Thanksgiving is an amazing time for families to come together and reflect on the past year. However, much like any holiday time a lot of interpersonal anxiety and stress happens during this time period. But there are many ways to combat this stress and give yourself a “mental health check”.
Mental health checks allow for people to check in on themselves and make sure they are doing essential things for themselves that can be easily overlooked when overworked. Some questions you can ask yourself or even others that you may feel are struggling during this time and really any other include:
- How am I feeling?
- This should be both physically and mentally. Remember to be honest with yourself and others about your mental state.
- When did I last drink water and eat?
- This is something easily overlooked. Many of us already drink much less water than we should but combine this with a missed lunch because you’re working on a project or you have an emergency zoom meeting and it begins to add up. Always remember to stay hydrated and try to eat a healthy and balanced meal at least 3 times a day. Food is needed for us to complete everyday task and without it, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
- Have I been outside today and how long have I spent on technology?
- Though we are all going through unprecedented times it’s important to go outside and get some rays (Always remember to wear sunscreen). Some negative effects of low vitamin D include mood changes, bone loss, and fatigue. Plus it’s always good to go out and get some fresh air. Additionally, though many of us have to use our phones and computers for hours at a time for school, work, and other activities it is important to remember that prolonged activity on any device is not healthy. It has been suggested that we take a 5 min break every 30 mins.
Though these are all very small things, most people easily overlook them. Many people may not realize that these things that seem very minimal start to add up, and eventually will affect our mental health. This is why it’s important to check up on both ourselves and others.
-E.G.