Hi There My Lovely

Ever feel like it’s all just too much…like the world’s getting on top of you? So in this post, let’s talk about why you need to take this seriously. Here’s 12 ways to Rejuvenate With A Mental Self-Care Day.

Some Days You Just Don’t Cope Mentally

You don’t feel like you’re coping. Crap seems to keep happening, nothing goes right. When your head’s just not in the game. I’m certain you know what I mean…the days when you wish you could just stay in bed.

It doesn’t matter what stage of life you’re in.

These are times when life’s all too much and you really feel like you need an ‘I Refuse To Get Up’ day. So…why don’t you take one?

Self-Care Is Essential For Your Mental Health

In modern life, we’re so conditioned to believe that it’s lazy to have any off day…particularly if we’re not physically ill.

That we’re unmotivated if we don’t want to get up and get into what needs to be done, and the guilt of not achieving enough can be overwhelming.

I know there are days where I just want to SHOUT:

“I’ve had enough and I don’t care who knows it!”

I think as women, we are particularly susceptible because we naturally think we should be able to multi-task, and just as well we’re able to or goodness knows, so much just wouldn’t get done!

Biological Rhythms (biorhythms) are the natural cycle of change in our body’s chemicals.

Even though we have days where our biorhythms are down causing a dip in our energy level, we can still get on with everything without falling in a heap.

But that doesn’t mean we should!

It’s like an internal clock located in our brain. It can get out of kilter sometimes. Mostly we just feel a little tired and less motivated than normal until it returns to normal.

BUT…there are days, for women and men when we just don’t cope with life.

No-one bats an eyelid if we’re physically unwell and need to see a doctor. But what society doesn’t really like to acknowledge is that at times we can be mentally unwell.

…not psychotic unwell!

Not running down the street with the meat cleaver unwell… (ok, yes… sometimes I feel that way!)

More just a ‘Stop the World, I Want to Get Off’ type of unwell.

These are the days when we need to seriously rejuvenate with a mental self-care day.

Hormone Fluctuations Affect Us All

So why is it, that some days we just don’t cope well mentally? Well, hormones play a huge part in our moods.

The brain relies significantly on proper hormone balance in order to function correctly.

Our main hormones are Estrogen, Testosterone, and Progesterone. These are all present in both women and men in differing proportions.

And yes, there are other very relevant hormones besides these. But, these work directly with our brain and are responsible for our mood and state of mind.

But if any of these are too low for any reason, it can have a detrimental impact on you, physically, mentally, and emotionally… manifesting as mood swings, among other things.

This is especially true in women during menopause.

Plus, it’s now known that men have a type of menopause. We may jokingly call it a mid-life crisis, but the medical term is Andropause and it’s directly related to decreases in testosterone levels that occur with age.

However, unlike menopause in women, the effects are more gradual in men.

Read more on how these hormones affect women throughout our life. Commonly, unless you have a serious hormone imbalance, the effects are minor and limited.

But that doesn’t diminish the fact that some days you can feel like ‘crap’ and unable to cope with the world.

It’s not considered acceptable AT ALL to take a day off work for ‘bad mood’ days. But our state of mind is just as important as our physical health. All self-care is vital for our wellbeing (related post)

Physical AND Mental Self-Care Need To Be Taken Seriously.

These have to function together otherwise one will impact the other, and the day will probably be a total right-off anyway as far as achieving anything meaningful.

These are the times when it’s critical to take some time for yourself.

All too often we hear the term mental health in relation to depression, anxiety, and fear of failure and these are serious issues.

But I wonder how much could be offset but taking the time to stop worrying so much about societal expectations.

And instead, make the decision to rejuvenate with a mental self-care when you need it. If that means taking a day off every now and again, so be it!

This is especially important during Covid-19 as the level of mental anguish, stress and depression is at an unprecedented high in the world’s population.

Please don’t misunderstand me.

I’m not advocating for using any excuse not to go to work. Most people can’t risk any issues with job stability.

This is really about when life has got on top of you and you’re feeling so mentally ‘wasted’ that you just need a day to recoup…no different than if you feel physically unable to work.

Don’t Let Stress & Anxiety Get The Better Of You

Fundamentally we all realize that stress and anxiety are extremely unhealthy, and whilst a certain level of stress is necessary for survival, the amount we allow ourselves to endure in modern life is unsustainable.

Sooner or later it does have an impact in some form or another.

We’re not robots, not yet anyway (although I’m sure that’s coming) We can’t always function at our best. Sometimes, we have to accept that we need some downtime.

You only have to look at the growing cases of serious illness in America and this is even before we were dealing with the mental effects of the pandemic.

The UK, Western Europe, and Australia aren’t far behind…all experiencing spiraling health issues.

Now obviously there are many other factors involved in the state of these country’s healthcare crises.

But…overwork, refusal to recognize when our mental wellness is taking a beating, and the need for an occasional ‘I’m Staying In Bed Day’ is a good start.

Everything can’t always be about corporate wealth.

Somehow it appears that a focus on human health is getting lost in the world’s insatiable need for profits.

Among so many other issues, this has resulted in the stigma that is still attached to having a Mental Health sickness day, and this needs to change for the good of us all.

Make The Most Of Your Mental Self-Care Day

Remember…it’s your day. You NEED it. So spend it anyway you want to. If that means all day in bed then so beit!

PLEASE don’t be tempted to spend this valuable time on any work-related project!

All too soon you’ll need to face the world again, but you will feel rejuvenated and more inclined to take ‘time out’ the next time it all gets on top of you because you’ll reap the benefits.

12 Ways To Rejuvenate With A Mental Self-Care Day

 1. Don’t get out of bed until you feel ready to…or not at all.

 2. Make yourself a great breakfast and take it back to bed.

 3. Have a long hot shower or a bubble bath (with candles)

 4. Read something inspirational (not the news or SM…please!)

 5. Do yoga, pilates, or just simple stretching exercises at home.

 6. Play with the dog, cat, bird, ferret..whatever pet you have.

 7. Binge-watch Netflix but something uplifting and inspiring.

 8. Bake some chocolate chip cookies just for you. No sharing!

 9. Spend the day reading a good book in your pajamas or bathrobe.

10. Do some journalling, be creative and honest (no-one sees it)

11. Color some adult coloring books (these aren’t for kids)

12. Put your favorite music on and dance naked…it’s liberating.

Conclusion

So, do you feel rejuvenated, back to normal, ready to take on the world again in all its complicated glory?

Maybe we can slowly change the perception towards mental wellness days being as important as physical ones.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever felt this way…bet you have!