These Mental Health Tips will help you generally improve your mental well-being. Mental health refers to your overall psychological well-being. Prioritizing your mental health is very important. The mentioned tips should not be substitutes for therapy. Please seek therapy because it really helps. Although having friends and family who are there for you and can always talk to is great, they are also not alternatives for therapy.
However, let’s face it, therapy is not cheap. Neither is it as available as it should be. So, while you are trying to get that situated, try some of these tips. We can only hope that more is being done to ensure mental health needs are met through accessibility, affordability, and support.
You can also use these habits in conjunction with your therapy.
Build a Healthy Diet
First in our Mental Health tips is diet. Most of us don’t know this, but food contributes greatly to how we feel. While some bring quick and fleeting dopamine, others give overall and long-lasting high energy. When your energy is low, it affects how you feel especially if you are already struggling mentally. Hence, it is paramount that you consciously and carefully think about your diet. I know we want to be able to live freely without policing everything that we do, but life is just a cluster of choices. It’s not policing when it comes to your mental well-being, it is actually about making a better choice for you.
We further have to acknowledge that for some, the source of our mental breakdown is as a result of how we feel about our physical health. Some of the recommended food brain boosters include fruits and vegetables, fatty fish rich in omega-3s, nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, and peanuts), whole grains, legumes, seafood, beans, leafy greens (spinach, kale, and Brussels sprouts), and fresh fruit such as blueberries.
The principal point to note is that you don’t have to drastically get into this. Just slowly integrate these diets. Avoid putting pressure on yourself. It’s a step-by-step process.
Declutter
A number of people have admitted that decluttering has helped them ease anxiety. Declutter your space, clean your environment, do your laundry and fold that pile of clothes that have been sitting there for a week. Getting rid of things and cleaning your environment relieves stress and helps you be calmer. It as well makes you feel productive. A tidier place relaxes your mind and gives you a sense of control.
One of the important Mental Health Tips: Stay active
Staying active helps release stress. During the time you are being active, your mind is engaged in the task or activity and there is no room to think about your insecurities or intrusive depressing thoughts. Many therapists while recommending great Mental Health Tips, always have this on the list. Being active is as good for the brain as it is for the body. This could mean regular exercise, hikes, reading books, starting tasks that you’ve been postponing, trying a new recipe, painting, and more. If you are extremely depressed to the point that you are not in a position to do any tasks, please talk to your therapists. Don’t push yourself too hard. If all you want to do is take a nap, then do that.
Mindfulness practice
Commensurately staying active does help, and so does relaxation. Find a guided meditation online, Register for Yoga or find videos and incorporate these into your daily habits, journal, and practice breathing exercises and gratefulness. Meditation is known to Forster better focus and concentration, improve self-awareness and self-esteem, and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It additionally gives you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being likewise your overall health.
One of the most ignored Mental Health Tips: Socialize
I know hearts are racing for every introvert that just read this. When you are searching for Mental Health tips this is one you probably don’t care for. It’s not easy to be social for some people, especially if you are going through depressive episodes or anxiety. The last thing you want to do is deal with humans. Nonetheless, making a habit of getting out a bit more and socializing has been known to boost moods. If you are comfortable doing this with friends and family, great.
Take up dancing or painting classes, call friends for a get-together, a mini getaway or attend a social event weekly or monthly. If this is too much more for you, take yourself out. Go on solo dates, walks, visit a zoo, a gallery, or an exhibition, or go to the coffee shop with your book. Just try and get out there as much as just one day a week and build healthy relationships while at it.
Dolce far niente – The sweetness of doing nothing
Imagine promoting doing nothing in today’s hustle culture. The no sleep, work work motivational gurus are gagging. Listen, your Leisure time is just as a prerequisite to your emotional and mental health as working for your goals. Don’t be embarrassed to take some time to relax. Have your beauty sleep, take a stroll, sit for hours at a café sipping your wine, go lay on the beach, binge watch, do nothing! Savor the pleasure that comes with doing nothing.
Work on your goals
Working towards your goals regardless of whether it’s doing a task a day will help your mental health. A single that contributes to your goals and desires gives you a sense of productivity and accomplishments. This, in turn, relieves your stress. It makes you feel more useful and hopeful for the future. Consequently, reducing your levels of anxiety.
Unplug from social media.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Social media has been linked to the increase of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide. Remember, everyone is posting the good things. You don’t get to see what they go through behind closed doors. Do not compare your life to anyone. Appreciate the art, and the beauties you see online without questioning your own. Moreover, if you feel like social media is taking a toll on you, log off and take a break from it. Protect your mental health.
Seek help
You can execute all the above, but ultimately prioritizing your mental health also means seeking help when you need it. You don’t have to do it alone. Help is out there. Don’t suffer in silence.
Summary
“It’s up to you today to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.”― Steve Maraboli
Credit
Images by:
Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Josep Monter Martinez from Pixabay
Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
Avi Chomotovski from Pixabay
Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay
Alexa from Pixabay
