The Importance of Caring for Your Mental Health

Ciao beautiful peoples and welcome to this week’s blog post! Today I’ll be touching on the topic of wellness as it pertains to our mental rather than physical health. While I still advocate for daily movement (yoga, weight-lifting, running, boxing, swimming, larpng, etc) I believe that our minds require a similar stimulation and subsequent relaxation. If we don’t plan time to relax our minds and recharge, we can’t give our best to our work or relationships around us.  As such, I thought I’d put together a list of things to do when you’re feeling a bit tired mentally and just need to switch off. 

The first way, and my personal favorite, is to read. Reading is a fantastic way to unwind and unplug from the daily distractions that plague us all. On top of being a form of meditation, reading is also a way to expand your mind. Whether you pick up a sci-fi novel, a book of prose, or the autobiography of one of your idols you’re bound to learn something new. Plus, you can read almost anywhere and it doesn’t require any electricity (save for those of you who opt for a kindle).

Reading before bed is a wonderful way to quiet your mind before sleeping, ensuring that you get a high quality, restful sleep. And we all know how important sleep is for proper muscle recovery ;)

I’ve read a few books recently that I really enjoyed and I’d like to share them with you in case you’re in the market for a good read:

1. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. This classic fiction book is marketed as a young-adult novel though I find is widely interesting. Juster plays with the English language so masterfully that I came out of reading this one with a whole new appreciation for my mother tongue. On top of that, the ideas presented touch on much of the problems that are present in adulthood (trivial tasks, jumbling words, jumping to conclusions, bureaucracy, etc). 

2. Ice- Apprentice: Six days with Wim Hof by Hana Moravcoa. This book was my introduction to the Wim Hof method of cold exposure and deep breathing. If you’re interested in this topic check out my older blog posts as I’ve written two on the topic.

3. Red Notice by Bill Browder. Though it was written as an autobiography of Browder’s life, it reads as a classic thriller. Essentially, Bill was a foreign investor in Russia in the 90’s who made a lot of people a lot of money, but then… lost it all (dun, dun, dun). It’s a fabulous read for anyone interested in politics, post-communist Russia and the thrilling lives of those who work around lots of money. 

4. The Five Levels of Attachment by Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. This is the most recent book I’ve read and absolutely loved it. The five levels of attachment refer to the things, opinions, or beliefs that we hold and our varying degrees of attachment to them. Ruiz Jr. lays out what each level entails and how to identify whether your attachment to said thing, belief, or opinion is interfering negatively or positively with your relationships. He poses the question: “is the information controlling you, or are you controlling it?” If you’re to read something that will make you reflect and question why you make the choices you do, look no further. 

However, if reading isn’t your thing there are a few other ways to wind down and calm your mind. I’ll list a few of them here:

1. Sauna. Spending time in a hot room sweating may not be your idea of a great time, but saunas have been shown to have immense health benefits. Alternating between the hot sauna and the cold bath that typically follows is great for reducing inflammation and calming the body. This is quite an extensive topic so if you all would like to read more about it I’m happy to do a separate blog post on it. 

2. Plan a trip. Sometimes it’s our environment that prevents us from relaxing. While I am a firm advocate of the “staycation” and making the most of the city you live in, sometimes getting away is the answer. By traveling to a new destination, you can truly disconnect from the stresses that you deal with back home. Plus, you’ll get to experience a new place, new food, and potentially a new culture- what’s to lose?

3. Unplug for the day. Imagine taking a day away from all forms of virtual communication. Turn off your computer, tablet, and phone for one day and take advantage of truly living in the moment. My one piece of advice would be to either do this on the weekend so as not to disturb your work, and/or to inform friends and family that you will be doing this so that they don’t worry. 

So, what do you all think about the ways above to relax? What’s your favorite way to unwind? Leave a comment below and let’s start a thread :)

Thanks for reading this week’s post! If you have any blog topic requests please shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram.

xoxo,

Alexandra