6 Ways To Take Care of Your Mental Health

Do we take enough care of our mental health? Well, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five adults in the U.S. live with a mental illness.

We live in busy times and it’s easy to overlook our mental health awareness. However, looking after our mental health is critical for our overall health and well-being.

If you feel like you might have been neglecting your mental health, or you’re just looking for ways to improve it, then this guide is for you. Let’s take a look at six of the best things you can be doing to take better care of your mental health.

1. Table of Contents

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   Exercise

Long runs and hard gym sessions aren’t to everyone’s taste. Sometimes the idea of physical exertion can be intimidating at the best of times, but regular exercise could well be the number one means of looking after your mental health.

Regular physical exercise helps to reduce anxiety and stress. Exercising promotes the release of endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals in the brain. You don’t need to exercise for hours on end to reap the benefits either.

Something as short and simple as a twenty-minute walk can help to improve your overall sense of well-being. If you can take that walk surrounded by nature, then all the better.

Studies have found that spending just twenty minutes walking around an urban park or in any other natural area can help alleviate mental stressors and immediately improve your sense of well-being.

2. Meditation and Mindfulness

With a fast-paced life comes a fast-paced brain. More and more people are suffering from the inability to shut-off from overthinking than ever before. Our jobs, phones, and television shows keep our brains so busy that it’s no wonder we don’t know how to be still anymore.

Engaging in meditation and mindfulness practices is a great way to help find your inner peace.

Meditation teaches us how to be still. It’s a great way to learn how to shut off the internal chatterbox. Meditation doesn’t just have to mean sitting crossed leg in silence for hours on end either! You can meditate in the bath or even while you’re out walking.

Some say that depression comes from being stuck in the past and anxiety is born from worrying about the future. Mindfulness teaches us how to live in the present. By learning to live in the moment you’ll discover a very calming acceptance of life and you’ll quickly learn to savor the moments you have.

3. Find Support and Stay Connected

It’s very easy to withdraw socially when you experience mental illness, but it’s one of the worst things you can do. If you’re concerned about your mental health then you should speak to someone.

Having honest and authentic conversations with people close to us is crucial for our mental health. As social creatures, we rely on deep and meaningful relationships with one another. It might seem difficult, but opening up to a friend or family member can be a great first step.

If you’re concerned about your mental health, then it’s important to contact a professional care provider or look for a reliable rehab for mental health to help you with your recovery. As well as information like these tips, they can also point you in the direction of useful mental health services.

4. Take Control, One Step at a Time

Suffering from mental health issues feels a lot like losing control. You might feel irreparably damaged by the past or worried about what the future holds for you. One way to combat this is to learn how to take control.

This might sound impossible at first, but when you break obstacles down into smaller pieces you can soon find yourself on the way to taking full control. Make a list of all the things that worry and upset you. Then break them down into their parts.

Look at how you can face your fears or better understand what has control over you. Working through this at your own pace will help you to take control back.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular therapeutic method used in situations like this. The focus is often and gradual exposure to problem areas until we better understand or become desensitized to them.

5. Nutrition

What you put into your body has a huge impact on your mental health. After all, your brain is part of a larger system, and that system needs nutrition.

Even not drinking enough water has been shown to increase the symptoms of stress and depression. The food we eat also plays a big part in our mental health. Take a look at these foods and drinks:

• Refined carbohydrates
• High sugar foods and drinks
• Alcohol
• Processed foods
• Foods high in trans fats

All of these have been found to have a detrimental effect on the brain. They are linked to poor memory, inflammation, cognitive decline, and even Alzheimer’s. These foods are also detrimental to physical health as well.

It’s important to have a balanced and healthy diet if you’re trying to take off your mental health. Fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, fish, and seafood are all shown to help improve mental health.

6. Sleep

Your brain needs time to recover from your daily activity, especially if you live a hectic lifestyle. Sleep is often overlooked, but lack of sleep is closely linked to mental health issues. Three-quarters of people suffering from depression also suffer from the symptoms of insomnia.

There is no magic amount of sleep, but research suggests that adults should aim for between seven and eight hours of good quality sleep each night.

It’s Time to Take Care of Your Mental Health

If there’s one thing in life you shouldn’t put off, it’s taking care of your mental health. These six ways of looking after your mental health are a great starting point.

Never try and take on too many changes at once, as you’ll only add to your stress. Instead, slowly and gradually make changes and as you start to feel the benefits you’ll be able to make more and more alterations to your life.

The important thing is taking the first step, and if you’ve read this, then you’ve already started your journey to better mental health.

If you’re looking for more health and lifestyle tips then be sure to check out our other articles.