8 Useful Ways to Improve Mental Health
Although mental health care should be considered a non-negotiable in every community, individuals can take steps to help themselves. A qualified clinician may also offer support.
Therapists and behavioral health specialists are trained to recognize when an issue is serious enough to warrant professional intervention, providing crucial assistance when necessary.
1. Prioritize Yourself
Prioritizing your own mental health in order to maintain a positive mindset. This could involve scheduling time to relax and unwind or replacing negative self-talk with more positive ones, as well as learning to say no and set realistic expectations of yourself.
Lifestyle choices don’t just determine mental wellbeing; also important are where and who you spend your time. Avoid spending too much time at work or socializing with people who drain you of energy or have bad habits which are hard to break.
Instead, find joy and positivity from people and places that bring you pleasure and positivity. Studies demonstrate the correlation between strong social connections and better mental health, lower smoking rates and longer lifespans – calling friends, joining online communities or scheduling video chats with distant family members is important in building these important ties. It’s also vital to set boundaries; if someone treats you badly or an unhealthy relationship arises in which this behavior becomes unacceptable to everyone around them.
2. Take Time Off
Diet and exercise are vital components of maintaining good mental health; however, sometimes extra help may be needed. If stress or other factors cause symptoms that interfere with daily life, seeking advice from a therapist may help. As it can be hard to tell when one’s mood has crossed into mental illness territory, family and friends may help identify and address problems more easily.
Taken properly, taking time off can enhance your mental health by helping you focus on other parts of life – relationships, hobbies or just rest – that may be lacking attention in your life – relationships, hobbies or just getting some rest. Furthermore, giving yourself something exciting to look forward to such as an extended weekend trip with your partner, an invite for girls’ night out or even taking an unforgettable trip can all have positive effects.
Volunteering can also provide a wonderful way to take some time off and boost happiness levels and self-esteem, as well as providing the chance to meet new people and acquire skills that will benefit your life.
3. Exercise
Regular exercise can greatly benefit mental health and is an excellent way to combat depression or anxiety. Exercise also reduces stress levels, boosts energy levels and enhances sleep; plus it can strengthen focus and increase confidence levels.
Researchers still aren’t entirely clear how exercise improves one’s mood, though researchers think it involves multiple mechanisms. Some theories propose that physical activity increases serotonin production; other suggest it helps regulate sleep patterns and lower inflammation in the brain.
Exercise can also help ease tension by releasing endorphins – chemicals released by your body that naturally elevate your mood – as well as its physical benefits for relaxing skeletal muscles.
Make time every day for physical exercise – at least 30 minutes at each session, ideally. Choose activities you enjoy doing and stay consistent in doing them; this will make reaping the benefits easier. Whenever possible, exercise with friends or loved ones; this can not only keep you motivated but can be fun social activity!
4. Eat Healthy
Eating well is important to overall health, but it can also help your mental wellbeing. Studies have linked a healthy diet with decreased depression, stress and anxiety – as well as an improvement in mood – so focus on eating nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts & legumes, fish & lean proteins to support mental wellness.
Food provides essential nutrients for brain functioning, including monoamine neurotransmitters, myelin, and cell membranes. Selecting specific food items can influence BDNF expression levels, reduce systemic inflammation levels and help balance gut microbiomes. Diets containing fruits and vegetables, complex carbs (brown rice, quinoa and beets), fiber, healthy fats (such as avocadoes), protein, prebiotics/probiotics/omega-3 fatty acids/phytochemicals are ideal for health. Additionally, it’s essential to drink lots of water; dehydration can impede our ability to think clearly and respond swiftly. Be wary of high-sodium, added sugar, and ultraprocessed food; instead opt for a balanced diet with some moderation of these items. Alcohol consumption must also be restricted because binge drinking has detrimental effects on mental health.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation may not seem like an issue at first glance, but continued poor rest can have serious repercussions for mental health. Not getting enough rest may increase irritability and concentration problems while negatively affecting mood as well as increasing your risk for depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Sleep and mental health have an intricate relationship that works both ways, meaning both disorders can negatively impact one another and treating one may help another. At the same time, sleeping well can have positive benefits on mental health – so taking steps to ensure you’re getting adequate rest should be a vital component of any wellness plan.
Adults require seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night. Unfortunately, this can often prove challenging. Everyday stressors, an unstable bedroom environment and lifestyle choices (like caffeine and nicotine consumption) may impede our efforts at restful slumber. Establishing a consistent bedtime and routine can “train” our bodies to go to sleep at an acceptable hour – as can eliminating stimulating activities like TV, computers or phones from your bedroom environment.
6. Practice Relaxation Techniques
Regular practice of relaxation techniques enhances the body’s natural calming response, and can reduce stress, anxiety, pain, sleep disorders and inflammation conditions. Regular relaxation also strengthens immune system function while building coping skills and providing mental clarity – psychoneuroimmunology research shows how relaxing triggers reduce cortisol levels while stimulating parasympathetic activity – providing relief for chronic illness conditions.
There are various relaxation techniques, including guided imagery, meditation, biofeedback and self-hypnosis that aim to produce a state of calm. These can either be done independently or with help from an expert practitioner; physical techniques may involve focusing on sensations like warmth in limbs, deep breathing or calm heartbeats as ways of relaxation.
Making time each day to incorporate relaxation techniques can be as easy as turning off your phone for an hour, taking a walk, or reading a book. Experiment with different approaches until you find one that works best for you – be committed to including it into your lifestyle even for just brief periods each day.
7. Keep a Journal
Writing can be a wonderful way to self-soothe, helping you organize thoughts, feelings and insights while challenging negative self-talk and finding ways to improve both mood and mindset.
Journaling can be an inexpensive, straightforward way to cultivate mindfulness and support mental wellbeing. Your journal can either remain private or you can share it with others depending on what works for you best.
Journals can serve a multitude of functions, from stress relief and mental illness treatment to tracking your goals or new habits – like encouraging positive self-talk or creating home-cooked meals – or keeping track of progress on new endeavors or goals. You could give yourself stickers or checkmarks every time you use the journal in one way or another.
Write consistently; set a reminder on your calendar or choose an ideal time of the day when it works for you and stick with it – daily, multiple times each week or once every month is ideal. Also consider different journaling techniques like bullet journaling which helps keep things organized or art journaling which incorporates drawings and visual components.
8. Seek Help
Many individuals find their mental health struggles overwhelming to handle alone, often for various reasons such as having to “deal with it on your own”, fear of seeking assistance or the stigmatizing nature of seeking it out.
Untreated mental illness can lead to other health complications, including heart disease, ulcers and colitis that impede your ability to lead a normal life. Receiving treatment decreases your risk for these diseases while helping protect against others like substance abuse.
Some mental health conditions can create vicious cycles — for instance, you could start feeling anxious because an assignment that’s due is making it difficult for you to focus. Your anxiety could eventually turn into stress and anxiety disorders that further inhibit your ability to function effectively. With help from a therapist or psychologist, however, these cycles can be broken so that anxiety and stress management are achieved efficiently; medication may also help ease symptoms and boost mood.
