During the covid pandemic, experts at the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ) mapped how many Czechs experience psychological difficulties. They found that it is a third of the adult Czech population who have admitted mental problems. Unfortunately, many people find it too late to seek professional help, let alone engage in mental health prevention and self-care. If we use regular self-care, stress management strategies or timely visits to a specialist, there is usually a greater chance of more effective management of psychological problems or prognosis of mental illness.
When does it make sense to care for the soul?
Try asking yourself three questions now.
- When do you think it makes sense to take care of mental health?
- When was the last time you consciously took care of your psyche? And how were you then?
People quite often have the impression that mental health care is equal to a psychiatrist or medication. And of course also immediately very severe mental illness or psychological collapse. But somewhere, the opposite is true. Mental hygiene is an everyday aspect of life, even when you feel well. This directly answers the question When does it make sense to care for the soul.On the other hand, it’s perfectly normal that we can’t devote the same amount of self-care and mental health care every day. Let’s keep our feet on the ground and admit that the conflict between work, non-work responsibilities and personal life accompanies us all the time. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It may happen that we will have to work overtime, sometimes study in our free time, we will have to postpone visits with loved ones or our own rest. It’s okay for us to sometimes slip in a direction where the balance isn’t ideal. However, it is advisable to observe these moments, keep them in mind, find out what can still be controlled, what can be influenced, what is beyond our control and what we can do for ourselves after such moments, or how to avoid it in the future and how to manage it .
8 tips for regular mental health care (not only in crisis)
- The three most basic points of self-care are sleep, diet, movement . It is advisable to monitor these points every day. It is advisable to indulge in plenty of sleep, a nutritionally balanced diet and exercise. Even when we are in a crisis, it is important to avoid a sleep deficit, take care of the regularity of our diet (above all, be careful not to skip portions) and exercise (e.g. at least stretch, take a few steps in the building,…).
- Prioritizing activities and tasks can make daily functioning easier. When we know what needs to be done that day and what can be postponed. Also prioritizing self-care, i.e. some days it may be more important to meditate/read a book/go to bed earlier than cleaning/writing emails/… There are days and periods when it can be more difficult for us. It is useful to notice when you need to recharge your batteries for body and soul.
- Rituals and boundaries between work, personal life, and sleep can streamline the transition between human roles and how time is spent. Sometimes it can be quite simple activities, such as a 5-minute meditation every morning / or before going to bed, changing into home clothes after work, not eating at the laptop but with the family, etc.
- A break and respite is not a sign of luxury, but an absolute necessity for our performance, concentration and energy. Be very conscious of the breaks , the way you will spend them and the time of the break. You certainly know procrastination, a person gets into it very quickly when experiencing anxiety and overload. However, if you consciously set a break, even spending the break itself can be of higher quality.
- Apply relaxation techniques, mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine. The techniques can also have a very short form and can be applied both at home, at work and in other environments. They are techniques that help us slow down, we learn to control our body with them even in case of strong emotions and stress. Regular use of relaxation techniques can have positive effects on mental well-being and quality of life.
Tip: Sometimes people actually use these techniques only in a moment of crisis and strong discomfort. In these moments, however, it is actually more difficult to apply the technique, also because our body is under stress and concentration is blurred by emotions. Techniques require gentle training that consists of simple repetition. Try meditating several times when you are completely calm, it makes it easier to use the technique in the future even in case of greater stress, since you will already know the technique.
- Alcohol and drugs are self-destructive coping strategies for stress. It serves to escape and numb, not to learn how to cope with obstacles. They basically make it more difficult to face the next future obstacle in life.
- Monitor your body and mind, don’t ignore the warning signs. If you are not feeling well, try to react in time to physical tension, psychological disharmony, treat yourself to rest, talk to friends or a therapist. Imagine feeling tense, anxious for 4 days and you will completely ignore it or blame yourself and not respond to your needs, then what are the consequences? Worsening of warning signs despite efforts to alleviate them may be a sign to use the services of a psychologist or psychotherapist.
- Beware of isolation, which we probably know very well from the covid pandemic. Don’t isolate yourself from others. Treat yourself to pleasant solitude, peace, but also regular social contact.
