Find the Tools to Thrive this Summer

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this year’s theme is finding the ‘Tools 2 Thrive.’ Finding the tools that help you feel mentally and emotionally healthy is a lifelong journey that takes constant fine tuning and consideration. But taking care of your brain doesn’t have to be constant work—it can be fun, too! If you’re looking to round out or revitalize your self-care toolkit, check out some of these tried and true (+ new and fun) strategies below:

Utilize Exercise & Physical Activity

Sometimes the easiest way to help your held feel less bogged down by intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or sadness is to connect with your body via movement. If rigorous exercise isn’t your thing, a quick stretch or a 20 minute walk can do wonders for your well-being. Exercise feels different for everyone so try a variety of things and see what works for you. Summer is the perfect time to dance, swim, run, play sports, and practice yoga outside.

Another way to get into your body is by way of meditation, a multi-genre practice that brings your focus onto breathing and being mindful of the present moment. A simple way to start meditating is by sitting in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and observing your breath for five minutes. It’s okay if your mind drifts or wanders. When you notice it, return your attention to your breath. Practicing meditation can give us better access to what’s happening inside of our bodies, i.e. my stomach is bothering me because I’m anxious, my back hurts because I didn’t sleep well.

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the most commonly recommended techniques for bolstering our mental wellbeing. Check out this article on how gratitude can literally alter your brain chemistry. Practicing gratitude can be as simple as reminding people that you’re thankful for them or as elaborate as writing a weekly thank you note to someone you appreciate. If you need help with accountability, pick a trusted loved one with whom you can send and receive daily gratitude lists. Though gratitude isn’t a magic cure-all for hard times, cultivating your gratitude practice can help you lean into appreciation for little moments of magic throughout your week.

Make Mental Health a Learning Opportunity

If you’ve ever tried therapy, you know that you often receive homework just like in class. Therapists utilize a wide range of therapeutic schools of thought to help their patients cope; in fact, many therapists utilize multiple therapeutic techniques per session. A good entry point to working with mental health tools is regularly seeing a therapist or counselor who is licensed and experienced in the field. If therapy isn’t feasible for you, you can also read books, do your own internet research, and take classes. The more you see your mental health as a lifelong learning opportunity, the less hard you’ll be on yourself for not being mentally “perfect.” Check out Self’s list of therapist book recommendations as a place to start, but be sure to explore books that make sense for what you personally want to learn about.

Find Rituals to Return to

Something relatively simple but powerful is creating and recognizing rituals that help you feel grounded and connected. This can look wildly different depending on the person and their interests. What makes you feel like you? What helps you unwind and relax after a difficult day? For some, cooking a delicious meal might help them feel productive, relaxed, and capable of caring for themselves. For others, playing video games and catching up with friends might make them feel connected and excited. Think about the activities that you genuinely enjoy and feel bolstered by and then find ways to make these rituals parts of your daily, weekly, or monthly routines.

Call on Mantras During Hard Moments

Sometimes we need tools to snap us out of negative thought loops. One strategy is putting a rubber band on your wrist that can help you literally *snap* out of it. A mantra is another. A mantra is a word or phrase that can redirect your thoughts to empowerment, self-compassion, or acknowledgment of what you’re going through. Mantras are highly personal and specific to what you need to hear in difficult situations. Figure out what might work for you by testing different phrases and seeing how they impact your thoughts. Once you find a few that work, write them down and leave them places for your future self to find. Try to choose spaces you frequent a lot or tend to experience stress, anxiety, or sadness, that way, when you need it most, your mantra will find you.   

Prioritize Play & Rest

Summer is the perfect time to lean into your hobbies, your passions, and the projects and people that bring you joy. It’s also a time for adventure, travel, and trying new things. But if you’re feeling understandably burnt out and exhausted from the past year, take your summer slow and try to strike a balance between doing fun things and resting. Socializing can be exhausting for some, especially after a year of highly limited social interactions, so ease into it, do what feels right for you, and remember, if you’re ever overwhelmed or uncomfortable somewhere, leaving is an option.

Find a Balance Between Courage and Care

Sometimes our own fears, doubts, and insecurities prevent us from trying new things, going new places, and doing things that scare us. In these moments, I’d encourage you to explore the anxieties you’re feeling. Are they true? Is there a way you can plan for the worst-case scenario in order to assuage them? Empower yourself towards courage while tending towards care, aka do things that scare and challenge you (in a good way) and practice self-care throughout. If you do something that ends up being harder and scarier than you expected, that’s just more knowledge to add to your toolkit. Don’t let your mind wall off your ability to do things that impress you and build your confidence. Acknowledge your anxieties, make sure they feel heard, and then do things that inspire a more courageous and confident you.

For more ChathamU specific mental health resources, check out our Pulse@ChathamU collection. Remember that the Counseling Center is here for you, with office hours from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Or, try the peer-to-peer support platform TalkCampus, where peers and professionals are available 24/7 to talk or text.