Mental Health Tips from K-Coe Isom
Mental health is an area of our lives that we often struggle with as students and young adults. During these “uncertain times” it is difficult to know the source of the stress when we just want to blame it on the pandemic our friends at K-Coe Isom have given us some tips for recognizing our feelings. Here are a few tips on keeping your mind healthy!
Firstly, K-Coe recommends that we make points to keep connected with old friends who we sometimes forget to contact. This can be easier said than done, so it’s beneficial to be cognizant of keeping up with friends and family. If you find yourself thinking about friends or family then stop right there and shoot them a text and make a plan to facetime them some time in the next few days. This piece of advice can be summarized with the word connection.
They also talked about routines. Having a simple morning or night routine can make life seem more normal when everything around you may seem like chaos. A routine is linked to a happier mind, and thus, a happier life. If it’s hard for you to make a routine, then you can start small!
Mindfulness is the next key in maintaining your mental health. It may seem like a meaningless word for some people until you really know what it means. One way to describe it is living in the moment and taking some time to really sense the world around you. Take some time for a walk or listen to some good music. There are even apps out there for you to enjoy.
There have been studies done by Harvard Health into the benefits of expressing your gratitude explicitly. An easy method for accomplishing this task is by walking up to someone and saying, “Hey! What was the best part of your day?” and go from there. Reflecting over your day and picturing the positive things can also help put things in perspective.
We’ve talked about being mindful and cognizant of your mental health; K-Coe has given us a framework for doing just that! RAIN is a tool you can use to evaluate yourself and your situation. Here’s what it is:
Recognize that you’re struggling
Allow and accept your emotions
Investigate – ask yourself, “What is the story I’m telling myself?”
Nurture yourself
With these tools, you are ready to take care of your mental health!