In recent years, mental health has become a focus for many people. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say that they are prioritizing their mental health, or that they are in therapy to work on achieving their personal goals. However, many struggle with where to begin. How can one work on their mental health if they don’t know what to look for? In other words, how can you become more aware of your own mental health? Here are a few ideas:

1. An easy way to begin improving your awareness is to pay attention to your surroundings and to observe your senses. Although this sounds simple, it can be difficult to stop and observe when our world is so fast paced. Taking a few moments to notice things in your environment, what you feel, and what you sense can greatly improve your mental awareness. Do you see any animals? Is it cloudy today, or sunny? How much traffic is there? Like any other muscle, our brain needs to be trained, so think of this as a quick exercise to pause and take notice.
2. Mindfulness is an excellent tool for developing one’s awareness of their mental health. Simply put, mindfulness is a state of nonjudgmental awareness of what is happening in the current moment. In a state of mindfulness, a person surveys their own thoughts, feelings, and sensations without labeling them as good or bad. The key word is nonjudgmental. The goal isn’t to stop or change what we think or feel, but to simply become aware of it and to accept it. For example, rather than labeling your sadness as negative and upsetting, observe your sensations and accept your current state. Take a body scan and notice where you feel the sadness. Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel sad and that this feeling will pass eventually. The best part of mindfulness is that it’s easy to do anywhere. You can take a mindfulness walk or you could even take a five-minute mindfulness break at your desk.
3. Journaling is a simple yet effective way to improve your awareness. Taking five to ten minutes a day to log your thoughts, feelings, and mood can help you gain a better picture for where you stand. You can take it a step further and document how much sleep you’ve had, or whether you took time that day to self-care. Journaling helps us notice patterns, both behaviorally and emotionally. By taking a few moments a day to journal, you can train yourself to take time to observe and reflect upon your experiences, which can improve your awareness of your mental health over time.
4. Pause between activities and give yourself a break. A lot of people tend to work non-stop, rushing to go from one activity to the next. Over time, this can decrease their awareness and exhaust their mind. By taking a few moments in between activities, you can reward yourself with a small break and a chance to recharge and check in on yourself.
5. Eat mindfully! Yes, even eating differently can help, and I don’t mean specifically what you eat, but rather taking time to enjoy your meals. Many people eat in front of their TV, laptop, or phone and lose track of the sensation of tasting food. Instead, try to eat your meal free of distraction, at least once a day. If this sounds like a big jump, start small and dedicate ten minutes to eating mindfully at first. Having a short break to simply eat and enjoy your food can vastly improve your mental health while improving your awareness, too!