What is Mental Wellness? + 4 Tips to Strengthen Yours

Mental wellbeing is not just the absence of mental illness, it's a holistic state where you can effectively manage life, recognise your own abilities, work productively, and connect with and contribute to your communities. It's feeling good and functioning well!

You see, we’ve grown accustomed to the idea that taking care of our physical health is important and requires continuous effort. We know that each workout we do and each nutritious dinner we prioritise is helping to build our physical health. Well, guess what? Our mental health is no different! It needs time and attention too. Each intentional action or change we make is strengthening our mental wellbeing, helping us to feel good and function well. 

Here are 4 ways to improve your mental health:

Getting a good night's sleep: Adequate, restful sleep is more than a nice to have; it's a cornerstone of wellbeing. Similar to preparing a baby for bedtime, creating a calm evening routine can work wonders for your own wellbeing. Dim the lights, limit stimulation, and prioritise slowing down and switching off. If your mind is really busy before bed, try keeping a journal next to your bed to jot down all those thoughts and allowing your mind to rest.

Journalling: Journalling doesn't just help your mind switch off before bed, it is a powerful tool to help strengthen your mental wellness. Journalling offers you a place to find awareness of what’s going on in your life so you can spot patterns and make positive changes. It’s a self-healing tool that provides ongoing support, especially around life’s challenging events. Try taking 10-15 minutes to jot down your thoughts, simply write them all out onto a page, without judgement and see how you feel. 

Time in nature: - Mother Nature has a natural healing ability so if life is feeling overwhelming lean on her, literally. The simple act of having direct skin contact with the earth is also known as grounding or earthing - it reconnects us with its healing energy. Try it, take off your shoes and go for a stroll, lie on the grass, or dive into the ocean.

Connect with someone you love:  Reach out, send a text, make a video call, or better yet prioritise time to see someone you love in person. When we are feeling low it can be easy to isolate but we are social creatures and human connection is essential. Reach out to someone you love, be open with them, and observe the positive impact on your wellbeing.

Remember, small, consistent action over time leads to significant improvements in your mental wellness. It all adds up and provides positive ripple effects to all areas of your life.