Collage by Stella Koh
The Jed Foundation
Self-Care Guide for Mental Health
We all go to the doctor, schedule our annual physicals, keep an eye on our blood pressure and vitamin D levels... If something feels off in our body, we act on it, right? Well, your emotional health should be no different. Here, with help from the experts at The Jed Foundation, we’ve put together a self-care guide targeting two key areas: reducing anxiety and finding joy in your life.
3 Quick Ways to Manage Anxiety
1. Practice Triangle Breathing
Breathe in for three counts (one side of the triangle). Hold for three counts (the other side). Breathe out for three counts (the bottom of the triangle). Repeat this sequence three or four times.
Breathe in for three counts (one side of the triangle). Hold for three counts (the other side). Breathe out for three counts (the bottom of the triangle). Repeat this sequence three or four times.
2. Focus on Touch Points
Sit on your bed or a chair with your feet on the ground. Focus on all the points where your body touches something, such as your thighs, back and butt on the chair; your feet on the ground; and your hands and fingers on the arms of the chair or your legs. Rotate your focus between all these points. Close your eyes if it helps.
Sit on your bed or a chair with your feet on the ground. Focus on all the points where your body touches something, such as your thighs, back and butt on the chair; your feet on the ground; and your hands and fingers on the arms of the chair or your legs. Rotate your focus between all these points. Close your eyes if it helps.
3. Stimulate the Senses
Walk into the kitchen and grab an ice cube. Hold it in your hand. This forces your brain to pay attention to what’s going on in your body—your cold hand and the blood rushing to warm it—instead of your thoughts. Or target your sense of smell—grab an orange and hold it to your nose. Breathe in the scent a few times, which will force your brain to pay attention to the present moment instead of the future or past.
Walk into the kitchen and grab an ice cube. Hold it in your hand. This forces your brain to pay attention to what’s going on in your body—your cold hand and the blood rushing to warm it—instead of your thoughts. Or target your sense of smell—grab an orange and hold it to your nose. Breathe in the scent a few times, which will force your brain to pay attention to the present moment instead of the future or past.
4 Steps to Add Joy
1. Check in With the Harder Things
Let yourself feel difficult emotions; don’t ignore or gloss over them. Not only will this help you on your journey toward joy, but it will protect you from toxic positivity, which uses positive thinking to steamroll over the harder but perfectly natural emotions.
Let yourself feel difficult emotions; don’t ignore or gloss over them. Not only will this help you on your journey toward joy, but it will protect you from toxic positivity, which uses positive thinking to steamroll over the harder but perfectly natural emotions.
2. Make a Joy Menu
Create a short list of activities that make you feel good—e.g. connecting with friends, working on a passion project, crafting or walking in nature. Whenever you feel stress creeping up, do one of your menu items every day for a few days. Pick things that result in a small shift in your mental state, not a massive change. If you have trouble brainstorming things for your joy menu, think back to activities that made you happy in the past.
Create a short list of activities that make you feel good—e.g. connecting with friends, working on a passion project, crafting or walking in nature. Whenever you feel stress creeping up, do one of your menu items every day for a few days. Pick things that result in a small shift in your mental state, not a massive change. If you have trouble brainstorming things for your joy menu, think back to activities that made you happy in the past.
3. Think Small
Pausing to be mindful of tiny wins can inspire you to seek out more of them. Do it again, and before long you have a series of small joyful moments that—through your lifetime—make up your happiness.
Pausing to be mindful of tiny wins can inspire you to seek out more of them. Do it again, and before long you have a series of small joyful moments that—through your lifetime—make up your happiness.
4. Protect & Share It
Seek out, schedule and share these moments of joy.
Seek out, schedule and share these moments of joy.
For more information about mental health topics, visit The Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Resource Center for essential information about common emotional health issues. If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, you can call, text, or chat 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to reach a trained counselor.
From now to the end of March, we will donate a portion of proceeds from every single veronicabeard.com order to the The Jed Foundation, which protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the U.S. Learn more about the partnership here. #VBGIVESBACK
