Smart Moves

10Self-care

OUR MENTAL WELLBEING BATTERY

Let's think about our mental wellbeing as a battery. In order to keep our minds and bodies healthy, we want to make sure that our battery stays as fully charged as possible. Every week, we experience and do things that both drain our batteries and energise our batteries.

In the image on the next page, the activities on the left are some examples of what may drain you. This can include a range of things, such as being burnt out, going through a break-up, toxic friendships, health issues and feelings of stress and anxiety. On the other hand, the activities on the right are some examples of what may energise you. This can include self-care, taking the time to rest, practising regular gratitude and investing in yourself.

Think about an average week in your life. Do you feel like you're always running on zero? Are you always counting down the days to the weekend only to feel too exhausted and unmotivated to do anything? If your week is filled with activities, experiences and feelings that drain your mental wellbeing battery, you are going to feel constantly depleted and defeated.

The good news is your battery can be re-charged. And there's two ways to do so.

Firstly, limit your exposure, where possible, to activities that drain you. Life is filled with unpredictable events and stressors, so it's impossible to completely eliminate or avoid ...