Health is more than just being shredded. You can be 7% body fat and completely miserable. Health is about your body AND your mind. 

Your mental health is just as important as progressing towards the body you want and often isn’t considered when it comes to building and maintaining a wellness routine. Which is strange considering it impacts your energy, sleep, productivity, relationships, social life, diet and so much more. 

Life isn’t easy and we all have times where we feel overwhelmed, out of control, and stressed out. So when the going gets tough, use these 7 tips to create some stability and help you gain control back.

1. Stop the self-criticism. 

Would you speak to a friend the way that you speak to yourself? If the answer is no, it’s time to reevaluate. Being critical of your surroundings can be beneficial but being constantly critical of yourself is a slow road to poor self-esteem, unrealistic expectations, and

If you find yourself doing this, all you have to do is recognise it. Pay attention to the negative thoughts and see if you can find a pattern or a reason. It can also be helpful to counteract the negative self-talk with something logical and realistic. Similar to the advice you would give a friend in the same position. 

2. Toxic people and toxic environments have to go.

We’re not saying you have to cut everyone off but we are saying there are certain people and places that don’t deserve as much of your energy. Hoping for a miracle here only hinders your wellness journey and creates a level of chronic stress that can prevent you from reaching your health and fitness goals. So…

Clean and declutter your space and fill it with things that inspire you or keep you motivated. 

Avoid people and situations that are negative or that drain you of your energy. 

Stop people-pleasing and start prioritising yourself. 

3. Sleep and diet are king.

If you think you’re going to train yourself out of a poor mental state, you’re wrong. Exercise does wonders for your mood but if you really want to gain control back, you need to also focus on sleeping 7-8 hours per night and eating healthy. 

Foods which are proven to boost your mood are; fatty fish, bananas, oats, berries, nuts and seeds, coffee, and fermented foods rich in pre and probiotics. Steer clear of processed food high in sugars, refined carbs and saturated fats as they wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels and can cause a level of fatigue you don’t need when you’re already feeling low. 

4. Develop a de-stress list. 

This is a list you can save somewhere on your phone of activities you can do to self-soothe when you start feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. For example…

Breathing exercises. 

Reading or writing. 

Drawing or playing an instrument.

Taking a short walk.

Taking a bath. 

Listening to soothing music. 

Meditation.

5. Socialise, the right way. 

It is well known that socialising is extremely beneficial for your mental health. It gets you out of your own head and into your body, into the present. It’s common to cut off all social interactions when you’re not feeling your best but it’s important to push through this. 

Choose a community of people who support you no matter what. People who bring out the best in you and provide meaning and fulfilment to your life. This could be family and friends but it could also be your local gym, group fitness club, church, football team etc.

Gaining control and prioritising your mental health is difficult but it shouldn’t be seen as a weakness to speak or ask for help. Try implementing one of these tips this week and see how much better you feel!