Not long ago, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues were a horror to even talk about.
But today, thanks to the internet and awareness, people are expressing openness about these issues. And as awareness grows, people are developing an interest in how to improve their mental health.
And why not? Nobody wants to stress and anxiety to interfere with day-to-day chores. Unproductivity is an issue already, and stress would just give you a valid excuse for it.
But before we get into what tangible elements of your day you can change to improve your mental health, let’s have a quick look at what defines good mental health.
What Is Mental Health?
It is the emotions and social well-being that builds your personality. It is a common misconception that “good mental health” means the absence of stress, anxiety, depression, and other issues. In reality, it only translates to how well one deals with these issues.
Stress is a standard part of daily life. A long line at Walmart may be enough to stress you out or get stuck in traffic, but you will go through it. What differentiates a person with good mental health from a person with weak mental health is how they respond to these situations.
And since it is an ability that you can learn, practice plays an important part. The more you practice dealing with these situations, the more your natural reaction becomes similar. Now let’s get on with how you can improve your mental health.
Do These To Improve Your Mental Health
At times, it is more than the day-to-day stress that’s bothering you. It can very well be undiagnosed stress or anxiety disorder. So, to be on the safe side, it is always good to consult a therapist at least once before you jump into the following fixes.
Just like physical health, your mental health too can be improved. But instead of lifting weights and running a mile, you have to introduce a few changes to your routine. With that said, let’s get started!
Stop Overthinking
How many times do you find yourself rushing to conclusions and making yourself believe that they’re real? Quite often!
We, humans, have a natural tendency to plan things out ahead. It is because our ancestors survived based on their judgment and planning when living out in the open. Any miscalculation leads to either being killed by another tribe or running out of food. This thought process followed us through millions of years as it is carved into our DNA.
But today, unlike then, life has become relatively easy. You don’t have to go on a hunt or search for berries all day. So why not try changing your thoughts a little as well? What could go so wrong if you didn’t think about the pitch you have to give in the morning after preparing it well?
Overthinking might bear fruit in some situations but usually causes more harm than good. It is one of the leading causes of mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety.
The next time you get stuck in the traffic, try not thinking too much about how late you might be running. Instead, just switch the channel on the radio and try making the waiting time a little better because you cannot think yourself out of a traffic jam!
Exercise
There is never a day that cannot be made better by a little exercise.
Think of it this way: Is the human body designed to sit at a desk for 9 hours and lie on the couch for the remaining day? No!
It is agreeable that one cannot oppose the working of jobs and today’s general life. But how much time do you really pay towards the betterment of your body? Because a healthy mind begins with the first towards a healthier physique.
Leaving everything aside, why would you say no to a perfect summer body? But that comes with its price as well. You have to push yourself towards an activity every day to keep your joints and muscles greased up.
For starters, it improves your mobility. I know it does sound hard to workout while lying on the couch. But you have to see for yourself how much energized you feel after a short walk or mild badminton match.
And there is a science to back it up as well. Working out increases the release of dopamine and endorphins in your brain, which stimulates happiness. Also, it uses up all the stress hormones in your body.
So the next time you say no to exercise because of the show you can’t miss, think of all the reasons you started in the first place.
Diet
There are various ways in which diet improves your mental health. Eating easily digestible food will reduce the stress on your body due to easy digestion. And an overall balanced diet will definitely improve your physique, and with it, self-esteem.
However, diet is usually the very first victim of depression, stress, or anxiety. You start eating abnormally. Either by cutting down meals to overeating, you disturb your natural cycle of metabolism and digestion.
And that only makes it inevitable how having reasonable control over your diet will improve your mental health. Food items like almonds and fish are mostly known to elevate mood and enhance your mental capability.
If the other steps seem to be a little hard getting into, try watching your diet for a while. And once you do that, you will notice all the changes you have to make for yourself.
You can also include a bit of supplement to your diet to make sure you’re getting all the nutrition. Using energizers as protein and the best kratom for energy will have you less dependent on the diet for energy.
And when you have enough energy to run the day’s tasks with ease, it will naturally take up the place of stress, and you’ll be better equipped to handle it.
Sleep
Despite the research and medical recommendations, we ignore the importance of sleep often. Since it is an automatic body function as breathing, we do not pay much attention to it other than completing the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep.
But recent studies show that it is not only the duration of sleep that affects your mental health; it is also the quality of sleep.
With a low quality of sleep, you will probably feel tired even after a full night’s sleep. Also, you will feel drowsy during the midday and will have low levels of energy.
So how do you get quality sleep?
Your routine and your activities most affect the quality of your sleep. If you do not have a fixed time for bed and waking up, you wouldn’t even know how to track your sleep. And so, you will end up waking up later than usual and sleeping even later.
You can improve this by setting up a fixed time for bed and emanating the use of a screen a few hours before bed. The light from screens tricks your body into believing it’s a day already and doesn’t let you hit the slumber properly.
