We are all aware of how crucial it is to maintain the health and wellbeing of our bodies. Despite the fact that mental health is becoming more widely recognised in contemporary culture, much work needs to be done to educate the general public about its equal importance to physical health.
The purpose of Mental Health Week, according to its official website, is to promote self-care, encourage mental health literacy, promote self-care, educate through tips and advice, and raise awareness of various mental health issues in order to lessen the stigma that is still attached to both mental health and seeking help.
Week of Mental Health
We must all take care of ourselves and maintain our mental health while watching out for one another. In this post, we’ll provide you 10 suggestions for enhancing both your mental health and your general quality of life.
1.Consume healthfully
Reduce your alcohol and drug consumption and eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet.
Every year, more and more studies linking nutrition to mental health are published. Even poor food itself can make you feel worse. Poor diets and unhealthy eating can obviously have a severe influence on your physical health, which may then have a negative impact on your mental health. It will help you manage your stress and anxiety levels, enhance your sleep, have a beneficial effect on your ability to focus, and make you feel better overall if you eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet that is rich in fats, fibre, and nutrients. Reducing excessive alcohol and/or drug use is another way to enhance your mental wellbeing.Both of these chemicals have the potential to impair your ability to think, feel, create, and even make decisions through changing how your brain functions.
2.Get adequate rest
Make a conscious effort to go to bed at a consistent hour each night.
Numerous physical and mental health effects of sleep are implicated. Lack of sleep itself can aggravate pre-existing disorders including sadness, stress, and anxiety, however some psychological or psychiatric conditions may also contribute to sleep issues. A wise approach to leading a healthy, happy life is to consistently obtain enough sleep each night and to go to bed early or at a decent hour.
3.Stay energetic
Decide to engage in regular, consistent exercise of some kind.
Exercise or other physical activity affects your body and mind in a similar way to diets and sleep. Playing sports, taking long walks, practising yoga, going to the gym, or running will all help you stay active and reduce stress and anxiety while also boosting your self-esteem. For some people, staying active and working out is difficult. If you have trouble pushing yourself, consider running with a friend or taking a long stroll while you listen to your favourite music or podcasts. Simply keep going.
4.Limit your use of media and technology
Consider cutting back on the media and electronics you use each day.
Online news in mobile phone. Close up of smartphone screen. Man reading articles in application. Hand holding smart device. Mockup website. Newspaper and portal on internet.
You might not think of yourself as someone who is addicted to social media, smartphones, or other gadgets, but it is frequently much harder than you’d think to restrict or curtail media intake and technology use. Constant and excessive use of social media and other forms of media might have negative effects. Even excessive news consumption might have a detrimental effect on your mental health. There’s no need to stop using it altogether and quit cold turkey. However, consider restricting your use of it. Here are some detailed suggestions to support you with this tip:
Don’t let your phone be the final thing you check before bed or the first thing you check in the morning by keeping it out of your bedroom.
- Avoid using your phone for the last half hour before bed and the first half hour after waking up.
- Place your phone away from you at a different table during mealtimes.
- Try challenging yourself by forgoing checking social media for an entire day.
5.Put friends first
Try to get in touch with friends and socialise with them.
Maintaining relationships with others is crucial to leading a healthy life. Making true friends that you like spending time with will make you feel better by preventing loneliness and depressive emotions. You can choose a fun activity to do, like solving a puzzle or playing a game on a board, or you can just catch up and talk. It’s up to you, but you don’t have to do it by yourself! Because humans are social beings, give attention to your pals.
6.Have some fun
Actively schedule some time for yourself to do something you want.
What interests you? Reading? Painting? Gardening? Dancing? There are countless options, but it’s crucial for your emotional health that you set aside some time each day to do something you actually like. Having some fun, even for only a few minutes each day, can help you relax and direct your attention to something that truly makes you happy. There are also actions that might make you happy that you might not expect or ordinarily equate with “having fun,” like volunteering or giving old clothes to charity.
7.Take on a new challenge
Set a fun, new task for yourself.
Setting yourself a thrilling yet difficult assignment to complete is a motivating and interesting pastime, despite what you would initially assume. Your mental health will be stimulated positively by learning something new. Make sure it’s something you’ve never done before but want to. You may attempt a new recipe, write a different kind of narrative, learn woodworking, experiment with a new art form, or go hiking on a different trail. Keep in mind that this is only for you.
8.Engage in mental health activities
Small workouts can have a significant impact.
This advice is a little more targeted at directly enhancing your mental health. It may feel intimidating to take an active role in improving your mental health, but it doesn’t have to be! Over time, small changes might add up to a really big difference. Select one or two enjoyable mental health activities, and plan them consistently and on a regular basis in your schedule. Several instances include:
Meditation
Meditation has a lot of positive effects, from awareness to deep breathing exercises.
Journaling
Your mind will relax, your thoughts will become clearer, and you’ll feel better if you put your feelings and thoughts on paper.
Stretching
Stretching and getting up physically can help you feel and think better.
Laugh
Taking part in an activity that actively makes you laugh can improve your mood.
Dance and/or play music
A great method to improve your mood is to dance and listen to upbeat music.
9.Take in the sun
Ensure that you get some natural sunshine.
This one is a bit more subtle. Moving from a home to a car to an office to a car to a home is simple. perpetual repetition. Your serotonin levels will rise as a result of getting solar exposure; this hormone has mood-enhancing, calming, and focus-improving properties. Spend regular time outside and take in the energising rays of the sun to lessen symptoms of despair, tension, and anxiety.
10.Request assistance if you need it.
Everybody occasionally requires assistance.
Getting support for your mental health and wellbeing is NOT WRONG. Asking for help when you need it is the responsible, mature, and healthy thing to do, regardless of whether you merely want to confide in a reliable friend or feel the need to hire a professional. Unfortunately, seeking help for mental health issues still carries some stigma in our society. But things are altering. People are starting to comprehend the importance of seeking treatment as well as how common mental health disorders are. There’s no need for you to go it alone.
Look After Your Mental Health
“Looking after your mental health” is one of this year’s Mental Health Week’s themes. We at One Central Health couldn’t agree with this concept more. We are here to assist you in realising your right to a happy, healthy life.
If our ten suggestions for bettering mental health overwhelm you, disregard nine of them and begin with only one. After that, you’ll quickly find yourself prepared to add a second, followed by a third and so on.
Do not forget to look for yourself!
