May is Mental Health Awareness month and National Women’s Checkup Day was earlier this month on the 10th, and I wanted to remind you as well as myself to check in! I like to check in with myself daily through journaling, prayer, and meditation, but I’ve also learned to value check ins with health care professionals like a primary care provider and therapist. I don’t have all of the answers when it comes to mental health, but I do believe that a good place to start is to get rid of the fear and shame surrounding the topic. For me, finding space to lean into how I’m feeling is typically a good start. It took some time over the years to figure out what I need you feel my best inside and out, and while I’m still figuring things out, this is where I am:
Checkups:
I like to start with physical wellbeing just because it can easily affect my emotional state. As women, we’re often responsible for caring for others in our family whether it’s our children, partner, pets, daily home tasks, or even aging parents, it’s easy to forget about ourselves. Staying on top of our check ups is important and if you have insurance, typically these visits are at a low cost (or free) because it’s considered preventive care. I hope to encourage you to take some time to explore your healthcare options and schedule your yearly physical, dental cleaning/exam, vision exam, a session with a licensed therapist, your women’s wellness visit, and mammogram! Even if you can only fit your physical or women’s wellness visit within the next month, it’s better than letting another year pass without checking in. It’s so crazy to me how much my body has changed during and after birthing my children and as I get older, checking in helps me navigate those changes.
Selfcare:
For me selfcare is easy, soothing habits I do to keep my tank full. I enjoy taking baths, journaling, listening/reading to books, or enjoying a cup of hot tea. I think self care can also be efforts made to honor how situations, people, or habits affect me in a way that’s draining. It may take some time to figure these things out, but I hope to encourage you to be patient with yourself as you walk through exploring what fills and drains you. I harp on self care because of the seasons where I’ve gone extended amounts of time without doing things that fuel me, especially as a mother, it was so hard to pour into the people and things I loved most.
Diet/Fitness:
Staying on top of my physical health through a balanced diet and staying active always boosts my mood! I love sweets, but too much junk in my diet weighs me down. My personal diet is more about balance vs abstaining from certain food groups. After considering my diet, I learned that getting active helps me feel good because it always gives me energy which boosts my mood. As a stay at home mother, I need all the energy I can get! Overall, food that fuels and breaking a little sweat typically helps me out mentally because of the energy boost and feel good endorphins!
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