The shift in how we view mental health illnesses over the past two decades is nothing short of amazing. From being a taboo subject to avoid talking on, it has become one of the most openly and widely conversed issues.
The idea of taking care of your mental health as you do for your physical health is ideal. Just like you exercise to keep yourself in shape and have strong immunity, some lifestyle changes will better equip you in handling day-to-day stress and anxiety.
Unfortunately, many people wouldn’t pursue mental health fitness until they encounter a situation they can’t get out of on their own. In contrast, mental health fitness means to prevent a lousy episode before it even happens.
Mentally healthy people will have a much positive approach towards life. They can hold their nerve and function properly throughout the day, regardless of what’s thrown at their plate. But how do you get yourself mentally healthy?
There is no magic pill or a spell that will promise better mental health overnight. You have to accept the struggle and embrace it as a lifestyle change. Because the farther you are from taking care of your mental health daily, the weaker it will be.
So, without further ado, let’s jump straight into the lifestyle choices that promise better mental health.
Know What’s Important And What’s Urgent
I do not say to prioritize right away. Because without a good understanding of how you should prioritize the things in your life, you probably won’t come up with a list much different than the one you have now.
We usually come by two types of chores every day, the important ones and the urgent ones. The third ones we eliminate right from the start, which are the less important things.
Anyway, urgent tasks are the ones with deadlines, and what gets you into trouble. It can be sending an important work email, dropping your kids off at school, or conducting an online meeting. These are the tasks that should be on the top of your priorities list as there is very little room for delay.
The important things are the ones that are a “must to do” in your day but do not come with a deadline. For example, your work, exercise, diet, family time, meditation, or therapy are important.
Once you can distinguish the important from urgent, you will see that your prioritizing becomes much more manageable. The urgent chores are usually less time consuming, and once you are done with them, it takes a load of stress off your shoulders.
You can then easily concentrate on the important things and not worry about missing deadlines. The point to note is that prioritizing helps you achieve your daily goals and contributes to better mental health.
Meditate, Even For Five Minutes
Before you roll your eyes at me on this, you really should give this one a try. Because at worst, how bad can five minutes really be if it’s not your thing?
Meditation and mindfulness are exercises for your brain that helps develop the cognitive part. In terms of a layman, it enhances your focus and concentration, boosts your memory, and better equips you to handle daily stress and anxiety.
Various religions around the world have practiced mindfulness for over centuries to achieve peace. Knowing your surroundings and focusing all your brain’s energy on just one particular task, your breathing, is amazingly therapeutic.
Since the yogis have given another dimension to how mindfulness is viewed, we all have given it a try at least once in life, failed miserably, and never tried again. But that is mostly because you tried jumping into the advanced version right away.
To start your meditation journey, guided meditations are the best way to go. You can find dozens of guided meditations online or courses that you can register yourself for around you. And once you get the hang of it and can perform it without assistance, it will become addictive and a habit.
Watch What Goes Into Your Body
We often overlook how what we eat reflects on our physical and mental health. You probably know how harmful a bar of chocolate daily is for your weight, but did you know it also imbalances your sugar levels and affects your mental health?
Eating sugary and high-fat foods give you a sudden surge in sugar and energy levels, but they deplete even faster. And once that high spike wears off, you are left feeling even more drained than you were before.
While there is no specific food item that helps you build better and more robust mental health, some food groups ease tension and stress. Leafy greens, lean protein, and some herbal supplements help you relax the muscles and numb pain, which eventually dampens any depression or anxiety feelings.
The supplements that are best recommended for improving your mental health are Magnesium, CBD genesis cartridge, Fish Oils, Red Bali Kratom Capsules, and Multivitamins”. With your nutritional requirements met for the day, you will have a much-balanced energy flow to do things.
You can use supplements along with your meals, in capsules, and vapes with a 510 battery.
Work Out Frequently
The benefits of exercise and working out are much more than a list of an article. They have numerous health benefits by improving your immunity and metabolism, helps you stay in a healthy shape, and even improve your mental health above all else.
A refined and toned body from exercise increases your sense of self-worth and confidence, which is an essential tool in fighting mental health illnesses. But that’s not the farthest that the benefits of exercise can stretch.
Research shows an increased secretion of dopamine and serotonin by your brain when you exercise. These are the feel-happy hormones that help regulate your mood throughout the day. And this is precisely why you always feel so good after a completed workout.
However, most people mistake when starting to work out because they jump right into high-intensity workouts, which are easy to scare off just about anyone. When it comes to exercise, frequency matters more than the intensity. So, you might want to stick to that daily brisk walk of yours instead of hitting the gym once a week.
Get Enough Sleep
According to statistics, about a third of the US adults do not meet the criteria for minimum hours of sleep in a day. Seeing how sleeping fewer leads to conditions like obesity and diabetes takes a toll on your mental health.
The advised number of hours for sleep is from seven to nine hours a day. And to take it even a step higher, you can work on improving the quality of your sleep.
Your sleep quality is influenced by your screen exposure, coffee, alcohol, and dietary intake. Eating light meals before bed, cutting down on alcohol and coffee, and limiting your screen time contribute to a better quality of sleep.
When you sleep enough and deep, you restore your energy efficiency and are mentally charged to take on the next day. And since you’ll be completing all of your daily chores in time, there wouldn’t be much room for stress and anxiety to take over.