Photo by Madison Inouye: https://www.pexels.com/photo/self-care-isn-t-selfish-signage-2821823/
Just like your physical wellbeing, your mental health is very important and should be looked after daily. Throughout your life, your mental health will have its ups and downs – unfortunately, this is unavoidable. The important thing is to notice when you are going through each stage and to identify when you are having a down period. When this down period comes, by being aware of it, you can then start making changes to look after your mental health better in order to feel happier again.
Over the last 5 or 10 years, mental health has become a big factor in our everyday lives and at the forefront of new studies. What this means is that we are more educated than ever in knowing different tips and tricks to improve our mental health when it’s not at its best. Simple things like being open to your friends and family members can make a huge difference. Ensuring we look after our wellbeing such as finding the best dentist, drinking the correct amount of water, getting the recommended hours of sleep and eating well will also have a big effect on how we feel.
Many changes can be done overnights and you’ll notice the benefits very quickly. Especially if it’s a big change like going from no exercise to exercising a lot that week – exercising in fact can have a big impact on your mental health. Below we look more into ways of looking after your mental health.
Speak to people around you
Too many people suffer in silence, especially when it comes to their mental health. If you find yourself struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to those around you for support. Speak to your friend and family members or if you don’t feel confident to speak to them, a trained professional. It’s a simple step that can make a big difference to your health. Think of it this way, if your friend was suffering, would you want them to reach out to you or not? Chances are of course you would and they will be feeling the same way about you. The last thing your friends will do is laugh at you because you are suffering with your mental health and reaching out for support.
Get plenty of exercise in
We touched on it above, exercise is key to looking after your mental health as well as physical health. There are so many benefits to exercising regularly, it helps improve your cardiovascular system, helps you lose weight, meet new people who you can make friends with as well as get you outside and outside your comfort zone. When it comes to the world of sports, there are so many different things that you can do depending on your interests. You could go swimming, join a sports team, start running, play tennis or sign up for a gym. If you know a friend who wants to start getting active, why not convince them to join with you – this gives you that little extra motivation.
You’ll Need Healthy Coping Mechanisms
When you’re having a bad day or facing a lot of stress, what do you do to help yourself feel better? Is there anything you do at all? Unfortunately, some people turn to alcohol and substance abuse, and everyone knows that does the exact opposite, but rather, you get into deeper issues to where you’ll need addiction treatment. So, that’s exactly why you need to have healthy coping mechanisms. This can be something like exercising, journaling, just taking a bath, talking to someone (healthcare professionals included), and so on. But yes, this does need to be taken seriously. And yes, you need to do something about this!
Spend time with nature
Nature is another way to look after your mental health. Book some time to explore and spend time outside, breathing in the fresh air. By going on long walks, you can clear your mind and give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Why not explore a new route each week and bring a camera with you to see what photos you can capture? Walks are a great excuse to bring your friends with you and catch up. You’ll also burn plenty of calories, helping you keep fit. If you want to make your walk a bigger challenge, aim to run some of the routes or walk at a faster pace than normal.
Hopefully, the above tips give you some insights into ways of looking after your mental health. By doing a little more research, you’ll find a plethora of additional tips that you can apply on top of the above. Try not to make too many changes at once, often people will fail due to overloading their minds with changes. If you are ever suffering, never be afraid to reach out to someone – whether that be a professional or your friends and family members.
Do you have any tips to add to the above list? Which tips did you find most useful? How has your mental health journey been? Is there anything you would like to share that will benefit our readers? Let us know in the comment box below, we would love to hear from you.