Prioritise your Mental Health, Prioritise Self-Care

You probably hear it over and over and over again these days – prioritise your mental health, prioritise self-care. But what does this actually mean? What does this actually look like? Instead of regurgitating what other people and organisations are saying (not that this isn’t great information more often than not), we decided to ask the hardworking team members at LIVIN to share one or two things they do regularly (walking the talk – stuff they know works for them) to look after their mental health and feel better about themselves. There might be one or two listed below that you can start to incorporate into your life for improved mental health, recognising that self-care is very much an individual thing, and working out what works for you, and what doesn’t is a great starting point. Then, it is super important to prioritise the things that work for you every day, or at the very least, consistently throughout your week.

Here’s what some of the team had to say (you’ll hear from more of our team members in the coming weeks).

Jess – Marketing Manager.

• I love to exercise, and when I do I feel so much better about myself. I try my best to exercise for at least 30 minutes, 4 days a week.
• In the last couple of years, I have really taken an interest in positive affirmation cards and have started a daily morning routine with my two daughters. We all pick an affirmation card and spend time talking about what’s written on each of our cards, reminding ourselves of how worthy we all are! This is a wonderful opportunity for quality time and connection with my girls, while also benefiting all of our mental health. These are the cards that I personally use – the kids love them: W.O.W. Kids Cards.

Sam – Co-founder and Chief Branding Officer.

• First and foremost, I set the intention as soon as I wake up to prioritise self-care. I stop and take a moment to reflect on what I am going to do for self-care during the day.
• I enjoy active relaxation like running, going for a walk, or going to the gym.
• Routine is huge for me, so I like to establish what needs to be done at the beginning of each day and revisit progress at the end of each day.
• I make it a priority to disconnect from my phone at least 2 hours before I go to sleep every night. My phone sits in a different room as this allows me to wind down for the day without the distraction of my phone pinging or the temptation to pick up my phone and start scrolling.

Campbell – Partnerships Manager.

• I have a couple of mantras that I like to tell myself, particularly if I notice my stress levels rising a bit.
  • “RESPOND, don’t react”
  • “Create space between stimulus and reaction”
• I like to get out and walk my dog every day, leaving my phone at home so I can try to stay present and disconnect for a small part of my day.
• I love most forms of exercise. I notice a clear link between my mood and exercise, so I always try to get my body moving in some way daily.

Dee – Fundraising Co-ordinator.

• Pilates – challenges my body and mind and feels like special ‘me time’. I make an occasion of it and go to an early morning session, walk there, then grab a coffee after and walk back via the beach in the water. 
• Flashcards – taken from a great book called ‘Reinventing Your Life’ by Jeffrey Young. They can remind you of why you are experiencing some distress and help get your thinking back into reality and on track.
• Ocean swim with full immersion. I find the act of dunking my whole body almost has a ‘baptising’ effect and I come out of the water reborn and refreshed mentally. 

Action breeds motivation, not the other way around. Hopefully, some of the easy-to-implement tips above help you to kickstart a healthy self-care plan! Prioritise your mental health, prioritise self-care starting from…NOW!