Ways to prioritise your mental health- Camp Wilderness 

When we hear the words mental health a whole host of thoughts probably come to mind but when we drill it down what does mental health mean?

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is a term used to describe our state of emotional wellbeing and our ability to cope with the normal stresses of life and productivity. 

So take a moment to stop and assess where you feel your mental health is right now.  

How are you feeling?  

Is there anything that is mentality weighing you down? 

Do you have space to express your emotions? 

Now that we have done a check in with our mental health lets focus on ways you can make it a priority. 

1 – Stop saying Yes (Unless you want too) 

We quite often feel that we cannot say no to a new task or request that comes across our desk, social circle or even family life. For many you say yes and begrudgingly do the task, as a result we resent either the person who gave us it, the item or meeting. This can impact the rest of our day and how we respond to other situations as a result over the coming hours. It’s a quick ticket to feeling burnout and overwhelmed.  

So to combat this be intentional with your time. Say no when you can, prioritise what you can actually handle and the items or social gatherings you wish to actual attend. It might feel strange saying no to begin with but pretty quickly people respect your honesty and boundaries that you have set for yourself, not to mention the relief you will feel.  

2- Get outside 

We know it sounds obvious but setting some dedicated time to moving more outside and having some headspace to connect with your thoughts and your emotions will do wonders. Start small, put some time in each week to go on a walk and explore nature. The fresh air and exercise will help clear your mind and make you feel more alert while the time alien with your thoughts will help you connect with your emotional wellbeing and what areas you might need attention on.  

It doesn’t just have to be a walk but we do strongly suggest it’s something you can do alone so that you aren’t distracted focusing on someone or something else.  

3- Go easy on yourself  

We are our own biggest bullies. It’s extremely common to be our harshest critic, we do an action or make a decision and it will play on a loop in our minds with constant feelings of “Oh i should have done that” or “How could i be so foolish” and so on. When you find yourself talking to yourself like this, stop for a moment and literally say stop to yourself. Break the pattern and routine of what is happening by interrupting the negative spiral with an actual “Stop”. Once you have stopped say one nice thing to yourself. It sounds silly but you’ll be surprised the relief you feel when the negative spiral stops and a kind word or gesture is given.  

These are just three simple steps to start taking control of you mental health and priotising yourself. If there are any more that work for you let us know and remember the most important thing to you should be you.