“Your mind is the window to your body and soul, so make sure it receives proper nourishment”.

Your mental well-being matters as much as your physical well-being. Having a positive mental health makes you function well, have a positive self-esteem as well as help you navigate through life’s difficulties. Studies have shown that mental illness can lower life expectancy by 10-15 years.

Words of Affirmation: Do not wait for anyone to say these to you. Praise yourself daily: remind yourself of how beautiful you are and how you can move mountains. Before you leave your house, make that presentation, or even meet friends, take a few minutes to look in the mirror and remind yourself of who you are.

Meditate: Meditation is known to give a sense of calm and balance to your emotional wellbeing and your overall health. Take time off for up to 15-20 minutes and reflect. Meditation helps you focus, improve your self-esteem and even fight substance addiction.

Be kind and honest with yourself: Telling ourselves the truth might not be exactly what we want to do. Leave your comfort zone, write a list of the things you wish for yourself and those you would like to quit, then work on them. Honesty reveals a lot. It is okay to cry but wipe your tears and never cry for the same reasons anymore. Always put yourself first.

Eat healthily and drink a lot of water: Do not neglect your health. If you do not feel hungry, consume fruits. Doctors always advise that we should drink water, do not neglect this advice.

Read books: Books nourish your mind and help you maintain focus. Reading books gives a lot of benefits: Improves your imagination, helps you make career and life decisions, improves your vocabulary, reduce stress, and alleviates depression symptoms, among others. Start from a book with a few pages or ask family and friends to recommend one.

Express your feelings regularly: Talking about the way you feel can make you uncomfortable at first, especially if you are not used to it, but it will help you a lot, as well as everyone around you. No one has the ability to read minds and if you say nothing, things will probably go wrong. Just as Donald Glover once said, “I’m very confident in my point of view. ‘Cause I think that that’s all you can really have. I’m never really going to know what anybody else is going through, so it’s just kind of your job to be expressive with your point of view.” So, if you have someone you are interested in, go on, talk to the person. We are here to cheer you.

Haircare: Extensions are temporary, but haircare is forever. Haircare is one thing a lot of people tend to ignore. You do not want to remove that wig and leave everyone scrunching their noses. Wash your hair, air dry or even style your hair.

Nailcare: It is often said that to know a neat person, you should check their toenails. Many people ignore their nails, with the thought that while bathing, their nails are being cleaned. Although has some truth in it, it is not 100% true. Visit a nail technician, get a manicure, pedicure and your nails will thank you. Trim your nails to avoid germs hiding in them.

Smile: We understand times are not what they used to be, but you do not have to have a straight face or look like what you are going through. Smile, even when things are not it. Smiling helps to remove wrinkles when you grow old and people not having negative thoughts about you.

Develop new skills: We might not be where we want to be, but our big dreams are still intact. Research, ask questions, and gain relevant skills. Learn daily to broaden your knowledge.