7 Mental Health Tips for Women To Put Into Practice

In honor of Women’s History Month, let us briefly ponder the extraordinary history of womanhood. Transcending centuries and generations, women have continued to face infinite obstacles and prejudices, with women of color experiencing a disproportionate amount of discrimination and limitations as it relates to fair and equal rights. 

Even so, women have continued to exhibit a remarkable capacity for resilience and perseverance. The inspirational work of women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maya Angelou, Rosalind Franklin, Jane Austen, Serena Williams and Frida Kahlo remind us that despite the walls placed in front of us, women are the backbone of some of the most monumental social, political, and cultural changes throughout history. 

But sometimes the need to be resilient can begin to impact our emotional, mental and physical health. So, as we celebrate our strengths and remarkable triumphs, consider the following seven mental health tips with the hope of pouring back some attention and energy into yourself. 

1. Pause and celebrate the ways you show up   

Women often feel pressure to show up fully and perfectly in all the areas of our lives — in our families, relationships, at work, in our community and as it relates to our health, our hobbies, etc. Society often pulls us into narratives that perfection and completeness are the criterion in which we need to evaluate ourselves, and anything short of perfection is a personal failure. But we can push back on these narratives — we don’t have to buy into them. It can be so easy to miss the ways that we are showing up in our various roles and spaces.  

Put It Into Practice: Consider taking a moment throughout your day to celebrate all the amazing ways you ARE showing up each day. Maybe it’s a moment in which you took a risk at a meeting, or maybe it’s choosing to focus on how you made it to your child’s musical, even if you weren’t fully present or engaged. Maybe it’s recognizing the fact you got up out of bed this morning. Nothing is ever “too small” to celebrate.  

2. Practice mindfulness  

Mindfulness is the practice of noticing our present experiences: our thoughts, feelings, senses, urges, etc. without judgment or criticism. Mindfulness calls on us to notice with curiosity, which can help us move through tricky moments of anxiety, when negative thoughts and beliefs pop up, or when our mind sends us comparisons that don’t serve us. 

Put It Into Practice: There are countless ways to practice mindfulness and whereas there is no perfect “right” way to start practicing, one idea is to set a timer for 60 seconds, and practice noticing (without judgment) what enters your mind. Then, once you notice whatever is entering your mind, envision putting that thought/image/urge/feeling on a cloud and watch it float away. 

3. Consider body neutrality 

Throughout cultural shifts and decades, women remain on the receiving end of persistent messaging about what an ideal women body “should” look like. And yet, women continue to organize movements that encourage us to push back against these rigid societal expectations.  

One current social movement that is gaining attention is the movement of body neutrality. Body neutrality invites us to consider that a way to improve body image is to stop working so hard at trying to love our bodies and instead change our mindset to one that is more indifferent, or neutral. 

Body neutrality says it’s ok to not love your body. Working towards this level of acceptance can remove unwanted pressure to change how we feel about our bodies, freeing us up to engage in other aspects of our lives that are important to us. Because, at its core, body neutrality encourages us to consider that as women, we are each beautifully complex and there is much more to us than how we look or feel about our bodies. 

Put It Into Practice: Brainstorm a coping statement you want to try to use when you notice your mind is criticizing your appearance or body. One example is: “I really dislike my arms, and that’s fine. I know it’s easy for people to be self-critical of their appearance in today's society.” 

4. Pour energy into your values 

Values are our personal compasses that help us feel connected to ourselves. Values are different from goals in that they are more fluid, usually more available to us, whereas goals are typically black/white and not always accessible. 

In a fast-moving society that often tells women what we should value, it’s understandable if it feels hard, or maybe a little unnatural, to think about your values. But personal value exploration can be worthwhile, because typically, the more time spent towards our unique values, the more contentment and fulfillment we experience. 

Put It Into Practice: Take a few minutes to explore the Values Checklist (adapted from The Confidence Gap: From Fear to Freedom by Russ Harris) in the resources section at the bottom of this article and see what you can discover as it relates to your values! 

5. Focus on what you can control 

With social media ever so present in many of our lives, it’s sometimes easy to get bogged down and feel distressed by current events.  When we feel out of control, it is natural to look for ways that give us a perceived sense of control and safety, such as watching the news repetitively or continuously scrolling through comment sections on social media. Although these are understandable responses, there are often downsides such as continued hopelessness, fatigue, increased anxiety and a sense of dread/doom (Smith, 2022). 

While it’s important to stay informed, do so mindfully. Pay attention to how you start to feel on these platforms and challenge yourself to take breaks when it starts to feel like it is too much. Our nervous systems weren’t designed to digest scary things all day, so take the time you would have spent scrolling and put it elsewhere, such as volunteering or donating to causes you believe in.  

Putting energy into things we can control helps reduce helplessness and can make us feel empowered. 

Put It Into Practice: Draw a circle on a sheet of paper and write everything you can control inside the circle and write down everything you cannot control outside the circle. Validate and give yourself space to feel any feelings that are coming up for you. Next, pick one thing that is in your control and commit to putting some energy and action towards it. 

6. Connect with your supports 

Whether it’s for connection, for support, or just to share a laugh together, consider the degree to which you lean on the supportive people in your life. As women, we are capable of so much, but just because we can hold a million different hats and responsibilities, doesn’t mean we should do it alone. Even though it isn’t always easy to put ourselves out there to meet people, find time on the calendar to spend with loved ones, or to ask for help, you deserve support. You deserve connection. You deserve the opportunity to have fun and laugh. 

Put It Into Practice: Reflect on your current support network across the different areas of your life. Include everyone from friends, family members, healthcare providers, community acquaintances, coworkers, etc. Next, pick 1 way you might want to lean on someone. Maybe it’s something simple like sending a funny meme to a friend, challenging yourself to share a current struggle you are having with someone you trust, or delegating a task to your partner. Anything has the potential to make a difference! 

7. Be accountable but not self-critical 

Very often, we confuse accountability with criticism. But there are ways to hold ourselves accountable while simultaneously offering ourselves compassion. In fact, research continues to show that compared to self-criticism, practicing self-compassion is a more reliable motivator for change. Among other things, people who practice self-compassion are more likely to have a stable sense of self-worth, handle stressful situations with more ease, and feel happy and satisfied with their lives (Neff, 2023). 

Put It Into Practice: Next time you drop the ball on something or miss the mark (and there WILL be another time, we are all imperfect humans, after all!), test out self-compassion and see what happens. Notice if self-criticism is coming up and actively decide to notice those thoughts and let them pass. Say something to yourself like, “Wow. How human of me to have missed that!”

And remember: anything new or different is often associated with discomfort, so talking to yourself with kindness instead of with criticism might feel uncomfortable at first. Don’t worry if it takes some time for this practice to feel more natural!