Tags – Boost Mental Health
Mental health is just as important as physical health, but unfortunately, it is often overlooked.
Many people think that they don’t need to worry about their mental health until they start experiencing problems.
However, this isn’t the case.
Daily habits can play a huge role in maintaining your mental health, and in this blog post we will discuss some of the best ones!
The Importance of Good Mental Health
Mental health plays an important role in how you handle stress, relate to others and make key decisions – it encompasses how you think and feel and how well you cope with difficult situations.
When you don’t look after your mind, things can go out of control and cause issues in all areas of your life.
To put it simply, caring for your mental health can help to:
- Improve mood
- Reduce anxiety
- Think clearly
- Deepen connections and relationships
- Improve self esteem and confidence
However the effects aren’t just mental either: it can help manage physical health conditions that are worsened by stress such as heart disease.
Hence why building habits for better mental health will make a huge difference to your life overall.
5 Daily Habits to Boost Your Mental Health
Here are 5 daily habits you can incorporate into your life to keep yourself as healthy as possible, and help fight against the pitfalls of everyday stress.
1. Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep is just as important as eating, drinking and breathing, and even going a couple of nights with bad sleep will have an impact on your mood, memory and thinking abilities.
As obvious as it sounds, sleep is important because it gives your body the opportunity to rest and your mind to reset.
So make sure you have an established sleep routine and stick to it – this means going to bed at a set time, and no TV or mobile phones!
In fact, keep the screens out of the bedroom all together – the brain is great at making connections, so your brain needs to connect your bedroom with sleep.
2. Think Positive
When we’re feeling down, it may seem as if being positive is an impossible task, but there’s a lot of evidence that suggests that positive thinking can have a significant impact on your mood, making you feel more cheerful and therefore enhancing your mood even more!
It’s a wonderful, blissful cycle that we should all do everything possible to join in.
Start small.
Every morning, affirm to yourself out loud that today will be a good day.
And when something good happens, notice it!
We’re all great at remembering the bad and forgetting the good, so focus on the positive events in your life, even if they’re minor.
Take notice of people and things that make you smile, a particularly delectable sandwich, or even something as little as washing the dishes.
Pay attention to them and remind yourself that they exist.
3. Eat Well and Exercise
As cliche as it sounds: “healthy body, healthy mind” is completely true.
As biological machines, if we use the wrong type of fuel or allow our joints to rust then everything else will be affected.
Now we’re not saying enter a triathlon, or eat an only-green diet. But even getting outside in the fresh air for 10 minutes to start with and getting your body moving will have a huge impact – exercise helps to release the feel good hormones serotonin and dopamine.
In terms of diet, try to avoid junk food and cut down on sugar and eat foods that are full of vital nutrients that will increase your overall well being and reduce anxiety and stress.
4. Find a Connection With Others
Social interaction plays a big part in being human.
And forming connections with others, be it family or friends, can help you combat the stressors of daily life.
However, it can sometimes still feel difficult to be honest about your mental health; we don’t always know how people will react, and that can be worrying.
But being honest with yourself, putting yourself out there, and seeking assistance is a significant component of remaining mentally healthy.
In other words, the best thing you can do for yourself is to be honest and open, and this could be as small as calling a friend to talk – but if you don’t feel comfortable doing so – finding an anonymous support group online.
Regardless of the path you choose, getting in touch with other individuals and seeking advice, support, and direction can be a gratifying and fulfilling experience.
5. Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude
Mindfulness is a strategy that helps you to attempt and focus on how you’re feeling right now; it focuses on physical sensations as well as emotional responses.
There is a mountain of evidence that suggests that regularly practising mindfulness allows us to let go of negative events from the past and future worries, as well as focus on our current experience.
Consider the actual feelings, noises, scents, or tastes of your daily routine; pay attention to how they make you feel and how your body and mind react.
Don’t attempt to conceal or flee from your feelings – simply acknowledge and understand them, and then move on.
If it doesn’t work right away, don’t worry; mindfulness is a skill that needs practice and time to master, but if you persevere, it will benefit you greatly.
On the other hand, gratitude is all about remembering the things you are thankful for in your life and helps you get in a positive mindset when you are feeling low.
That said, make some time each day to think about all the positives in your life (you could even write these down to refer back to).
Wrapping Up
By practising these daily habits, you’ll be on the right path to boost your mental health and reduce some of the stress that bogs you down every day.
But whilst these tips above can improve mental well being, they can’t “cure” any conditions, so if you are struggling, seek help – working with a therapist can be a powerful way to improve your mental health.
Finally, when it comes to adopting new habits, it’s more helpful to start with just one or two at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Want to know more? Please get in touch today.
In the meantime, take a look at our Court of Protection solicitors.
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