Your May Mental Health Check

written by Alexandra Sirocky, 
holistic entrepreneur and founder of NOMaste

May is Mental Health Awareness month, so before you read any further, please take a moment to sit, breathe, and check in with how you are feeling.

Because...

• Sometimes life can feel really challenging
• We all need to do a self check-in (probably more often than we do)
• We are not alone

Whether it’s challenges in our jobs or relationships, or the seemingly never-ending global pandemic that we’ve all been living through, it can feel like we’re carrying the weight of a mountain on our backs. Doesn’t it seem like when one thing goes wrong, there’s a snowball effect and all of a sudden there are issues everywhere you look? The saying, “when it rains it pours” is unnervingly accurate and these are the most critical times where we need to turn inwards. However, this can be so incredibly difficult to do. We know we need that RNR but the thought of self-care can sometimes actually induce more stress in people because...time? What time? We don’t have time. 

Right? Wrong. 

When we’re stretched too thin, we make mistakes. When we’re stressed, it’s difficult to think clearly. When we forget about the importance of regular self-care, that’s where we run into real trouble. For me, I deeply value my ritual of self-care but sometimes it feels like it’s really not able to be a priority because life takes over. 

“Humans are incredibly adaptable beings and we can train ourselves with habits that can either positively or negatively impact our wellbeing.”

If that last sentence resonates with you, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Here is the precise moment where we have to learn to get back in our self-care saddle and giddy up. Life is life and there will always be challenges that try to tear your routines to shreds but will you let it? Humans are incredibly adaptable beings and we can train ourselves with habits that can either positively or negatively impact our wellbeing.

Think about your habits for a minute and then I invite you to bust out a journal to answer the following questions.

• What has been worrying me or on my mind?
• What activities am I doing regularly to bring myself joy?
• Who is a part of my support system?
• When did I last eat a whole, nutritious meal?
• How will I move my body today?
  
  

“Sometimes you need to get a little lost to find your way back.”

It’s okay to feel lost. Sometimes you need to get a little lost to find your way back. Losing ourselves in art, love, or food is a wonderful thing to experience in life. Losing ourselves in the depths of self-criticism, stress, and worry is not. Finding our own path and learning that it’s okay to STOP and start over again is invaluable. The only permission you need comes from inside of YOU! 

Here are a few ideas of how you can incorporate more self care into your May:

1. Stop, drop, and breathe. When you’re really feeling it, literally stop what you are doing, get your tush on the floor, put your hands on your belly, and take 10 deep breaths in and out.
   
   
2. Write it out. Journal first thing every morning. I recently read a book called The Artist’s Way and author Julia Cameron calls this Morning Pages. The key here is that you write in a stream of consciousness, don’t correct any mistakes or misspellings, and don’t read it over! 
   
   
3. Affirmations. Use a dry erase marker to write out 3 affirmations on your mirror. 
   
   
4. Mask it up. Do a facial mask once a week. As it’s drying, repeat the affirmations from your mirror. 
   
   
5. Sweet treats. I’m a strong believer in sweet treats because sometimes we need a little sweetness in our lives! Get your favorite chocolate bar or ice cream and enjoy some guilt-free indulgence.
   
   
6. Daily walk. Everyday take a 20 minute walk outside, rain or shine. We need that fresh air and vitamin D to keep us healthy.
   
   



7. Spice up your hydration. Add a little pizzazz to your daily water intake and add fun ingredients like lemon, cucumber, mint, cinnamon or even berries! 
   
   
8. Try a new exercise. Google a nearby gym or studio that’s offering a free class for new students and try it out!
   
   
9. Rest. Try getting in bed 30 minutes earlier than your regular bedtime every night.
   
   
10. Do nothing. Yes, you read that right. Do nothing! Allow yourself to just sit or watch a movie or just go to a park and lay under a tree. We are hard on ourselves because we often think we’re not doing enough. Try and flip that script this month and indulge a little more.

Soak it up this month. You deserve it.

About Alexandra 

NOMaste was founded in 2013 by Alexandra Sirocky, a holistic entrepreneur who embraces a simple approach to living a balanced lifestyle. As a yoga instructor, sound therapist, holistic health coach, retreat leader, artist, photographer, micro-blogger and freelance content curator, her true passion is educating her clients on the importance of SIMPLE self-care. Embracing her mission to “heal yourself, heal the planet,” Alexandra dedicates her work to inspiring a greater sense of global community in service to living in symbiosis.

Follow her on Instagram @nomyogi