5 Daily To-Dos Just in Time for Mental Health Awareness Month

You’ve probably heard that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which means we’re focusing on two things: 1)  raising awareness about mental health, and 2) taking a look in the mirror.

Mental health, just like physical health, should be on our minds each and every day. Our relationships, our drive to succeed, self-love, and so much more stems from a healthy mind. As a booking platform in the beauty industry, we talk a lot about looking good on the outside. The month of May is here to remind all of us that looking good (and feeling good) on the inside is way more important. 

We like to think of these to-do’s as padding. Hear us out. Practicing mental health strategies shouldn’t come into play only when we’re stressed. We should continually practice mental health even when things are going smoothly in life, so that when they go south (and they always do!), we feel more equipped to handle the situation rationally.

Taking these steps means learning which strategies work best for you. Find out which of these methods will calm you down the quickest and which ones will help you think more clearly. Over time, you’ll be able to build up a padding, so that practicing mental health awareness strategies becomes completely natural. 

Here are 5 daily to-dos our mental health will thank us for.

One: Move Your Body

This step is different for everyone. If your version of moving your body is a morning stretch, that’s great. Maybe it’s intentionally taking the stairs, walking at lunch, or going to your intramural game. Move in a way that feels good for your body. 

Two: Journaling

Writing about your day, your feelings, your relationships, and just about anything else can be soothing. Writing things out and reflecting can bring us to realizations we wouldn’t have stumbled across if we just watched Netflix to end our days every single night. Ironically, our feelings and thoughts are happening constantly right inside our bodies, and sometimes we get really good at distancing ourselves from there. Journaling helps us reconnect. 

Three: Say No

A lot of the time, it’s easy for us to say yes to everything—social gatherings, taking on more at work, always answering the phone, and more of everything in-between. Always being “on” wears on us. And at the end of the day, it leaves us with very little time for ourselves.

This one sounds easy, but sometimes we find ourselves as “Yes People” because when we say no, we’re overcome with feelings of guilt. We’d rather exhaust ourselves and go to the party or take on the project instead of living with guilt. It can be tough to get into the habit of saying no with the goal of setting boundaries. But remember that it’s okay to be selfish sometimes. 

Four: Positive Self-Talk

The way you talk to yourself matters. If you wouldn’t say it to someone else, don’t think it (or even say it) about yourself. Repeatedly thinking of yourself in negative ways may lead you to eventually believe it. There are many books written and concepts that have been developed about self-love, so we won’t try to sum it up in a sentence. But self-love at its simplest is having regard for your own happiness and well-being. It’s crucial for anyone’s mental health.

Five: Talk to Someone

You don’t need a diagnosis to start seeing a therapist. Breaking that stigma is one of the many goals of Mental Health Awareness Month. Our minds and our lives are complex. Stress is inevitable. There’s zero shame in asking for help. 

If self-care and maintaining good mental health was easy, we wouldn’t be here writing this blog. Booking wellness, fitness, and more on Booksy can be a small step in the right direction for you to bring mental health to the forefront. Check out Booksy’s blog for more content on how to de-stress, achieve work-life balance, and more. Lastly, don’t miss how Booksy providers work with clients struggling with mental health. 

As we said in the beginning, May is firstly about raising awareness and educating the public about mental illnesses. Our society has worked hard over recent years to normalize these discussions and bring light to them. There are millions of people in our world who are battling anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental health issues. Becoming aware and educated is the least we can do. 

Read More About Mental Health Awareness Month