The Importance Of Mental Health

the importance of mental health

introduction

mental health is about our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. it impacts how we think, feel, and act in our daily lives, affecting our ability to cope with stress, relate to others, and make decisions.

every day, our mentality influences our experiences and reactions, emphasizing the importance of continuous care and attention to our mental health. as the foundation of our total well-being, mental health determines our ability to live a full life, it is critical to prioritize its maintenance and improvement.

a lot of times when we read glow-up blog posts and watch videos on how to glow up, a common theme is the emphasis on mindset. this focus is not incidental; our mindset is deeply intertwined with our mental health and changing your mindset to a better one is prioritizing mental health which means practicing mental health, allows you to grow mentally and physically.

understanding why and how mental health is important

understanding the importance of mental health goes beyond simply acknowledging its impact on our daily lives. It's about acknowledging that, just like physical health, mental health requires regular effort and care. this means being aware of stress levels, emotional responses, and mental tiredness.

life is filled with challenges, from minor setbacks to major crises, and our mental health influences how we navigate these obstacles. a strong, healthy mind allows us to bounce back find solutions to problems, and maintain a positive outlook even in tough times.

ignoring mental health can have serious consequences, including feeling anxious or sad. as a result, it's important to get treatment when necessary and to encourage people around us who may be hurting. investing in mental health benefits both individuals and society. When people are mentally healthy, they are more productive and can make positive contributions to their communities. schools and workplaces are becoming more aware of this and some are now instilling mental health activities and time frames.

ways to practice mental health

practice mindfulness and meditation

engage in regular physical activity

maintain a balanced diet

get adequate sleep

establish a routine

set realistic goals

stay connected with loved ones

seek professional help when needed

limit screen time and social media use

engage in hobbies and activities you enjoy

practice gratitude and positive thinking

take breaks and avoid overworking

learn stress management techniques

keep a journal

spend time in nature

mental health is an important component of our overall health and happiness. we can lead more balanced, resilient, and satisfying lives if we recognize its importance and make efforts to nourish our mental health daily.

"mental health is not a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going." — Noam Shpancer

other helpful links

importance of mental wellbeing

Dr. Noam Shpancer — Why Are So Many Young People Struggling, and What Can Be Done? by Seth Gillihan, PhD

remember, the goal is not to achieve perfect mental health, but to continually look for ways to improve our mental well-being.

hope you have a wonderful day

xoxo temi 💓

a simple, no BS rundown on how to ACTUALLY reach your goals

Because grass is greener where you water it. Not the other side.

1. Stop the overconsumption

This is #1 for a reason because just like the majority of individuals who set goals and research how, we often find ourselves stuck in a

"get inspired > overconsume self care content > we get that quick dopamine > never actually pursue our goals or cannot go 1-3 months without being consistent." cycle.

That all ends with this post. Let me keep it simple and straight to the point. Your brain is not designed to hold an overload of information at once for something so straightforward as the pursuit of goals - there is never a need to go down a YouTube or Tumblr self care post rabbit hole when they all essentially regurgitate the same, core information.

Besides, no amount of information will prove beneficial if you aren't willing to commit to goal execution.

2. Identify your ULTIMATE goal

Look back on all the years that have gone by. What aspect of your life makes you feel like you need to improve? What do you truly want to achieve right NOW?

Was it the lack of exercise you got? Your low grades? Your poor relationships with others and yourself? Mental health issues? Unhappy with your job? Financial stress? Pinpoint the areas of your life that carry the most weight at this time.

Depending on what you feel, you may feel unhappy with the way you handle your responsibilities or the way you can't seem to navigate through your hardships.

An example goal to combat these problems would be: to be more self reliant.

Now, narrow down your focus to three pivotal habits that will guide you toward this ultimate goal.

3. Focus on 3 KEY HABITS that help you achieve that ULTIMATE goal

I think being self reliant should be or is a subliminal goal everyone has. I mean, this is your life, only you can make things happen and that all depends on your self reliance.

Narrow down your focus to three pivotal habits that will guide you toward this ultimate goal.

The 3 Key Habit Areas:

Productivity

Skills

Exercise

Pick 1 for each.

Why only 3 habits? What person doesn't want to be good at a million things? While wanting to constantly reinvent ourselves and have a reset or implement the 12 week year into our lives, it’s very easy to get carried away.

Yes, not even the sky's the limit! You can be and do whatever your heart yearns if you know it's your calling or if you truly know it'll make you happy but when it comes to goal setting, we will pile so much more than we can handle at once and you know what that does?

Creates excitement

As we try to tackle all these goals/habits, it gets overwhelming- unsustainable.

And because it got overwhelming, you'll start to "fall behind" on being consistent in every one.

If you "fail" to be consistent or expect yourself to be a master at it within the first 2 weeks, you'll throw in the towel and say "Well. Since I can't do this, I might as well give up altogether."

And you go on living the same life you wanted to improve from.

So AS MUCH as you want to do it all right now, take it slow and easy. This isn't to say you can't be all the things you aspire to be. I am saying to take it one step at a time. You have to walk before you can run.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Ideas for those 3 key habits

Habit: a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

Productivity:

Practice the 2 minute rule

Create a time block schedule that is flexible

Plan the next day and set priorities on your to-do list

Practice digital minimalism

Wake up at 5-6am and allocate “me time” before you jump into work/studying.

Skills:

Learn a tech skill (coding, editing/design, typing)

Learn a high value language (immerse, learn the alphabet)

Have better handwriting

Learn calligraphy

Dedicate AT LEAST an hour to this habit everyday. Choose something you enjoy. Don't make this feel like a chore.

Exercise:

10k steps a day

Practice dance (choreography online, ballet, jazz, contemp.)

Martial arts inspired exercises

100 crunches a day

Add stretching to these habits

3. Create a SIMPLE, fail proof plan that works for YOU.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

3 habits. 2 of which should take at least 2 hours of your whole day. If you can't do that then you need some self-assessing to do.

Assess whether you work better in the morning or at night

Plan what hours you're going to do them.

Print out a paper with a time block schedule, set it infront of your desk, make it a widget on your phone, tape it on your room wall- anywhere where you can easily keep track of the time and what you should be doing now and in the next hour.

Example schedule that most people can relate to:

Productivity | Skill | Exercise

Wake up at 6am - me time (skincare, calm music, stretch)

7am - Full body exercise.

8-9am - Get ready for the day and head to work

13:00 - Break time (read a book, walk around for some peace of mind, or immerse yourself in the language you chose)

17:00 - Come back home and rewind. (eat, settle down, walk the dog)

18:00 - Learn how to code

19:00 - Get ready for the next day by planning

20:00 - Shower & get ready for bed

4. Reflect, always!

Keep a track of your consistency. 

This doesn't have to be an inconvenience or all set to be pretty and aesthetic.

Print out a habit tracker and tape it, along with a pen on a wall, next to your vanity, wherever is convenient and hard to miss so you can easily mark it off.

If it's close to bedtime, make it a routine to check what you have yet to accomplish.

You knocked off learning how to code, your phone says you walked 10k steps, but you see that you forgot to drink water? Then drink a sufficient glass of water, and place a check in the box.

Quick. Simple. Easy. No excuses.

There. 1 week goes by, soon 3 weeks, then a month, that month turns into 2, then 3, and those "goals" are now habits. A part of your daily routine. They become non-negotiables.

Just like how it's routine for you to go to wake up, brush your teeth, and get dressed everyday. 

Now that you created a set of habits, you can build upon them. In a few months time when you feel that it is right, create another action plan and introduce 3 new habits.

For example, you can try another dance style, wake up at an even earlier time, and you can learn how to speak another language or to put it simply, make it goal to reach an advanced level of your new skills

Another example could be towards a more specific ultimate goal. Like taking care of your outward appearance.

Habits for that ultimate goal can look like:

Putting on skincare oils to reduce scars

Growing your glutes + massaging your muscles

showering + brushing your teeth everyday

Rinse and repeat.

Remember that only you can save you. Only you are there for you. Your future is built now.

You don't need luck. You need self love.

— dreamdolldiary ₊˚🕯️♱‧₊˚. 

notion reset: new quarter edition and others

As July marks the beginning of a new quarter, I have decided to make a blog post on how I use notion to reset for a new quarter. In this blog post, I'll share how I use notion to reset for the new quarter and provide tips on how you can integrate these strategies into your routine.

why reset by quarter?

I started resetting by quarter, at the beginning of the year I watched a YouTube video explaining the 12-week-year method (the video included a notion template which is the one I use for my reset) and resetting by quarter has really helped me keep track of my goals (i do also reset by week and month but resetting by quarter is more in-depth in keeping track of my goals)

what is the 12-week year method?

the 12-week year method is a productivity and goal-setting system designed to help individuals and organizations achieve more in a shorter period. developed by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, this method shifts the traditional annual planning mindset to a more focused 12-week cycle.

review the past month

I review by month not by quarter (this is reflecting on the past month, in my diary notion template) before diving into planning for the new quarter or month, it's essential to reflect on the past. here’s how I do it:

achievements and highlights: I found this template at the beginning of the year and I have edited it to match my own taste (I’ll link the template below), this particular template has a monthly reset prompt and that is what I use. I create a new page for the diary database and I fill in the prompts. this helps me recognize my progress and stay motivated.

the first picture is how the database looks on the outside, I’ve already reviewed for June and planned for July, and the second picture is how it looks on the inside, I used my July database as it is really only my goals that are on there, when I’m doing my reset, I review my goals below the divider, if I didn’t complete a certain goal I write about that and if I did complete it I write about how it worked out for me

goal setting for the new quarter

it's going to get a tad bit complicated here but I hope you understand it, first off I have multiple notion pages for each thing, I have a language learning page, and I have a learning space (for other things I learn like online courses or skills that are not necessarily school work) lately I started learning “the introduction to public relations” online.

what I do for my weekly reset is I add each lesson to the database, and for my language learning space I have a goals page there specifically for my language goals (at the beginning of the month I add my language goals, while during the week I add lessons that aid those language goals)

after setting those up, I then move on to my dreams and goals page, this page is where everything is and it's all kind of connected. at the start of the year, I added all the goals I wanted to achieve this year to the main database and in that database is a task list database when I complete tasks it updates my progress bar, and at the start of a new quarter, I add tasks to each goal for that quarter. and each day i go to the main tasks page and update it. tasks are divided by day, week and overdue

the goals that are completed are my goals for the first quarter. after I’ve set up my language goals, and tasks under my goals for each month, I then divide everything into tasks on the 12-week year page, it's divided by days and weeks (just in a table really simple and easy), below you, can see the results of the first quarter and also the planning for the first week of July.

updating my dashboard

workout schedule: I do this weekly though I add whatever workout plan I’m following to my fitness database

habit tracker: consistency is key to achieving goals. I use a habit tracker to monitor daily habits that contribute to my larger objectives

I update a lot of pages with templates for a new day, and I’m just going to list them out and add the pictures below

cleaning database

self-care tracker

skincare tracker

Bible study page

Finance page

game plan

meal planner/kitchen

Tomato Pomodoro (I update this each day with tasks from 12 week year, to use the Pomodoro timer and see how much time I spend on a certain thing)

tips for integrating notion into your routine

start small: if you’re new to notion, start with a simple setup and gradually expand as you become more comfortable.

utilize templates: notion offers a variety of templates that can save you time and give you a head start.

customize to your needs: personalize your notion workspace to fit your unique workflow and preferences.

consistency is key: regularly updating and reviewing your notion pages is essential for staying organized and achieving your goals.

for those who are just starting with notion and those who prefer something simple or just don’t have time to learn notion, get a template. I’ve been using notion for approximately 3 years now, when I started I used “the throne of pages” notion template and I didn’t get it but over the years I learnt it because I had time and wanted to learn. if you’re just looking to use notion simply get a template, there are many free and paid notion templates and you just need to find what works for you. don’t be overly complicated like me. like I said before I am obsessed with notion.

disclaimer: most of my personal templates are free templates, I edited them to my liking. the ones I can find I’ll link below

helpful links yana’s template (the one with the diary database) full template of where I got the learning space from throne of pages template cleaning notion template my notion pinterest board

finally, you can also check out “dewsnotion” tag in my blog for more of my notion templates and just blog posts I've written related to notion.

I hope this helps in some way temi out 🎀

Here's the link to my college fund gofundme. No pressure, nothing like that. I appreciate this community. If you guys can reblog this post, I'd really appreciate it. I wouldn't make a gofundme if I wasn't stressed and a little desperate to be able to stay in college. My degrees and education mean the world to me. I love you all.

https://gofund.me/772b73e9

here's my post describing why I made a gofundme:

🩷

day 2/30 || 14/08/2024 || memoriesndew gbc✰

reflection:

𐙚 today didn't start so great, but I think it ended well

achievements:

updated my studio notion page to be more functional

walked for about 32 mins

practiced korean on duolingo for 15 mins

added goal tracker to language learning page

stretched for about 3-5 mins

read my Bible and journaled

habit tracking:

30mins+ daily movement 10mins+ journaling 30mins+ korean study complete 2+ work tasks quiet time

photos credit: pinterest