How To Take Care Of Your Mental Health

 

Are mental health issues becoming more common, or is it only that we are growing aware of them? Perhaps, today's sped-up life can be held accountable for how many people face mental health issues in their life. But at the same time, it's because of this advancement and spreading awareness that these issues are not looked at as taboo. 

Every one in five is due to get diagnosed with a mental health issue, according to statistics. Which surely is a cause of concern!

However, many people only think about improving their mental health when they've hit rock-bottom. Also, it is a common misconception that people with good mental health suffer no traumas, stress, anxiety, depression, etc. when it's not the case. 

How Do You Define Your Mental Health?

Mental and physical health are far more intrinsically connected than you know. Just like being healthy physically doesn't mean you won't catch a cold or flu; having good mental health doesn't mean that you won't suffer stress, traumas, depression, and anxiety either.

Good mental health refers to your ability to deal with these situations. You must know people around you who are just good at working under pressure, staying focused, getting over the obstacles of life, or having good mental health.

How To Improve Your Mental Health?

You improve your mental health through practice, just like your physical health. But instead of lifting weights, you have to find out what activity or habit of yours better equips you in dealing with stressful situations. And it takes a lot of practice!

I have summed up a few of the things that I have seen to improve mental health, so let' get started!

Communicate Often

There is nothing we underestimate more than communication, and I'm not talking about digital interaction but face-to-face. There surely is a trend going on of how being antisocial makes you "different." Well, let me tell you, it certainly is not the "different" that you hope for.

If you are an introvert, then that's not a problem either. You still must have a loved one, a good friend, or family to reach out to. And at the end of the day, it's always these people regardless of whether you're an introvert or an extrovert. Because you can't go on talking about your life and problems to a guy next to you on the subway!

Pick out someone in your circles that is a good listener and wouldn't judge or intrude. And let go of social anxiety, people feel special and important if you go up to talk to them. So, there's nothing fearful about reaching out for help.

Having a person you trust talking to you or listening makes up for a good decompression at the end of the day. Messaging is not entirely bad, but it is not as good as a face-to-face conversation either. 

Improve Your Physical Health

The mind and body have a rather amusing connection between them. When one is stressed out and tensed, the second follows. 

Exercise is by far the best habit that you can get yourself signed up for. A variety of mental-health-issues stem from low self-esteem and under-confidence, and exercise helps you get over these precisely. People who work out often are more energetic, confident, and optimistic about life.

Adding more, exercise releases endorphins, which charges you up and helps you fight stress. But what if you don't like working out? Yes, that's a thing! Not everyone is a fanatic about exercise and working out. Some of us really can't put ourselves up to it. 

For those of you, you can start slow and steady. Even before you look to free up time in your schedule for working out, you can inculcate it in your current routine. For example, using the stairs at the office instead of an elevator (3-5 floor), walking to your local store instead of driving, and making rounds at the mall window-shopping are all good exercises!

But don't leave it there. You eventually have to level it up to at least 30 minutes a day, whether in sets of 10-minute workouts or at a stretch.

Eat Healthily

If you've ever been on a diet, then you must know how the food you eat reflects in your mood. There's been a bunch of studies on this one, so it's not really a vegan catchphrase but reality. Caffeine, Alcohol, Sugar, and Oily Foods adversely affect your mood and energy. In comparison, food items like Fish, Dry Fruit, Leafy Greens, and Fruit improves your mood.

However, these are just examples and not a one-fits-all suggestion—no need to throw your bags of candies out right away. Try cutting low on them for a couple of weeks and see if it makes you feel different. Then you can go ahead and do whatever you like.

Another important reason why healthy-eating is important is that it affects your sleep. And sleep is definitely a major contributor to physical and mental stress. Although you can allow yourself relaxation in what you eat, you should at least focus on "when" you eat it.

Generally, eating at least 3 hours before bedtime is most recommended by experts. It improves your quality of sleep and helps you sleep much faster as well.

Pick A Hobby And Don't Let Go

If you're still holding on to a hobby of yours since childhood, then you are lucky! For the rest of us, giving up on our childhood hobbies and passion was a big mistake.

Hobbies inspire you to devote your attention and time to something that you love. You don't expect anything out of it, good or bad. You just do it because you like it. It can be reading, writing, knitting, collecting, or anything that crosses your mind.

You see, the idea of improving your mental health is to stick to something that makes you forget about the stress. And what can work better than a book by your favorite author or sitting idle in a boat fishing?

But a common complaint is that you just can't focus the same while doing a hobby anymore. And it is justified. You used to sit by a window and read a book when that was all you had to do. Now, there are underlying thoughts of work, relationship, sex, and whatnot on your mind. 

And there's an easy fix for that! Gold Bali Kratom sourced from kratom krush is a herbal extract that helps you boost your attention and has anti-anxiety properties. Fear not, it comes with no side-effects that you expect from pills and medicine. Kratom krush is surely going to let your worries off the hook and indulge completely in your hobby.

Conclusion

I hope at least one of the practices, as mentioned above, must have clicked for you. But more than that, I hope you now have a much clearer idea about how "mental health" is different from "mental health issues."

You only need to find activities that work counter to stress, bring out the best in you, and are the things that you love. This way, you'll spend more time doing what makes you happy and have good control over how stress and anxiety affects you.