Your mental health impacts the way you feel, think and act in your day-to-day life. It also influences your way of handling stress, hurdling challenges, building relationships, and getting up from life hardships and seatbacks. Anyone is vulnerable from suffering emotional health or mental health problems. In a recent research conducted, one in every five people will suffer from a mental disorder.
See also: 5 Ways to Improve your Mental Health and IQ
Mental problems are very common nowadays. However, it appears that most of us do not make any effort to change, if not, improve this pressing situation. If you are looking for a solution to solve your present mental health problem, you want to improve your ways of handling your emotions, or you simply want to feel more positive and vibrant, there are many ways that you can do to take control of your mental health. Here are four life-changing strategies that you can do to boost your mental health.
Prioritize Social Connection
The old adage, “No Man is an Island” could be very well applied to one of the strategies in boosting your mental health. Regardless of the time and effort, you dedicate to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need others to feel and be at your best. As a social creature with emotional needs, you are not intended to survive or grow in isolation. You need make positive connections and build relationships with other people. Our human brain is programmed for companionship even if our previous experience has made us distrustful and indifferent to others.
While social media has become prevalent nowadays, nothing beats the positive effect of quality face-to-face time with other people. According to many studies, this type of interaction busts stresses and boosts our moods. The key is to communicate with someone who is a good listener and whom you can regularly talk to in person. A good listener will see through the feelings or emotions beyond words. He will not interrupt, criticize, or judge you.
Keep Your Stress Levels in Check
Over the years, scientists have discovered that stress is the top cause of many diseases. Many patients were diagnosed with cancer and stress is the key that triggers the rapid spread of these destructive cells. Aside from its physiological effects, stress is now linked to emotional and mental health. While not all cause of stress could be avoided, there are several ways on how to manage stress and keep it in check.
Use your senses to de-stress. Listen to uplifting songs like praise and worship if this has an effect on you. Others turn to instrumental music while several others turn to music for meditations or nature’s music. Some people are calmed by the mere scent of a freshly brewed coffee or the scent produced by the earth after the rain. Some use essential oils to manage stress. You can also perform several relaxation techniques. Activities such as mindful meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation can halt stress.
Stay Active
Our mind and body inherently connected. When you try to improve your physical health greater emotional and mental well-being automatically follows. Physical activities discharge brain chemical called endorphin that not only provide extra energy but also lifts your mood. Having a regular physical activity or setting aside time for exercise will substantially help you relieve stress, enhance your memory, help you sleep better and eventually impact your emotional and mental health.
If you do not like going to the gym, lifting weights, or jogging on the treadmill, there are simple that you can do to stay active. You can walk the expanse of an air-conditioned shopping mall while window shopping. You can also take a long walk at the park at lunchtime. Instead of commuting you can walk from your workplace to your home. There are also several activity-based video games that you can do. Instead of driving, you can use a bicycle as your mean of transportation.
Eat Brain Foods
What you eat and do not eat has an effect on the way you feel and think. An unhealthy food intake can take a toll on your mood and your brain. Your diet can lower your energy, weaken your immune system, and even upset your sleep pattern. Turning into a wholesome diet like low-sugar and rich in healthy fats can boost your energy, change your sleep and mood, and even make you feel and look your best.
Foods that affect your mood negatively include alcohol, caffeine, trans fats and anything that contains partially hydrogenated oil. You should also avoid eating foods with high levels of chemical hormones or preservatives. This includes snacks loaded with sugar, refined carbohydrates like white flour and white rice, and fried food.
Instead, eat foods that boost your mood. This includes fatty fish loaded with Omega 3,6 and 9 such as mackerel, salmon, herring, anchovies, tuna, and sardines. Eat nuts like almonds, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts. Eat flaxseed, beans, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Brussels’ sprouts, and kale. Add fresh fruits like blueberries to your diet.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health involves our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It influences the way we feel, think, and act. In addition, it gauges how we cope stress, makes choices, and relate to others. Mental health is crucial at each stage of life, from childhood and adolescence up to adulthood.
So which among the strategies can you start immediately? Do you think you can incorporate these strategies into your daily life? Do you know someone who has a problem with his emotional or mental health?
Image credit: SimplyYogaDelray.com
