My mental health routine has become my biggest priority.

This routine allows me take preventative measures so my mental health doesn’t act up. It is essential for me to do this routine weekly and some of it, even daily.

If I put this routine on the back burner, I feel it immediately. My anxiety and depressions start to creep in. I do this routine because I know my mind needs it, my body loves it and I feel so good after every step.

I have learned throughout my journey with my mental health, that it’s important for me to listen to my body, pay attention to myself and love myself. The more love I give myself, the more love I can give and serve to others. The more time I put into myself, the better I am to everyone else around me.

I hope you grab some inspiration from this routine. Maybe you’re just starting out on your mental health journey, and this entire routine is a little overwhelming… that is okay. Take note of one thing and practice that one thing. Something little is better than nothing at all.

Enjoy!

My Mental Health Routine

Things I do daily –

+ Morning: Make my bed, wash my face, moisturize, make some coffee and lemon water and relax. Every morning I dedicate some “me” time with my coffee. This is before work, before anything can trigger my cortisone levels. After I have my “me” time, I brush my teeth and start breakfast. Slow mornings are essential for me. I’m not a morning workout person because I don’t want to raise my cortisol levels too early. I like to ease into my day.

+ Noon: I have been loving Melissa Wood Health workouts. Read about my experience here. These workouts are low impact and low resistance. They are very calming for me. It’s a mix of pilates and yoga. There are many days I can only get in a 15 minute workout, and that is okay. It’s better than nothing and boosts my mood tremendously. Getting in a workout with Melissa or a long walk during my lunch is essential to my daily mental health routine.

+ Afternoon: I always make sure to get outside throughout my day, but especially in the afternoon. Nature is so incredibly grounding. It allows me to be present and appreciate the beauty of this world we live in. During my breaks from work, I love to go on nature walks. These can be 10-30 minutes, depending on your schedule. Even if it’s only for 5 minutes, get outside without your cell phone. It will do wonders to your mood.

+ Evening: I love to make healthy meals for Trevor and I. Ending the night with a delicious and nutritious meal is so rewarding to your body. It feels good to feel good, and when I eat healthy, my gut feels amazing so I feel amazing. Also, spending quality time with Trevor is essential for me in the evenings. Communicating about our day – the good, the bad… it’s very therapeutic. I like to finish my night with a hot eucalyptus shower, floss + brush teeth, face mask, some candles, dim lighting and a book. This set up helps me with amazing sleep.

+ Sleep: So incredibly important for my mental health. I need to get 8 hours of sleep or else my anxiety is terrible the next day. I never knew how crucial sleep was for me until I learned it was one of the solutions to my mental health. There were so many patterns of my mental health suffering when my sleep was not a priority. I would rather get 8 hours of sleep than wake up early to crush a workout. Sleep is more important for me than a workout. The results are so much more apparent to my body.

+ Water: You might be thinking, how does water affect your mental health? Your body uses water in cells, organs and tissue. It helps your body remove waste, helps digestion, brain function etc. So, when I’m not drinking enough water, my body feels it. My gut starts to act up and I feel sluggish. Those symptoms effect my mental health. I strive to drink 3 liters of water a day. That doesn’t always happen, but it is my daily goal!

Things I do weekly-

+ Wellness or Vitality Shots: I absolutely love to take a pressed juicery shots 2-3 times a week. Pumping my body with vitamins and nutrients feels amazing. It gives my mental health that boost it needed because it knows I’m taking care of my body.

+ Meditate: It is not every day that I meditate, however I hope one day I keep myself accountable to do that! Right now, its around once or twice a week that I dedicate 10 minutes to meditate. I love to put lavender essential oils on my palms, temples and the bottoms of my feet before I begin. It just really helps me relax and settle in. Meditating has been very powerful for me. I started in the beginning of covid-19 and have found it be very helpful, especially when I have a lot going on.

+ Yoga: Stretching and foam rolling my body is a weekly thing for me. Stretching is somewhat daily because of Melissa Wood’s class. But, I like to dedicate at least 20 minutes once a week to just recovery. When we are stressed, it is natural for our muscles to tense up. Stretching is slow, and it allows calming to the mind while also releasing tension.

+ Jazz Music: I’ve been loving jazz music lately. It’s so calming. You don’t have to think, you can just relax. I love putting on jazz music once or twice a week while I’m cooking dinner or cleaning the house. For some reason, it just gets my mind right and allows me to unwind.

+ My nails: Once a week, while watching one of my shows, I will simultaneously do my nails. Ever since covid started, I stopped biting my nails (yay!). I love to file them into an almond shape, paint them and gloss them with a top coat. There’s nothing like long sleek nails. If my nails are chipped or snagged, my immediate reaction is to bite them all off. (Anxious much? lol). So I’ve noticed how mentally soothing it is for me to have my nails kept and cared for.

+ Shaving: I absolutely do not shave my legs everyday… I can not keep up with it. Real talk – so it has become a two to three times a week thing…. If we’re going to keep it real. However, every time I do, I make it a very luxurious thing. I love to smother oils all over my body after I shave. I feel like it’s feeding my skin all the love it needs after being completely exfoliated. I also love to shave my fave once a month. Read about it here.

+ Palo Santo/ Sage: I love clearing out the negative energy in my space once a week. Plus, I just also LOVE the smell of Palo Santo. Burning the wood is such a ritual and reminds me of Tulum. It was burning everywhere! The scent is proven to shift your energy and improve your mood. Such a treat when we burn these in the house!

I hope you enjoyed this routine! Of course, there are many other self-care activities I do outside of my routine. But, this is what I do consistently on a daily and weekly basis.

Let me know what your routine looks like – I absolutely love learning new ideas!

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