As we all know our mental health is essential to our day-to-day lives. We can argue that without being mentally healthy, you cannot perform to your best abilities- and that is if you can perform at all. 

Lack of self-care and not taking care of your mental health can cause you to not feel like yourself. Without grounding yourself, you're people-pleasing and saying yes to things you dislike, you're angry all the time because you're not getting enough sleep, you're isolating yourself because you're stressed, and so on.

Enhancing your mental wellness does not mean that you're immune from conditions like depression, anxiety, or overthinking. It means that you're actively working on yourself to stop those severe symptoms of mental illness or combating symptoms to help you go through your days smoother. This is why self-care is important.

January is Mental Wellness Awareness Month, and this is an ideal time to take stock of your well-being and ground yourself for the new year.

To commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, we're offering you:

Four Ways to Enhance your Mental Wellness

1. Rest for Mental Health and Well-Being

• Sleep is a cornerstone of good health. It's time to ask, "why we resist rest?" According to Matthew Walker, Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, "Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent gain."
  
  
• Depriving yourself of sleep not only affects your mental health but your overall well-being. Adequate sleep is crucial for skin repair, immune system support, metabolic health, concentration, and overall safety.

Self-Care Tip: Prioritize rest to stay alert, give your best, and maintain your health. 

2. Connect with Others for Mental Wellness

• When facing tough times, isolation can feel like the natural response. We retreat from friends and family (we've all been there). Yet, withdrawing from others makes it harder to confront our challenges and accept help.

• Remember that humans are social beings, wired to interact with others. The Medical Centre emphasizes that "socializing regularly promotes self-care, self-love, life satisfaction, and a sense of belonging and acceptance. Each of these contributes to building defenses against depression, anxiety, stress, psychosis, and other mental illnesses" 

3. Practice Self-Kindness for Well-Being 

• Don't be too hard on yourself. We all stumble, we all encounter setbacks, and some days are tougher than others. In these moments, extend grace to yourself and cultivate patience.

• Self-compassion is an essential component of self-care. Being kind to yourself not only enhances your well-being but also equips you to navigate life's challenges with resilience and a positive outlook.