn’t define your worth.
5. Read uplifting quotes
There are lots of inspirational and beautiful quotes out there that can trigger something within us when we read about them instantly. Honestly, for me I got Pinterest as my place to find quotes like this where I can easily flip through my pin boards whenever I feel in bad mood or just wanted to have some positivity in the day.
6. Do a guided meditation
As the name implies, doing a guided meditation allows you to meditate with a help of a guide. Some of them may help you drum up some memtal energy or may walk you through a series if breathing techniques in order for you to produce a deep state of relaxation and tranquility. Below is one of my guided meditation being usee whenever I feel bad throughout the day.
7. Go for a walk or run around
Honestly, this is my major do-to when I feel that I’m slowly stressing myself or getting into the nerve that I’m experiencing a bad day. Walking and running around can boost our physical and mental health as it doesn’t require any specialized skills to do the said activity, according to Today.com. On which may help us freeing and decompress our minds to refocus things with some positive distractions such as seeing a new scenery, getting some sunlight and fresh air. So, try walking and running around whenever you feel bad about the day. 🙂
8. Watch or read something that could make you laugh or smile
Whenever we watch or reading something that could make us laugh or smile scientifically says that it can boost our mood, help us relax our muscles, can motivate and most of all reduces some stress hormones in our body that is responsible for stress, such as cortisol and epinephrine.[1] There are lots of funny clips and comedy movies online that could help you unleash that saddie face. Smile, love!
9. Do something creative
Engaging in creative activities can actually improve our mental health. It might sound too good to be true, but by simply engaging in creative behaviors (even on a simple coloring trends) improves our brain function, mental well-being, and physical health. Not just that, being creative also helps us reduce our anxiety, depression, and stress. You may want to consider activities such as gardening, sewing, painting, crocheting, creative writing, or just roll that pen on your notes.
10. Say a Prayer
Let go those thoughts to God. Say a prayer or tell things in Him. Some of the things here in earth are the things that we do not have control over. By praying to God may help you ease that burden heart and mind in Him. Here’s my favorite bible verse reminder whenever I feel anxious in life or experiencing some sort of bad days. 🙂
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
Thank you so much for reaching the end of the post. Honestly, we all experience bad days in life as some of it would just hit us really hard. Those days may feel like there’s no escape and can be in cycle but engaging in a self-care activities, I believe will help you feel much better and recover a little bit. It may not be easy but always remember that we are all human being who’s a work in progress. I hope you enjoy and find this self-care tips for your bad mental health be helpful and interesting.
Rosell Jardinico 