The Importance Of
Taking Care Of Yourself 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as the month comes to a close I want to reiterate the importance of taking care of yourself, checking on your friends and family and seeking help if you ever need it.

The past year has changed our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Many people have had the stress of being confined to our homes and turning our spare bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms into offices, classrooms and home gyms. Some have had to deal with job loss, financial troubles, the grief of losing loved ones, and having to face, sometimes alone, all of the other anxieties that came with the pandemic.

While we are starting to see some sense of normalcy return, as the population vaccinates, capacity restrictions lift, and mask mandates come to an end, many of us will still have to live with and manage the repercussions of a very trying year. That being said, if we’ve learned anything it’s that mental health is and always should be an important priority in everyone’s lives.

How To Improve Your Mental State

Our minds, bodies and overall health are all different. There is no one-size fits all solution or trick to taking care of your mental health and unfortunately some things are not entirely in our control. However, we do know that a great way to care for yourself, is to look at the things you do have control over—starting with your home and how you nourish your body!

Keeping your home clean and engaging in the cleaning process is good for you. In fact, research shows that cleaning—or the lack of cleaning—can have a direct impact on mental health. Clutter and mess can create more stress and anxiety, but by cleaning, organizing, and reducing the clutter, we are able to take control of our environments and create a more relaxing environment that can help us focus better on the more pressing issues in our lives. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the physical activity of cleaning coupled with the end result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Cleaning can also reduce fatigue. So grab your Boulder Clean sprays and detergents and clean away dirt and stress!

Just as keeping a clean home can help your mental health, eating good food and nourishing your body can also have a direct impact on your mental health.

Eating healthy food promotes the growth of “good” bacteria, which in turn positively affects neurotransmitter production. A steady diet of junk food, on the other hand, can cause inflammation that hampers neurotransmitter production, which may contribute to mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. When neurotransmitter production is in good shape, your brain receives these messages loud and clear, and it positively affects your emotions.

One of the first steps in making sure you’re getting a well-balanced meal is to pay attention to how you feel when you eat, and what you eat. Eating meals that are authentic, nutritious, flavorful, and made with real food ingredients (like Schultz’s Gourmet and Pasta Jay’s sauces) can help support a healthy body and more importantly, healthy brain function!

A Few Final Thoughts

We have control over how clean our home is and what we put into our body, but as we all know, there are some aspects of life we simply can’t control—and unfortunately these aspects can cause quite a bit of wear and tear on our mental health. Dealing with our mental health alone is no easy feat and truly it shouldn’t be something we have to handle by ourselves. Make sure you are checking on your friends and family and letting them know that you are available to them as a support system. Likewise, if you feel you need outside help, there is no shame in reaching out and asking for assistance or support if and when you need it.

“Just because no one else can heal or do your inner work for you doesn't mean you can, should, or need to do it alone.”
-Lisa Olivera

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Steve Savage
CEO + Founder