Guest Post! || The Journey to Positive Mental Health Through Self-Care by BRAD KRAUSE

Self-care is a priority in my life so when someone asked to guest-post, on my blog, about that
very topic I was thrilled!

Brad Krause left the corporate world to help promote the simple notion of self-care through writing
and consulting. Find more about Brad on his website http://selfcaring.info/ .

Thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Kim xx

The Journey to Positive Mental Health Through Self-Care

Self-care is an important part of wellness, and it includes all aspects of your body and mind. With a holistic approach to self-care, you can tackle recurrent issues with your physical and mental health. Take some important steps to work on self-care by focusing on the following areas of your life.

Gratitude and Positivity

When was the last time you made yourself feel loved? There are so many ways to love yourself. You can treat yourself to a spa day, buy a new outfit, go on a solo weekend trip or a solo date, do something that you always want to do but can never find someone to go with, or simply compliment yourself. Ask yourself each morning what you’re grateful for, and say your answers out loud. Write down your best qualities and read them every night, and begin and end each day with positivity.

Self-Respect

Show respect for yourself by mindfully engaging in the things that make you feel happy and whole while avoiding the things that make you feel disempowered. Whether it’s a job or a relationship that leaves you feeling down, it doesn’t serve your self-worth to stay in that situation. Know when to walk away and let things go. Know when to say no to being used and yes to being empowered.

Gut Health

Sometimes your body needs a boost from probiotics to get your gut health on track. Gut health plays a large role in your overall well-being, not just your digestion. A healthy gut leads to radiant skin, smoother bodily functions, a sharper mind, weight management, fewer illnesses, and more. The more you know about the flora of your gut, the better equipped you are to decide whether to add supplements and foods (or eliminate certain foods) for digestive health benefits. Good gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, and Lactobacillus help with digestion, a stronger immune system, and protection of your intestines from bad microbes.

R&R

Make sure you get plenty of rest and relaxation when you’re running on empty so you can recharge. This means allowing yourself a full night of sleep (you may need to update your bedding or mattress if it’s been a while), several small breaks throughout the workday, a real lunch break, evenings off, and at least one day off a week for “you” time. Remember to make room in your life for vacations too. Every busy person deserves a relaxing personal retreat from life’s hectic schedule and stressful moments. During these scheduled periods of time off, make a commitment to yourself to not check work or answer non-urgent requests.

Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, and there’s no one who lives without it. Find ways to reduce your stress by removing the factors that create stress and practicing stress-reducing exercises such as breathing techniques, listening to music, massages, exercising, and daily journaling. Does sitting in traffic make you feel stressed? If so, trade the car for public transportation so you can sit through your commute instead of driving in traffic. Is there a stress-inducing person in your life? Either let that relationship go or confront the elephant in the room to ease the tension.

Food

Eating the cleanest ingredients will help heal your body. An organic, plant-based diet is one of the healthiest lifestyles to adopt. These are the foods that come from the earth and contain no harmful ingredients. They are full of the vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to be nourished. They are the most natural way to meet your needs and give your body the energy it needs to function purely.

Give yourself the care you deserve and need so that your mental health can heal. When you work on healing your mind and body in tandem, you’ll begin to see benefits in all areas of your life. Your spiritual side might even awaken, and that’s something worth caring about. Commit to bringing out the positive aspects so you can create the life you’ve always wanted to manifest.

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