Why it’s important to take care of your mental health
15 September 2025 | Comment(s) |
We go jogging, count our steps, blend spinach and celery smoothies, and book yoga retreats. Taking care of your body, also known as “bodytime”, has long been an integral part of our society. People who take care of their bodies are seen as disciplined and successful.
The silence surrounding mental health
Compared to physical care, mental health is often neglected. Why? Time spent on oneself is more difficult to quantify. It's easier to show off well-defined abs than a balanced mind. What's more, in our performance-driven culture, taking a break can be synonymous with laziness. Are you still in good shape? Then keep going!
This is precisely where the mistake lies. Mental health is not a "plus". It is the foundation of everything: our concentration, our creativity, our relationships and, last but not least, our physical health.
Lighten the load
Taking care of your mental health doesn't require drastic measures. Rather, it's about small, conscious rituals that are easy to integrate into your daily life and have a lasting effect.
Here are three concrete examples:
- Digital detox in the morning: by starting the day offline and allowing yourself an hour without a screen, you are sending a clear message: this day belongs to me first and foremost. Take the time to enjoy your coffee or tea, look out of the window, and only then move on to the next thing.
- Walk2Talk: Not every encounter has to take place in a café, and not every meeting has to be held in the office. A walk in the fresh air with a colleague allows you to take a step back. Physical exercise facilitates conversation, and fresh air clears the mind. Planning “walking meetings” creates space for reflection, not just work.
- Mental check-in while brushing your teeth: we stand in front of the mirror twice a day without fail. Why not use this moment to briefly listen to your body? Are you exhausted or happy? Stressed or calm? Taking stock honestly while brushing your teeth doesn't take a minute longer, but it allows you to regain awareness of your daily life, which is often spent in "autopilot" mode.
"Taking care of your mental health should not be an additional chore on your to-do list. It fits just as naturally into everyday life as physical exercise or a healthy diet."
The body and mind go hand in hand
The body and mind do not function separately; they form a well-oiled system. A person who is internally overworked cannot remain physically fit in the long term. The reverse is also true. It is therefore high time to consider time spent on the mind as just as essential to our health as time spent on the body.
Taking care of your mental health should not be an additional chore on your to-do list. It fits just as naturally into everyday life as physical exercise or a healthy diet. It's about being mindful of your own energy and taking small breaks rather than making big changes. Mental strength does not arise in exceptional situations, but in normal everyday life. Step by step...
About the authors:
Fabian Kraxner is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy in the canton of Zurich.
Lorena Oberlin is the founder of unbounded.ch and helps companies and individuals to sustainably integrate mindfulness and awareness into their everyday (professional) lives.
Mental health counselling centres
Emergency help
Emergency help with depression, burnout – Crisis Intervention Centres (CIC)
143 / 143.ch - La Main Tendue
147 / 147.ch - Pro Juventute Telephone counselling
0848 35 45 55 / elternnotruf.ch - Parents in distress
Advice and further information
santepsy.ch - Information and overview of contact points in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino
Need support for yourself or a loved one? Find a support group – overview of regional centres and self-help groups from the Info Entraide Suisse foundation
How are you | “How are you?” - Talking about everything, also mental health – Information and overview of contact points
0840 00 00 62 / promentesana.org - Psychosocial and legal assistance by telephone from the Pro Mente Sana foundation
psychologie.ch - Search for FSP-certified psychotherapists (Swiss Federation of Psychologists)
