8 Daily Habits to Boost Mental Health — and Signs It May Be Time to Get Support
1. Get restful sleep · 2. Cut back on social media · 3. Strengthen your relationships · 4. Move your body on your own terms · 5. Savor nutrient-rich
Mindlor
The topic of mental health has become increasingly mainstream in recent years. You could hear or read about issues related to mental health in the news, in your favourite show, or in casual conversation.
But with extensive and frequent use, the meaning of any term can become hazy at best, if not completely misunderstood. You are not alone if, despite frequent exposure to the word, you remain confused about what "mental health" actually means.
"Mental health is about the functionality of your brain and all that impacts it," explains Oludara Adeeyo, a psychiatric social worker and author of "Self-Care for Black Women."
In a word, mental health refers to both your internal emotional state and your external relationships. It also includes your mental well-being, which includes your capacity to recognise, understand, and control your emotions.
Some of these factors, like genetics, life events, and family history, are beyond your control and can have a significant impact on your mental health.
But you do have authority over a significant chunk of your mental health, says KC Davis, a licenced professional counsellor and author of "How To Keep House While Drowning."
Because your mental health is so important, your ability to positively affect it is crucial.
What makes mental health so important?
In her book, "The Anxiety Healer's Guide," licenced professional counsellor and author AlisoSeponara highlights the importance of mental health in determining how one responds to stress, interacts with others, and makes decisions.
The benefits of taking care of your mental health, according to Seponara, include:
Better Mood Less Anxiety
improved mental clarity and interpersonal ties
elevated levels of pride and assurance
According to Seponara, taking care of your mental health might help you better handle stress-related health problems including high blood pressure and heart disease.
According to Adeeyo, one's state of mind affects all aspect of their existence, from their perspective and mobility in the world to their resilience in the face of adversity.
This is why it's so important to make positive mental health a part of your daily routine.
The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. It's also crucial to one's psychological well-being.
Research slated for 2021The 273,695 American individuals whose information was contained in Trusted Source. Compared to persons who got more than 6 hours of sleep nightly, those who got less than 6 hours were nearly 2.5 times more likely to experience frequent mental anguish.
The quality of your sleep is also important, as sleep disruptions have been linked to an increase in psychological distress.
Start with these practises to help you get more and better sleep.
Stay away from caffeine after 3 p.m.
Maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule.
Create a calm, pleasant, and uncluttered atmosphere in your bedroom.
The ideal temperature for a bedroom is between 65 and 18 degrees Celsius.
Building self-sustaining healthy sleep patterns can be more challenging for people with sleep disorders.
Sleep specialists are trained to diagnose and treat sleep disorders, and can provide information on effective therapies such cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.
Keep in mind that difficulties sleeping can also be caused by mental health issues. It's possible that altering your bedroom and bedtime routine won't have a long-term impact on your quality of sleep. If you aren't feeling better, talking to a therapist can be the next best move.
Adeeyo warns that a steady diet of news about other people's life can lead to unhealthy comparisons and the resulting poor self-worth that can fuel anxiety and sadness.
In an effort to reduce your social media time, you can:
Put your phone away or leave it outside the room while you sleep, and come up with a list of things to do instead of mindless scrolling.
disable alerts or uninstall social media apps
3. Strengthen your relationships
As social beings, humans benefit in different ways from healthy interpersonal connections.
For instance, friendships can:
reduce feelings of isolation, facilitate the development of meaningful relationships, and enrich one's sense of purpose.
Numerous opportunities exist for you to make and keep good friends:
Don't let contact with one another lapse, even if it's just for a moment.
Get together early in the day.
Get in touch with me for a quick chat while you're at lunch.
Plan to meet for dinner every other week or once a month.
It can help if you make it an effort to talk when you do see each other again. New data from 2018 reveals that in-person catch-ups and lighthearted banter are better predictors of stronger ties than total time spent together.
4. Move your body on your own terms
Several aspects of mental health can benefit from exercise.
reducing anxiety and depression by alleviating stress and boosting mood, improving sleep quality and duration, and waking up feeling refreshed.
Everyone has their own unique ways of moving, and going to the gym isn't the only option (unless you really want to). Choose physical activities that complement your physique and lifestyle to make exercise more pleasurable.
To begin started, try out a variety of physical activities and stick with the ones that you enjoy.
Fun motions could consist of:
signing up for a running or walking group
trying out some sitting yoga movements at a restorative yoga class
having a dance party Taking a stretch break every hour Gardening or other backyard work Taking a walk on the beach or a walk on the weekend With the family
That is to say, a strenuous workout is not necessary to promote mental health.
A little bit of stretching every day can do wonders for your state of mind. Christopher S. Taylor, PhD, LPC-S, founder of Taylor Counselling Group, author of "My Digital Practise," and host of the "For Self-Examination" podcast, believes that stretching will aid with blood flow and get more oxygen through your body, making you feel more calm and cheerful.
Your mental health may also be affected by the things you eat. Try increasing your intake of foods like these that are rich in nutrients shown to benefit mood and mental health.
fruits and vegetables beans and whole grains fish like salmon and other fatty fish
In addition, making sure you give your body something to eat every day can assist.
Benefits may also result from consuming large amounts of water throughout the day. "When you're dehydrated, you're denying your brain and body the nutrients needed to survive and operate at a more optimal level," Adeeyo says.
Anxiety symptoms may become more severe after eating foods high in caffeine, refined carbohydrates, or added sugars. As a result, cutting back on certain meals might help reduce your discomfort.
You may find it difficult to perform any of the above on bad days, which may make you feel much worse.
Davis suggests shifting to more empathetic, easily accessible methods such as:
If you don't have access to a shower, stock up on dry shampoo and body wipes to maintain your personal hygiene.
When cooking seems hard, it's tempting to set a timer for five minutes and buy a premade meal.
Something you can attempt that's similar? Make a daily commitment to improving in some way.
"Whether it's making your bed, drinking one glass of water in the morning, or writing in a journal, making this daily promise to yourself will help to eventually become a habit, and you will begin to feel empowered," Seponara says.
"Rest" can mean many things to different people, but typically it involves allowing one's body and mind to relax and rejuvenate.
Do you have trouble winding down and getting a good night's sleep?
Rosie Acosta, a yoga and meditation instructor and the author of "You Are Radically Loved," recommends trying yoga Nidra, a form of sleep-based meditation.
The following are some of her suggestions:
Put your hands by your sides and lie on your back. Separate your feet, making sure they're at least hip-width apart.
Imagine yourself calm and alert at the same time. You're relaxed, but fully present.
Focus on your physical self and then your breathing.
Visualise a gentle wave entering at the tips of your toes and rising to the top of your head as you inhale.
Visualise a slow wave travelling down from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet as you exhale.
Indulge in a heaviness throughout your body, and then rest there for the next ten to thirty minutes.
Have only a short amount of time to unwind? Acosta offers the following rapid forms of restoration:
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths while placing your hands over your heart and feeling the soothing effects of your touch.
Twelve times through, take a two-counted inhale and a four-counted exhale.
"The sun is a great source of vitamin D, and studies have shown that it can improve attitude and mood," explains Taylor.
You need not spend an inordinate amount of time outside. In his article, Taylor says, "Five minutes of blue skies can do your mind and heart some real good."
Locked up inside all day? Taylor suggests, if you have a few spare minutes:
Getting out for a stroll
inhaling a deep breath of fresh air while you stand in your garden
Or, you may also consider:
flip open the window next to your desk Propose having a company lunch in a neighbouring par
Although the aforementioned methods can have a beneficial effect on one's mental health, they cannot "cure" any underlying disorders.
Altering one's routine may not necessarily help with long-term emotional suffering. However, working with a therapist can be a very effective method to boost mental health.
Getting help from an expert is always an option. Therapy is helpful for everybody, regardless of whether they are experiencing depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issues.
However, it's crucial to make contact if the following conditions apply:
your motivation has plummeted, your appetite has changed, and you've seen changes in your sleep schedule after experiencing a stressful or traumatic incident; you're feeling more upset, anxious, or depressed than normal; you regularly feel agitated, impatient, or furious;
You're having a hard time getting through the day on a regular basis, feeling trapped or overwhelmed, and possibly drinking or using drugs more frequently than normal or engaging in other unhealthy coping mechanisms.
