Improve Your Mental Health: 5 Things That Help and Hurt

Maintaining mental wellness has never been more important than it is today. The fast-paced world we live in can be overwhelming, while stress and anxiety seem to be an unavoidable part of our daily lives. However, taking care of our mental health is crucial to living a happy and fulfilling life. In this article, we'll explore the do’s and don'ts of maintaining a healthy mind. We'll cover five key things you need to know to take care of your mental health, including practical tips and strategies to help you stay grounded amidst the chaos. Whether you're looking to reduce stress, improve your mood, or simply feel more balanced, this guide will provide you with valuable insights and actionable steps to help you achieve your goals. So, let's dive in and discover the secrets to maintaining a healthy mind!

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Do:

1. Seek help when needed: It's essential to seek help when you're struggling with your mental health. There's no shame in asking for help, and it's a sign of strength to admit when you need support. Sometimes all you need is someone to listen to you like a friend or a family member. Other times, you need an unbiased mental health therapist to help guide and support you in feeling better.

2. Prioritize yourself: Schedule time in your calendar for self-care activities. Whether it's a relaxing bath, a yoga class, or a walk in nature, make sure you set aside time for yourself each week. Treat this time as sacred and non-negotiable. Your mental and physical health are connected, so make sure to prioritize both including eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and moderate exercise. Lastly, it’s ok to say no and it’s an essential part of taking care of yourself. Ask yourself if you have the capacity to do something before you say yes to anything.

3. Start small: Change doesn’t happen all at once, so start with small achievable goals. Creating change in your habits will take some time. Try doing one thing 1-2 times a week for 2-3 weeks and be sure you’re at least 80% certain you can achieve your goal.

4. Practice mindfulness and guided meditation: Mindfulness and guided meditation can be a powerful tool to help your mental health. As stated above, start small; begin with one minute a couple of times a week. Do this for about 2-3 weeks, then gradually increase the amount of time. There are many apps and websites that provide free guided mindfulness and meditation, but my favorite app is Insight Timer.

5. Surround yourself with positivity: The company you keep, plays an important part in your mental health. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, support you, and want to see you succeed in whatever you want out of life. Make a conscious choice to see the positive in things and find gratitude where you can. It does not mean you ignore the bad things but shift your thinking from a negative point of view to a more neutral or positive point of view.

Don’t:

1. Neglect your mental health: Neglecting your mental health can have serious consequences. It’s important to pay attention to how you feel and seek help when you’re not feeling well.

   • You might be neglecting your mental health if you…

     • Always feel tired

     • Get easily overwhelmed

     • Constantly worry

     • Loss in interest of things you once liked

     • See changes in your sleep and/or eating

     • Get lots of headaches

     • Have a lot of muscle tension

   • There is NO shame in asking for help.

2. Bite off more than you can chew: Stress and anxiety is a normal part of less, but too much can be harmful to your mental health. However, saying yes to everything because you’re worried about letting others down is not normal. It’s ok to say no without feeling guilt or shame about it.

3. Surround yourself with toxic people: People feed off of other peoples’ energy. Surrounding yourself with people who don’t support you will cause you to feel even worse. They don’t want you to feel better and make changes, they like the negative cycles you’re stuck in.

4. Ignore or stuff you feelings: Emotions are a natural part of life but when you choose to stuff or ignore them, it negatively affects your mental health. You might stop feeling your emotions all around, also know as, numbing. Or, you might stuff your feelings until the pressure is too much to take and then you explode with all kinds of emotions you can’t manage.

5. Always put yourself last: Not taking the time to recharge your battery can cause your mental health to plummet. You can’t continue to use your phone once the battery dies but you keep pushing yourself to use a body and brain that’s drained of energy. You’re not living your authentic life if you’re not taking care of yourself.

Maintaining good mental health is essential to living a happy and fulfilling life. By prioritizing yourself, practicing mindfulness and meditation, setting small achievable goals, seeking help when needed, and surrounding yourself with positivity, you can take steps to maintain good mental health. Remember, there's no shame in asking for help when you need it. With the right tools and support, you can achieve good mental health and enjoy a happy and fulfilling life.