Mental Health Tips: 6 Stress-Relieving Ways To Practice Self-Care Regularly

Mental health: With the amount of responsibilities that all of us have these days it can be tough to engage our time in self-care and invest our time to look after our mental well-being. The major cost that all of us end up paying includes a major negative impact on our mental health. 

In an interview with Zee English, Nishtha Khurana, Counselling Psychologist at Lissun- Mental health & Emotional Wellness Venture shares the effective ways in which you can practice self-care and remain stress-free.

We forget to take care of our personal needs while being burdened by the multiple stressors of life like: caregiving responsibilities, financial responsibilities, work stress etc. The biggest setback that we face is in terms of creating a balance in these aspects of our life which could make the stress levels surmountable for all of us.

So how can self - care help us in relieving stress?

We are all less able to handle the stresses that come our way when we're depleted by physical and emotional exhaustion. Or, put in a more positive way, we are more resilient and more able to handle life's stress when we are feeling our best both physically and emotionally.

1. Taking a break

Relaxing in a tub of warm bubbles or a massage can help you feel like you’re escaping a stressful reality and taking a mental and emotional vacation. This triggers the relaxation response and allows you to come back to the reality of your life feeling refreshed and relaxed. The physiological effects play a significant role in promoting mental wellness. During a massage session, the body releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood enhancers. These endorphins induce feelings of pleasure, reduce pain, and create an overall sense of well-being.

2. Engage your senses

A good way to relax and find a sense of inner peace is to engage your senses. Consider taking a hot bath, light a scented candle, listen to soothing sounds, or drink some herbal tea.

3. Time alone

Different people have different personalities with their own traits and individual differences; varying mental and emotional capacities. So, time alone can actually be helpful in recharging and provides us a chance for self-reflection. Helpful in increasing our emotional and mental resilience to help tackle stress better.

4. Assert yourself

You might want to do it all, but you can't, at least not without paying a price. Learning to say no can help you manage your to-do list and your stress.

Saying yes may seem like an easy way to keep the peace, prevent conflicts and get the job done right. But it may actually cause you internal conflict because your needs may usually come in second or one may feel compromised too, which can lead to stress, anger, resentment. And that's not a very calm and peaceful reaction.

5. Get musical and be creative

Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever because it can provide a mental distraction, reduce muscle tension and decrease stress hormones. If music isn't one of your interests, turn your attention to another hobby you enjoy, such as gardening, sewing, sketching — anything that requires you to focus on what you're doing rather than what you think you should be doing.

6. Seek counselling

If new stressors are challenging your ability to cope or if self-care measures aren't relieving your stress, therapy or counselling can be a good idea. Therapy also may be a good idea if you feel overwhelmed or trapped, if you worry excessively, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting responsibilities at work, home or school.

Professional counsellors or therapists can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.