Mental health is growing to gain attention It required recently. People started paying attention to their psychological troubles and are willing toward their emotional well-being. Mental health cannot be achieved overnight, improving our mental health is a process and it requires an individual to work and build on it daily.
Here are some tips and suggestions to do daily to improve your mental health:
Self-care:
This step involves placing yourself above others and catering to your wants and needs. None could know about you more than yourself.
- Focus on your body and mind: Look out for symptoms that need to be taken care of, be it physical symptoms indicating an imbalance in homeostasis or physiological symptoms indicating poor mental health
- Eat healthy food: Add nuts, leafy greens, fruits and vegetables, and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids to have a balanced diet
- Maintain a proper sleep schedule: Poor lifestyle choices disrupt the sleep patterns and cause sleep disorders such as insomnia, hypersomnia, etc
- Exercise and practice yoga: Simple physical activities such as walking, jogging, stretching, and simple asanas can be incorporated even amidst our busy schedules. This could help us get out of our sedentary lifestyle.
Digital Detox
Spending long periods on social media consuming unnecessary content could keep us on the edge. It could be distracting and overwhelming. Hence, taking time for ourselves away from the screen could be beneficial.
- Be mindful of the time spent on social media: Unfollow the accounts that distress you, don’t spend time on the mediums that demotivate and question every single decision of your life, and beware of the pretenses that lure you. Don’t indulge in petty digital arguments and don’t entertain the gossip.
- Stop the doom scrolling: Remember that life portrayed in social media may not be real. Stay away from the media that spread false and misleading news.
- Learn to tackle the FOMO, stress, anxiety, and depression that come with excessively spending time in front of the screen
Mindfulness:
Mindfulness is the realization of who we are, what we are doing, and what we feel at the present moment. To not be indulged in our past or to not be too worried about the future and be completely aware of the present is what mindfulness focuses on.
- Clean your room and the surroundings where you spend most of your time. Decluttering the space could be therapeutic.
- Practice mindfulness with the help of meditation, breathing, and relaxation exercises
- Spend some time close to nature, talk for a walk in the park and garden, or take vacations to scenic places
- Journal: Journaling your day-to-day activities, feelings, and thoughts could act as an emotional expression. A gratitude journal counting your blessings could also help.
Avoid Substance Misuse:
Individuals excessively use or abuse psychoactive drugs. It could be legally prescribed drugs such as pain medications or illegal substances such as alcohol, Tobacco, or opioids.
- Substance Use: Drug overdose, addiction, and abuse are becoming common.
- Peer pressure: This can lead to habits like social drinking and cigarette smoking. Be mindful of the consequences and retract when necessary.
Make genuine connections:
The pandemic has taken a toll on our personal and social lives. We are getting used to seeing faces in rectangles. Human connection and sharing our minds can greatly improve our mental health.
- As we are slowly getting back on track, talk to your friends and renovate the bond.
- Try making new acquaintances and connections that matter
- Adopting pets and taking care of house plants could also calm our minds
Address what you feel:
Pretending to be happy and presenting a larger-than-life image on social media is taking the front seat of our lives. Documenting and posting every part of our lives is becoming the trend
- Don’t succumb to the unhealthy beauty standards and toxic positivity
- Express your authentic feelings, acknowledge their existence, and address them
- Find a space where you can talk about how you feel
- Be true to yourself and appeal to your senses
Spend your leisure time:
Not taking enough breaks is not something to be proud of. If the work or the exam preparation pressure becomes overwhelming, it’s necessary to step up and take some time off to recuperate and rejuvenate.
- Leisure activities such as watching tv, reading a book, picking a hobby, or playing a sport could lead to healthy expressions of emotions
- Listen to music that soothes the soul
- Contemplate your thoughts and cater to them
- Volunteer, and indulge yourself in services that matter to you
Seek therapy
Treating a mental health disorder need to be normalized as treating a physical disorder. If the discomfort prevails, it is advisable to avail of mental health resources and seeks professional help.
- Call helplines and talk to experts if you feel overwhelmed by emotions
- Join a support group addressing your need of the hour and connect with people experiencing or experienced similar problems
- Seek help from a mental health professional who could diagnose and treat your condition
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