Do you need help improving your mental health? You’re not alone. Over 51 million Americans were living with a mental health problem in 2019.
But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways to help you improve your mental health and help you feel better. Read on to learn the top tips for mental health.
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Take Plenty of Breaks
Everyone gets overwhelmed by the stress of the world sometimes. That’s why it’s important to practice self-care, and take time out for yourself.
Schedule regular breaks in your day. If you just don’t have time during a busy workday, make sure that at the end of the day you still have time to unwind. For example, you can run yourself a hot bubble bath, or watch an episode or two of your favorite sitcom.
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Take Care of Your Physical Health
Physical health and mental health are actually closely related. So, it’s important to take care of your physical health as well. If you haven’t been to a physician in a long time, now’s the perfect time to get a checkup.
That’s especially true if you have a concern about a specific aspect of your health. If you don’t already have a family doctor, you can check out one option here: https://reverehealth.com/specialty/family-medicine/.
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Express Your Feelings
Keeping your feelings bottled up inside and not getting them out is never particularly helpful for your mental health. Try talking about your feelings with your friends and family. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your emotions, try talking with a mental health professional.
Or, you can express your feelings in other ways. Start a journal to write your feelings down.
Utilize other forms of artistic expression, like painting, drawing, or playing music. It doesn’t really matter how you express your feelings, as long as you do.
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Get Some Sleep
It may feel silly, but sticking to a regular sleep schedule is an important part of maintaining your mental health. You should go to sleep at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning — even on weekends.
Shoot for a solid eight hours of sleep each night. And stay away from screens or anything else that emits blue light at least one hour before you hit the sack.
If you’re struggling to sleep even after following these basic steps, you may want to talk to a doctor or a specialist to rule out any health problems causing your insomnia.
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Stay Positive
It can be really hard to maintain a positive attitude, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, staying positive and upbeat is a great way to improve your mental health.
Stay away from catastrophizing or assuming that the worst is always about to happen. Instead, try and recenter your thoughts around positive actions you can take, and what the good things in your life are.
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Connect With Others
When you’re feeling down and out, you may not feel up to talking with others. But maintaining a personal connection with your loved ones is an important part of keeping you mentally strong and healthy.
You can work your way up with regular text messages and calls, instead of zoom dates or in-person meetups, if you’re just not feeling up to the grind. You can always stick to one-on-one interactions instead of group hangouts if you worry about social anxiety.
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Improve Your Diet
Did you know what you eat every day can affect your mental health? Taking in the right amount of the nutrients you need is an important part of staying healthy. Eat plenty of foods and vegetables to boost your nutrition.
If you don’t think you’re getting what you need, look into multivitamins or other supplements to work more vitamins and minerals into your diet.
And, there are some parts of your diet you may want to cut back on. If you’re relying heavily on alcohol or nicotine, you may want to look into cutting out those parts of your diet.
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Soak Up the Sun
Sometimes, you’re just short on vitamin D. Vitamin D helps you fight depression, boosts weight loss, and makes you feel better overall, so it’s important to make sure that you’re getting enough of it.
So, make sure that you’re spending some time outside every day, and get some fresh air. Even if it’s too cold or hot outside, make it a priority to get at least a few minutes of sunlight.
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Take Up a Hobby
Are you just feeling stuck in a rut? Are you getting bored of what you do on an everyday basis? Trying a new hobby can break up the monotony and help turn your frown upside down.
Take up a new physical activity, so that you can get an extra dose of endorphins while you entertain yourself. Here are a few other hobby options you might want to consider:
- Gardening or beekeeping
- Cooking, baking, pickling, or mixology
- Knitting, sewing, embroidery, or crocheting
- Magic tricks
- Sudoku, crossword puzzles, or word searches
- Photography, painting, or drawing
- Watch movies or television
- Learn a new language
- Practice calligraphy or origami
- Hiking, geocaching, rock climbing, or other outdoor activities
Do none of those sound quite the right fit? They aren’t your only options. Just do your research, and find a hobby that suits your interests.
These Tips for Mental Health Will Get You Started
Using these tips for mental health, you can start feeling better in no time. Just take it slow, pace yourself, and get back on track.
Are you interested in more health and wellness tips? Check out the rest of this site to learn more.
