Look Around, Look Within... Do It Now

flyhcoaches
May 24, 2023
2 min read

By Debbie

Look Around, Look Within

Do It Now

Your mental health matters and everything around and within contributes to your mental health.

Take time this month to examine your world and see what you can do to improve your mental health.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you feel safe?

Do you have access to health care and grocery stores?

Does your home support you mentally and physically?

Do you feel financially stable?

Do you feel healthy?

Are you happy?

Do you have friends who support you?

Where you are born, live, learn, work, play, and gather, as well as your economic stability and social connections are all determinants of your mental health. The more they work in your favor, the better your mental well-being.

There are many things that are out of your control. But there are steps you can take to change your space and protect your well-being.

Home:

Consider keeping your space tidy, sleep friendly, and well ventilated.

Keeping your living space clean and tidy promotes calmness and a sense of control over your day-to-day life. Clutter contributes to depression, trouble focusing, confusion and stress. Clutter is distracting but has also been shown to actually make it harder for your brain to think clearly.

Neatness also provides predictability, less time to look for an item lost or misplaced.

How do you do this?

Start small. Choose one area to start. Maybe even one drawer. Get rid of items you do not use and/or do not need. Find an organization to donate them to.

Adopt the motto: "Do it now." Instead of saying I'll put it away later, "do it now."

Surround yourself and your space with items that help you feel calm and positive. You want to feel like your space brings you comfort. The colors you use, the light in your home, a favorite candle, a soft blanket, can all add touches to improve your mental health with comfort.

Look at your home and notice what space brings you the most comfort. Ask yourself - Why? Then duplicate that comfort into other areas of your home.

Community:

Get to know the people living around you.

Support businesses in your community.

Knowing the people in your community gives you a feeling of belonging and safety. It allows you the ability to have supports to reach out to if you need them.

Nature:

Spending time in nature, green spaces and blue spaces, is linked to many positive mental health outcomes: improved focus, lower stress, better mood, and the reduced risk of developing a mental health condition.

Go hiking, sit in a city park, bring a plant inside, keep the shades open to bring in natural light, open the windows, walk in the rain, go sit at a beach, a lake or walk by a river. Every one of these activities connects you to nature, which will improve your mental health and your well-being.

Look Around, Look within….