10 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
It is
important to take care of yourself and get the most from life. Without much ado
below are 10 practical ways to look after your mental health. Making
simple changes to how you live doesn’t need to cost a fortune or take up loads
of time.
1.
Healthy Diet: You really need eat healthy, there is no over emphasising
this. Studies have shown that Foods, like complex
carbohydrates, that contain soluble fiber can slow the absorption of sugar into
your bloodstream and increase serotonin, the “feel good” chemical, both of
which decrease mood swings. You can find healthy amounts of fiber in –
oats, beans, pears, peas, Brussels sprouts etc.- Sleep,
not just sleep REST:
Sleep plays an important role to your physical health, so also it plays an
important role to your mental health. When you don't have adequate sleep
you feel stressed, tired and drained, the same goes for your mental
health, without sleep you become cranky, irritable unable to function
properly, you end up over working the brain.
- Forgive
and Learn: Forgiveness is for your own good, growth and benefit.
Holding onto to anger, hurt, pain and resentment hurts you more than it
does the offender. Whenever I held onto pain that someone caused me, I
realised that whenever i see this person i felt more pain and anger. It
felt like I was in a cage, a cage I had put myself in. once you forgive
and let go you free yourself from that bondage.
- Smile: Research
has found that smiling on purpose can help people feel better. That is, if
you intentionally smile for a few seconds/minutes even when you don't feel
like could boost your mood and create a feeling of happiness.
- Positive
Attitude: I cannot over-emphasize this point. The importance of
having a positive attitude, protecting your positive space. This would
boost creativity, optimism and also help you cope better with day-day
activities, helps you achieve goals and career success and over all brings
constructive change to your life. Also learn to surround yourself with
positive people and energies
- Let
go of bitterness: You
see that this point is so important. See number 3 again. in
essence don't tighten the world to your chest.
- Learn
something new every day: The white
matter in your brain is called myelin, and it helps improve performance on
a number of tasks. The more people practice a new skill
they are learning, the more dense the myelin in their brains becomes,
which helps them learn even better. There is no harm in
learning a new skill, and you don’t need to break the bank before learning
a skill. It doesn’t have to be a “big skill” per se, you can learn to play
an instrument, a new language.
- Exercise: Physical activity or exercise can improve
your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise releases chemicals like
endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood. If
you exercise regularly, it can reduce your stress and symptoms
of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, and
help with recovery from mental health issues.
- Learn
to say no: By never saying No,
we stop being able to say yes when it is
most important. When you
constantly say Yes to every request, people fail to respect
you, your needs or your time. They come to take you for granted. Then,
when you finally do say No they take it as an insult.
The importance of saying No in relationships is that you set
boundaries and lead a healthy life.
- Talk
to someone when you don't feel Okay: You might
want to talk to people closer to you first when you do not feel okay, or
when things are not going as planned but
the person you feel safe to talk to
should be accountable a person who you know will always be
there for you. They might give you the courage to be able to get advanced
help from a therapist or counselor who is experienced.
BONUS:
- Be grateful
for the little things
- Ask for help
when you need it
Thumbs UP
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteThis is a good one.
ReplyDeletekeep it up, lets give Mental health the awareness it needs.
These really sound simple buh I really didn't know they impact mental health as much, at least , I am never intentional when doing them. Thank you.
ReplyDelete