Simple Self-Care for May and Every Day!

By: Tracy Real, Safe Harbor Coronado

Have you reflected about what helps you feel your best? A beach walk, coffee with friends, a puppy snuggle, painting or reading- any of these things make you feel better? May Mental Wellness Month is a time to raise awareness and it serves as a reminder to take care of YOU!

 Identify the activities that bring you inner calmness and true fulfillment. You smile just thinking about it.  You may ask yourself – “Why haven’t I done this before or why don’t I do this more often?”  May is a great time to start; your mental health depends on it. We are here to help!

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well- being. It affects how people feel, think and act and is essential to overall health and quality of life. It is important because your family needs you to feel well, we want you to feel well, and Coronado benefits when we all genuinely feel our best. That said, life can be difficult, and things bring us down.

Simple sustainable activities, like self-care, can lift us and often bring long term joy. Develop these practices into regular, positive habits. They will make a difference.

Here are some simple self- care tips to implement in May and carry forward.

Social connections: Make sure you have people in your life that help you and make you feel better- a quick note, check in, golf game or walk.

Gratitude: Focus daily on what you are grateful for - health, milestones of your children, a flower blooming.

Positivity: Maintain a positive mindset. This shift gets you through problems easier and improves life satisfaction. You got this!

Lifestyle: Daily balance of work and play helps you feel strong professionally and personally. Leave work at an ideal time to go for a bike ride, play tennis or finish a book.

Sleep: 6-10 hours daily improves your cognitive function. Relaxing music can invoke better sleep.

Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated for optimal body functioning, mental acuity, and concentration. Prioritize your wellness.

Exercise: Physical activity promotes mental and physical well-being, keeps your body healthy and helps you feel better. Jogging, pickleball, gym visits-what helps you feel strong?

Joyful practices: Do something daily that brings you joy. Drink a frothy coffee, catch some waves, garden, giggle at comedy. If it is something you look forward to-----fantastic-that’s it! Keep it healthy, simple, and fun.

What do fellow Islanders do?

Check out these leaders’ input, “How you keep your mental health positive?”

"I keep a positive outlook on life by having a daily mental gratitude journal.  Each day I think of the things, activities, or people for which I am grateful."

-Anne M. Hill, Secretary, Board of Directors, Safe Harbor Coronado

-“If I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I enjoy working crossword puzzles and doing embroidery. The puzzles take my mind off my worries, and the embroidery is like meditation. Often if I’m trying to solve a problem I’ll just sit and stitch, and the solution will usually come to me. I also have tickets to a comedy show in May. There is nothing better for stress relief than laughter!”

- Ivy Weston, Senior Librarian for Programs, Outreach and Marketing, Coronado Public Library 

- "To keep my mental health positive, I focus on seeking and sharing joy.  When I am able to center my attention on all the light and love that surrounds us each day and strive to reflect that back to others, my overall well-being is improved.  And, a good dose of music and dancing provides a burst of joy just when I need it most!"

-Payton Hobbs, Head of School, Christ Church Day School 

- “I enjoy sports on every level! I incorporate fitness, a healthy diet, and watch sports with my lovely wife, as a way to maintain positive mental wellness. “

-Peter Harris, Principal, Sacred Heart Parish School

- “Playing tennis helps keep my mental health positive. It gets me outdoors, I get some exercise, and I am with friends. All those things are helpful in keeping my mood and attitude positive. “
-Debbie McBride, Board of Directors, Safe Harbor Coronado

- "I notice that my mood is much more positive all day long if I simply get out for a walk in the early morning. Even a quick 10-minute walk makes a huge difference. I get to see all of the beauty of Coronado.”

- Georgia Chakos Ferrell, Executive Director, Safe Harbor Coronado

“Before I go to bed I like to write about my day in a journal. I write down three things I am grateful for and a few personal goals. Writing in a journal helps me stay positive and track my progress.” - Chloe Von Koehe, Coronado High School Student; Safe Harbor Coronado Intern

“I do my best to maintain a positive state of mind and take care of my mental health by spending time with my friends when I feel stressed. They allow me to relax and escape from some of the negative things that can impact my mood. “

- Taylor White, Coronado High School Student; Safe Harbor Coronado Intern

You are probably taking part in many of these activities already. If they help you feel better, ensure you are incorporating them into your regular routine, even for a few minutes- a stretch, funny video, deep breaths, smelling a flower. Feeling like you need to change things up? Visit our website for resources and our May calendar for May Mental Wellness activities in the community hosted by our valuable partners. We are very excited; this a community wide effort- supporting wellness. Whether you want inspiring books from the library, a meditation, a yoga session, a massage at Sharp Coronado Hospital- there are many options. Check them out- see who is partnering. If you have an activity you want to promote, please let us know.

Join in!- Our website is updated daily with activities and resources you can use. Additionally, talk to your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues regularly – Connect!  Share and implement helpful strategies and encourage them to do the same so we ALL can take care of our mental wellness.

Mental wellness is a complex issue, but we are here to help. Resources and supports are available if anyone feels like they are struggling. At Safe Harbor Coronado we provide prevention, intervention, and low-cost counseling services to help Coronado residents. Daily practices that focus on gratitude, connections, and self-care also play crucial roles in maintaining mental health and support treatment as well as recovery if one has mental illness. 

Safe Harbor Coronado: 619-522-6884

Lifeline: 988.