Here’s a question for you… why is it that we are all suuuuuper happy to spend almost any amount of money to be physically healthier…from the latest superfoods (goji berries anyone?) to the fancy gym membership to all manner of high performance footwear, the chia seeds and ten-dollar green smoothies, the list goes on! BUT…we are weirdly so much more resistant to investing financially in our MENTAL health in the same way?
Why is it that when it comes to our mental health, we expect it to…
a) magically take care of itself; and
b) do it for free, totally unsupported.
I think about this a lot…how mental health is the poor cousin in terms of financial priority, and I think it has a LOT to do with the fact we can SEE physical unfitness, whereas mental unfitness we cannot see, it’s something we FEEL. It’s also something we can more easily HIDE from others behind a cheery “Fine! Yes darling, I’m good. How are you?”.
Drives me mad, but there we are! When it comes to mental health, we want it on the cheap! So, in the interests of giving the people what they want, here are my personal TOP FOUR WAYS of improving your mental health FOR FREE!
1. JOURNALING
I say this ALL THE TIME: stressful thoughts and repetitive worries do NOT belong in your HEAD, they belong ON PAPER where you can see them. Analyse them for truth. Be more objective. Figure out solutions. Work your way to acceptance where needed. Illuminate your patterns. Getting clear on what’s bothering you in black and white and on paper is enormously powerful.
Personally, I journal several times a week. Not every day, but on the regular. It is like a spring clean for my brain. I type it as it’s faster, but obviously old skool pen and paper works too.
2. WALKING
Movement moves your mood. Fact. Movement helps your body process trapped emotions. Movement helps your mind unwind.
I walk every day. It’s a mental health maintenance baseline action in my opinion. It’s one of the mechanisms Mother Nature built in for us to stay healthy and well. If you want to improve your mental health: MOVE.
3. MEDITATE
I know many of you are rolling your eyes at this because you find meditation HARD. You are not wrong. It IS hard: we are SO overstimulated in today’s world that to DELIBERATELY slow your thoughts and to try to reach that place of stillness BEYOND thought is bleddy tricky (which is why we provide bespoke GUIDED meditations each month for Academy members as that’s a far easier route in).
When I spent a month at an ashram doing my yoga teacher training (about 20 years ago now, YIKES!), we would spend FOUR HOURS A DAY silently meditating and then chanting. FOUR. HOURS. Two first thing in the morning, and two in the evening. FOUR. HOURS. Sat cross-legged on a stone temple floor. You have no idea. Truly. ANYWAY, there is a reason why the practice of meditation has endured for THOUSANDS of years, and that’s because it WORKS, on a deeply restorative level spiritually and mentally.
I meditate just before bed. That’s the best time for me, although I know mornings are the traditional time. The key here is FREQUENCY. Small but daily. That’s where you get the biggest mental health pay off. Yes, this takes discipline, but this is a list of what is FREE, not what is easy! Like I say, that’s why we create bespoke guided meditations for Academy members each month to make this enjoyable, accessible and doable.
And onto the fourth most powerful way to improve your mental health that is FREE:
4. STOP AVOIDING YOUR PROBLEMS
Yup. You heard me!
STOP.
AVOIDING.
YOUR.
PROBLEMS
Stop avoiding them by drinking wine / over-eating / continually scrolling / gossiping / over-working / online shopping / continually complaining about the same stuff.
STOP avoiding them and repetitively going on about them and DEAL WITH THEM.
Set the boundaries you need to set and hold them. Have the hard conversation you don’t want to have but that is needed. Leave the situation that no longer serves you with a well-managed exit. Quit the self-sabotage and keep your word to yourself.
Avoiding dealing with our problems doesn’t make them go away: it makes us compensate in other ways that can then become a problem in their own right. It’s a GUARANTEED downwards spiral for our mental health. The way to improve it is to upskill ourselves to do what needs to be done, be courageous and deal with these situations DESPITE the discomfort it evokes.
Easy? No! But FREE.
So, there you have it…my TOP FOUR WAYS to improve your Mental Health that are FREE: all that’s required is self-discipline, courage and time.
As you may have realised these are all GREAT options, FREE (as per the brief!) but…NOT EASY. This my friend is true, which brings me back to my opening statement about all the money we are happy to spend to support and improve our physical health and appearance.
We EXPECT to spend money on that (it won’t take care of itself!) so we do. I’d like to encourage you to think in the same way about your mental health in 2024: far less about EXPENSE, and far more about EASE. Can you make it EASIER to support and improve your own mental health? Easier so you DO actually DO it!
Yes, you can. If you are looking to make mental health management EASIER and ready to INVEST a small amount to do that, I can give you the structure to do that. Everything above is easier within the supportive structure in My Coaching Academy, Wellbeing Warriors.
🖊️ Journaling becomes automated in the 2 minute a day daily challenge. Insight gets unlocked in the monthly worksheet.
🏃 Movement becomes more meaningful with the exercise challenges, the walking meditations and so much more.
🧘 Meditation itself becomes easily accessible with the bespoke guided audios that will have you sleeping better than you ever have.
❓ And as for stopping avoiding your problems and dealing: you get weekly live coaching, Q & A sessions, as well as tools and techniques on every aspect of mental health management, from boundary setting to having difficult conversations with confidence to a million things more.
Is it free? No. It’s $87 NZD or £39 GBP/mth. Will it be one of the best investments you EVER make in yourself? Absolutely yes.
For what it’s worth, I think you don’t SPEND money on your Mental Health, you INVEST IT. It’s our financial investment that pays the highest happiness dividends there are, because your mental health is the literal foundation of EVERYTHING ELSE in your life. It’s the investment that will pay you back the most handsomely every single day of your life. You feel happier and more in control.
Want to invest in supporting and improving your mental health? Here are three ways I can help…
1. Grab 101 self-care actions in a beautiful workbook that you can TICK OFF and scribble on PLUS my resource-packed, guided, mini self-care course for just £10!! Click HERE for that.
2. Join my Life Coaching Academy, Wellbeing Warriors for as little as $87 (NZD) or £39 (GBP) per month for daily, practical, doable support and structure to uplift and maintain your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing every day of your life. Click HERE for that.
3. Take part in my VIP 121 Coaching Programme for $5,000 NZD (£2,500 GBP) – a totally tailored-to-you, 2-6 month process: just you and me, unpacking and transforming whatever is stuck or difficult in your life. Spaces are extremely limited (we just opened up five spots and they sold out in 24 hours) and first priority goes to Members of my Coaching Academy. If you are interested in VIP Coaching with me, you can waitlist here and I’ll let you know the next time I have a space available.
