Mental Health Tips & Resources

Natural Remedies & at Home Self Care

• Try Rescue Remedy for Panic or Anxiety. It’s all-natural and I’ve used it for years to calm my nerves. It works for me after 15-20 minutes of taking it.
• Explore Chinese Medicine
• Do Breathing Exercises. We breathe automatically, but it’s amazing what you can do to calm your body and mind with breathing techniques.
  • Ujjayi Breathing, Alternate Nostril Breathing, Pranayama Breathing
• Meditate! There are many guided meditations on YouTube & Podcasts.
  • Positive Mind in 5 Minutes Meditation
  • Meditation with Tara Brach
  • Heart Chakra Opening Meditation
  • Grounding Meditation
  • Sleep Meditation 1 & Sleep Meditation 2
  • Body Scan Relaxation Meditation
• Take time away from technology. Reducing screen time helps keep you stay in the present moment, reduces stress & anxiety, and aids sleep.
• Spending time in nature benefits our physical and mental health. Go for a walk or hike without your phone or music and listen to the birds.
• Self-Reflect & Journal. Do regular check-ins with yourself & write in a journal. Writing is a great way to navigate through challenges & have an internal dialogue with yourself.
• Create and practice self-affirmations and do mirror work. Louise Haye’s mirror work helped me develop more love & compassion for myself.
• Connect with your Inner child. Inner child work is an important part of soul work.
• Unwind. These are a few things I do to decompress:
  • Take a bath with the lights dim or your favourite book. Add Epsom salts to relax your body (lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint).
  • Get a massage or do a self-massage at home. I highly recommend the acuball for self-massage. It is incredible!
  • Light a candle (My favorite is Stress Relief by Bath & Body Works).
  • Listen to meditation music, nature sounds, chakra balancing music.
• Get in sweatpants & read an inspiring book. My top picks are:
  • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
  • You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
  • Freedom by Osho; Emotional Wellness by Osho
  • Bradshaw On: The Family by John Bradshaw
• Try a sensory deprivation tank. Its benefits include relief from insomnia, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD and even addiction.
• Try Light Therapy. Blue light helps reduce depression which some experience during the Winter months (SAD). I used a blue light (Philips GoLITE BLU) at home in the morning for 30 to 45 minutes when I was going through depression and it worked well for me.
• Try Reiki. It’s known to reduce anxiety & physical pain.
• Use a weighted blanket to help anxiety and increase mood.

Increase Happiness

• Increase your happiness! The Art of Living has a fantastic Happiness Program. They incorporate breathing exercises, meditation, and philosophies to help increase overall happiness and find joy in your life. I took the program & highly recommend it. Find a local Art of Living Centre, Find a Happiness Coursenear you.
• Use Shawn Achor’s 6 Tips for Happiness. These really helped when I was at my lowest.
  • Gratitude Exercises. Write down three things you’re grateful for that occurred over the last 24 hours. Ex. a really good cup of coffee or the warmth of a sunny day.
  • The Doubler. Take one positive experience from the past 24 hours and spend two minutes writing down every detail about that experience. As you remember it, your brain labels it as meaningful and deepens the imprint.
  • The Fun Fifteen. Do 15 minutes of a fun cardio activity every day. The effects of daily cardio can be as effective as taking an antidepressant.
  • Every day take 2 minutes to stop whatever you’re doing and concentrate on breathing. Even a short mindful break can result in a calmer, happier you.
  • Conscious act of kindness. At the start of every day, send a short email or text praising someone. Our brains become addicted to feeling good by making others feel good.
  • Deepen Social Connections. Spend time with family and friends. Our connections are one of the best predictors for success and health and even life expectancy.

Creativity

Find a creative outlet. Channel your Pain Into Power by transmuting stress into something positive and meaningful to you. Writing lyrics & singing really helps me turn my pain into something artful. Find something you enjoy! (Dancing, art, cooking, music, skating, photography, etc.)

Sleep Hygiene

• Sleep 7-8 hours.

• Create a bedtime routine (Eg. reading, meditating, taking a bath, etc.)
• Avoid stimulants: Caffeine, chocolate, and nicotine can keep you awake.
• Schedule your sleep. Go to bed & wake up at the same time every day to establish a regular sleep-wake cycle.
• Stop using electronics or watching TV an hour or two before bed. The blue light may interfere with your body’s production of melatonin & keep you awake.
• Natural supplements for sleep have worked well for me. Please consult your doctor before trying anything. I recommend melatonin, magnesium, valerian root.
• Make your bedroom cool and comfortable. Keep your room dark, turn down the thermostat, use soft bedsheets, only use your bedroom for sleep or sex.
• Use essential oils on your skin, pillow, or in a diffuser for relaxation before bed.
• If you wake up during the night, it’s best to get out of bed and do some monotonous activity (ie. reading on the couch) in dim lighting. After 15 minutes go back to bed and try to fall asleep again.
• Find a sleep clinic if you’re cannot to resolve the issue. You may need assistance from a doctor.

Read more on Sleep & Mental Health.

More Resources

• Check out Be There – Created by Jack.org, Be There is the most engaging and comprehensive resource available to learn how to support someone struggling with their mental health.
• Mental Health Is Health
• Get trained in Suicide Prevention with QPR Institute
• Get trained with Mental Health First Aid
• Well-Being Resources by Columbus Recovery Center
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Resources