Mindful moments: ways to improve your mental health

• Making self-care a priority, even in small doses, can help.

A Cleveland Clinic and Parade Media survey showed that many of us are struggling with mental health in the wake of the pandemic. But with only so many hours in a day, along with work and other responsibilities, how can we find time to recharge and refocus?

The answer: making the most of small windows of opportunity for self-care throughout the day is becoming more and more important. Psychologist Kia-Rai Prewitt, PhD, breaks down some of the survey statistics and the ways we can improve our everyday mental health little by little.

Why is mental health important?

More than a third of all respondents rated their current mental health as average or poor, citing struggles with anxiety, depression and anger. Respondents who said they rarely or never took part in activities to improve their mental health said being too busy or caring for a loved one were often barriers to looking after themselves. And almost a quarter of respondents didn’t know where to start in caring for their mental health.

“Some people just don’t realise their mental health is an issue,” says Dr. Prewitt. “Some people may experience chronic pain or have headaches or catch colds quite often, and they don’t recognise that some of these physical symptoms could actually be related to anxiety, depression or trauma.”

Mothers are struggling the most

One in three mothers, or 32%, said they never or rarely took time to improve their mental and emotional health. And almost half of mothers, or 42%, rated their mental health as average or poor. While it’s important to make sure children are OK, it’s also vitally important to prioritise your own mental health.

“I talk to a lot of women who are used to being caregivers and putting themselves last,” notes Dr. Prewitt. “If your mental health is a value for you, then taking care of yourself will really be important in order to maintain those caring relationships.”

Prewitt compares mental health to putting on your oxygen mask in an emergency on a plane: you must take care of yourself before you can help others. If you don’t, you risk hurting yourself and those you are trying to care for.

“If you’re feeling depressed, anxious or worried about things and you’re not managing your stress, you’ll probably have less patience and feel more burnt out,” explains Prewitt. “You’ll probably find it harder to maintain positive relationships and keep up with daily responsibilities because you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Ways to improve your mental health every day

The journey to improving your mental health doesn’t have to be exhausting. You can do small things every day to lift your mood and increase your ability to reflect on the way forward. Here are some things you can do to turn in the right direction.

Take small mental health breaks throughout the day

Claiming a full mental health day seems like an easy fix, especially when you’re overwhelmed by work and responsibility. But carving out a whole day isn’t always possible, and for some it can cause extra stress. In fact, 7 in 10 respondents believe taking shorter breaks throughout the day is more beneficial than a half-hour lunch or an hour-long break.

“We’re not always going to get everything done that we set out to do at the start of the day because things come up,” acknowledges psychologist Prewitt. “It’s important to know that, along with your work tasks, taking a break and recharging is also a priority.”

Rather than letting tension build, she suggests taking several five- to 10-minute breaks throughout the day to help relieve stress, depression or anxiety. You can do this by taking a five-minute walk around the block, doing a 10-minute meditation or practising a guided imagery exercise.

“Even standing up once an hour for a few minutes can help with circulation,” she says. “If you’re giving yourself these little breaks throughout the day, I think it can help keep your energy up and contribute to a more positive attitude.”

Take part in restorative activities

You may want to cut back on binge-watching those crime dramas. While you may enjoy intense activities or a good thrilling adventure, you want to find ways to release the tension you feel through solitary activities that offer restorative solutions. Of those who answered the survey, 63% said they felt an improvement in their mental health when reading a book and 48% said they felt the same when lighting a candle. But there are other small things you can do, including:

• Breathing exercises.
• Listening to calming music.
• Yoga.
• Going for a walk or around the block.
• Sleeping.
• Taking a bath.

“Think about it in these terms: we all have 24 hours a day and we’re not going to get any more time,” says Prewitt. “So think about where you can give yourself permission to take time to care for yourself when maybe you’re not doing so.”

Set aside time for self-care

Yes, that’s right – treat yourself. On the surface this sounds like an indulgent activity, and it can be, but the best self-care routines are intentional, productive and planned.

“A lot of times, moms may not ask for help. Instead, they put their heads down and do what needs to be done,” notes the specialist.

Even if you need to set aside 30 minutes at the start or end of your day to do something you love that is relaxing and peaceful, you should communicate that need and build it into your daily rituals.

Self-care can look like many things: a spa day, lunch with a friend, a quiet night without the kids. But it can also extend to approaching daily activities with mindfulness. Take your dinner, for example: do you rush to cook and eat to get it out of the way, or are you taking your time to cook food you love and savour the flavours? Mindful eating can easily be built into your daily routine, and that’s a small example of self-care.

“Eating can be a pleasurable experience,” says Dr. Kia-Rai Prewitt. “If you take the time to savour what you’re eating and enjoy it, it can also lift your mood.”

Ask for help when you need it

You’ve often heard that communication is key to strong relationships, but that’s also true of the relationship you have with yourself. If you have a partner or a friend you trust, it could be helpful to share some of the struggles you’re having and physically get those worries out of your system. Doing so can bring clarity. Sometimes pent-up emotional stress can complicate other issues in your relationship with your spouse and others, so it’s important to keep those lines of communication open when you feel safe to do so.

And if you feel you can’t share details about your mental health, there are different types of therapy that can be helpful as you work through some of the issues you’re dealing with.

“When you start to feel overwhelmed or feel you can’t handle everyday activities, or you regularly have negative thoughts about yourself or other people, it may be time to ask for help or talk to someone about what you’ve been going through,” said Dr. Prewitt.

Source: A joint online survey by Cleveland Clinic and Parade of 2,012 Americans aged 18 and over living in the United States, completed between 18 and 29 March 2021. The margin of error for the total sample at the 95% confidence level is +/- 2 percentage points.

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About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical centre that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based on the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States.

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