I’ve been staring at the cursor on my computer screen for the last 10 minutes, willing my brain to think of some creative and amusing sports topic for my column. But nothing comes to mind. It seems strange to ascribe a physical feeling to my brain, but it’s tired. Those who know me and are familiar with my column know that I’m a teacher; the haul from the beginning of the year to our first legitimate break in November is by far one of the toughest parts of the year. I understand it doesn’t garner a lot of sympathy from people who work outside of education; generally people are bitter that we get any kind of break. But I promise if you spent some time in my teaching shoes, you’d feel the same.
Moral of the story, I’m mentally exhausted, drained, and all over the place. To be honest, I haven’t really “checked in” with myself mentally in a while, and that’s why my mind feels the way it does today. As someone who has always placed high value and emphasis on physical fitness, I think that concern for and attention to my mental health has always fallen to the bottom of my “life to-do pile.” And when I think about it, I think this is a problem that many of us suffer from.
We become so caught up in the minutia of the day-to-day, our careers, families, taking care of homes, some kind of social life, and working out. At the end of the day, we’re too tired to think about our minds and tune in to our mental health.
We spend so much time worrying about life and our physical fitness that we forget about something called mental fitness, and you won’t find it in the gym. As a teacher and a coach, I inherently spend most of my time taking care of and helping others. But in order to keep doing these things with enthusiasm, I need to work out my mental fitness.
Mental fitness can best be described as self-care, dedicating at least some part of each day to focusing on you. While it might be easier said than done, it is something that can be done in the span of five minutes (if you have five minutes to sit on your cellphone then …).
So why bother with self-care? I understand that it’s a term that usually makes people gag and think of Pinterest, but there’s more validity to it than one might think. As I grow older and plunge deeper into the rabbit hole of adulthood, I’m understanding the importance of looking after me.
So even if the term “self-care” makes you want to cringe, here’s how to take care of YOU:
1. Define self-care: This is an individual thing, and self-care will look different for everyone. What does it mean to you? What do you want to get out of it—less anxiety? More energy? More mindfulness? What would self-care look like for you?
2. Remember your worth: You are your most precious source of energy and power; if you don’t take care of yourself, who will?
3. Identify your emotions: As we proceed through the day, we rarely have time to process our emotions. Be there for yourself like you would be there for friends and loved ones. Don’t just react to your emotions, acknowledge them and allow yourself to feel them.
4. Listen to your inner voice: Over stated and often forgotten, your body and mind give you constant signals about things that may be distressing you, things that you may need to address.
5. Be patient with yourself: Adopting a self care routine and sticking to it can be as challenging as sticking to an actual fitness routine. Start small, try setting aside five to 10 minutes each day for yourself. If you mess up or miss a day, get over it and get back to it the next day. Give yourself grace; that’s probably the biggest part of self-care.
Now you’re ready to try a self-care routine right? Maybe not—self-care doesn’t have to be some cute list you find on Pinterest. It’s about YOU, what relaxes you? What makes you happy? What brings you peace during your day? Think about it, make a list, and go from there. Some basic self-care activities I like to employ are as follows:
1. Go for a walk.
2. Burn a favorite candle.
3. Dance around like an idiot.
4. Jump on your bed (I know that sounds ridiculous, but I’m serious).
5. Buy yourself flowers.
6. TURN OFF YOUR PHONE.
7. Stretch.
8. Read a book.
9. Meditate.
10. Watch things that make you laugh.
It’s not over indulgent, selfish, or stupid to take care of yourself. If you don’t take care of you, who will? Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness and shouldn’t be overlooked as taboo and a waste of time. It’s OK to spend some time looking after you, you might be surprised at the change in your energy and maybe even your perception of self. But what do I know? I’m just a Benchwarmer on a mission for mental fitness.
Sports Contributor Kristina Sewell can be reached through Managing Editor Joe Payne at [email protected].
