Cultivating your mental health includes your mental, physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual wellbeing. It is a sweeping statement for what includes so much self-care all wrapped up into one. So how do you acquire and develop mental wellbeing?
Firstly, break those up into separate pieces. The SPICE of life is a helpful way to memorize it: spiritual, physical, intellectual (may include financial/career), connection and emotional wellbeing. From here, choose one thing in each SPICE of life that you want to work towards each day. And it needs to be something that you can actually measure.
Here’s an example:
Spiritual: “Read one verse every day.” Or maybe a yoga practice.
Physical: “10 push-ups a day.” Or maybe walk around the block.
Intellectual: “Take that course I have wanted to take.” Or, actually save that 10% of your paycheck.
Connection: “Call mom and dad on the weekend.”
Emotional: This can be anything that fills your tank. Something that makes you feel fulfilled after having done it. E.g., going for a walk/coffee date with a partner or special friend.
You absolutely can take care of your mental health and wellbeing. Becoming detached from life and unemotional can lead to apathy and hopelessness. A little bit every day all adds up. Start with just one of the above categories and add one single measurable goal each week. Go slow and make it a habit by staying consistent with just 1 a week.
