At this time, mental health is taking a spotlight all around the world especially with all of the social and financial changes that COVID brought. These changes can lead to a lot of stress no matter where you are.
Thanks to this new awareness about mental health, it’s important to know how to prioritize your own mental health. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are six great tips on how to prioritize your mental health while living in Hawaii.
Plan for Sunlight
When your mind is working against trying to get better, the sunlight is a surprising ally. Instead of staying inside where you might feel safer, take an adventure outside to sit in the sun.
As the sun pops out behind the clouds, make sure to sit in a strong ray of sun. Remember, humans are complicated house plants and they need plenty of water and sunlight. Make sure you get those daily!
Carving out Time
With insurance as a growing issue, most Hawaii residents don’t receive proper medical care when it comes to their minds. Despite having several mental health centers, these centers don’t get much use in Hawaii.
Because of the insurance issues and accessibility to mental health resources, you may not know one of the most important aspects to prioritizing your mental health:
Carving out time.
It’s insane to think that it is so hard. However, if you are struggling to get time to yourself for self-care, then it’s time to set boundaries and prioritize your mental health. This is why it is important to …
… Create a Schedule
Most mental illnesses aren’t going to help people with time management. Either someone will over or under obsess about a schedule. Here’s a suggestion though: make a schedule tailored to you!
Don’t go off of what everyone says is best. What is your self-care and mental health schedule? Does a morning or evening bath work best for you? How important is it that you have quiet time?
Really dig deep and think about what brings you joy and helps you feel balanced in life. Those things have to be a part of your schedule so that you can take charge of your mental health.
Mental health is greatly influenced by physical health – how you take care of your body can take a toll on your performance. Find blood work near you and get tested to get a comprehensive approach to your current situation.
Be Patient with Habits
Anything that deals with the mind is also going to deal with habits. We all have many different habits that stem from so many situations. Some, or many, habits can irritate or make mental health worse.
From obsessive working out to drinking alcohol too much, habits can seem good until they get out of hand. As you work through prioritizing yourself, it’s important to remember that you have to pick and choose what habits you want to keep in practice.
Use Your Resources
Every state has some sort of resource available for those dealing with the unseen elements of mental health management. In Hawaii, there are a few different resources that are easily accessible (some might have a few free options as well!).
There is a hotline that is available at (808) 521-1846 as well as a full list of both free and paid community services here.
Develop Your Personal Plan
No matter who you are, it is incredibly important to be ready with a plan if your health, mental or otherwise, starts to take a turn.
Who are you going to reach out to?
Do you have any doctors lined up or available?
Have you called community care centers to see what they offer in your area?
A personal plan to help yourself during stressful or emotional times is one of the best ways to help you and your loved ones get through a tough situation. Here are some items to include in a mental health personal plan:
- Therapist Contact Information
- Community Mental Health Care Information
- Primary and Secondary Emergency Contacts
- Quick Tips to help
- List of comforting items
- List of destressing activities
- Step by step guide for yourself
- Step by Step guide for others
This doesn’t have to be a long document at all. It is so important to have a plan in place especially with the changes the world has gone through.
Conclusion
Taking care of mental health is more important than ever. Now that we are aware of what causes certain behaviors, it is important that we pay attention to our health in all aspects. When the mind isn’t balanced, the rest of the body can’t find balance either.
Remember as you develop your plans, set boundaries, and create new habits: your mind is a sanctuary and you have to keep your sanctuary healthy and balanced.