When your car isn’t running right, your mechanic pulls out the correct tools to get it running smoothly. Much the same way, your wellness toolbox provides you with the tools, coping skills and resources you need to tackle stress, anxiety and depression.
You probably include manicures, pedicures, facials or massages to keep your body looking and feeling 100%, but it’s just as important to include tools for your mental health.
Take the time to write down a list of activities that build you up, strengthen and fill you with joy. These should be the first tools you add to your wellness toolbox.
And don’t forget essential self-care activities like eating right, exercising and adequate sleep for your physical, mental and emotional health.
Now stock your wellness toolbox with strategies, skills and resources that support your healthy state of mind.
If you recharge by being alone:
- Draw or paint in a quiet space.
- Take a walk using meditative breathing techniques.
- Perform mindfulness exercises.
- Write or draw in a journal.
- Listen to music you love.
- Perform a routine activity like washing dishes or folding laundry.
- Limit screen time — read a book.
- Create a list of positives in your life.
- Download an app like Calm or Aura for meditations, music and stories anytime.
Not all tools are solitary. For social interaction:
- Call a friend and vent.
- Take that walk with a friend.
- Attend a support group.
- Visit a museum or botanical garden, and talk to people.
- Enroll in an art class.
- Play tennis or chess.
- Attend an exercise class, yoga or tai chi.
- Volunteer at an animal shelter and pet kittens or puppies.
Of course, wellness tools are not replacements for prescribed medication and therapy. Check with your physician for severe sleep problems, appetite changes, difficulty concentrating and loss of interest in enjoyable activities.
Otherwise, pull out that toolbox whenever you need it.
