Mental health is important to your overall well-being. If you are concerned or have questions about your mental health, getting some information could help. In this article, we explore how to take care of your mental health.
How to Take Care of Your Mental Health
Your mental health is determined by your emotional and psychological state, and how you are functioning in your life based on these states. The way you think, feel and act reflect your mental health.
If you have panic attacks or constant worry and anxiety that interferes with social or work activities, then your mental health is off-balance. If you can organize your thoughts and adjust your behaviors to properly deal with stressors, your mental health is likely healthy.
There are some aspects of mental health that are out of your control, like genetics. Research has found heredity plays a factor. Even though family members may have been diagnosed with mental disorders, it does not necessarily mean you will experience mental illness.
How well you take care of yourself and the environment in which you live, and work have an even greater influence. If you surround yourself with negativity, your chances of having a mental illness will increase.
To avoid, reverse, or lessen the effects of mental illness in your life, there are things you can do to increase positive results.
Below are a few tips you can implement starting today on how to take care of your mental health.
Sleep Hygiene
Getting good sleep is essential for taking care of your mental health. Good sleep can be defined by getting the right number of hours, in the right environment, with the right sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is the routine you establish before, during and after you sleep. It involves the habits you acquire that help your body recognize it is time for sleep, to stay asleep for seven or more hours and to wake up in a way that does not cause stress to the brain or body.
Some sleep hygiene tips include brushing your teeth, bathing and preparing for bed at the same time each night. When you lay down for bed, do something positive but also tiring, such as reading a book. Turn off all electronics. Sleep in the dark and wake up using a soft sounding alarm, or rely on your body’s natural alarm clock if that is an option.
Take Care of Your Body
Taking care of your mental health also means taking care of your physical health. You’re body and mind are connected, and have a direct effect on one another. For instance, depression can lead to physical aches and pains. Chronic pain can lead to depression.
The more you can do for your body, the better you will feel emotionally. Taking care of your body means feeding it the right types of foods. Junk food is linked to poor physical and mental health. Stay hydrated, exercise a few times a week, and treat yourself to relaxation treatments like massages.
Taking care of your body may also mean saying “no” to some of the many requests you get from friends, family and co-workers to extend yourself to a point where you are overwhelmed.
Improve Your Thoughts
Your thoughts influence how well you can take care of your mental health. What you tell yourself is what you believe, and those thoughts can determine how you will live your life. If you tell yourself you are not a good employee if you don’t work overtime every week, then you will work overtime and your mental health will suffer.
If you tell yourself to stay in a bad relationship because you can’t find anyone better, then you will be stuck in that relationship.
Learn how to reverse negative thinking. Catch yourself having negative thoughts and replace them immediately with positive thoughts. Even if you don’t believe the positive right away, keep practicing.
Getting help with this process from an individual therapist is a great idea. It gives you someone to guide you and help you implement positive mental health techniques in your everyday life.
Work with an Individual Therapist
Every person can benefit from receiving therapeutic guidance from a person who is specifically trained and has experience in teaching others how to take care of their mental health. They can help you too.
There will be days when you struggle less, and some days more. In these times, you can gather strength from your therapist.
Opening up to someone who not in your everyday life helps you overcome the negative emotions you must suppress at work or at home. You cannot really talk to your spouse if they are the problem. You can say anything to your therapist. They provide a safe, confidential outlet for you to express your true feelings without retaliation or the fear of hurting someone.
Seeing a therapist to take care of your mental health no longer has the stigma it once did. It is accepted and appreciated when you put yourself first. Only then can you be a positive influence in every other area of your life.
Recognize Your Signs
Sometimes you can get so caught up in a routine that you don’t even recognize you need help physically or mentally. You ignore the back aches or joint pain. You talk down to yourself for feeling too tired to go anywhere on the weekends. You feel guilty because you get agitated easily or because you worry too much.
You sleep more, don’t enjoy activities you once loved, and sleep a lot more than usual. Your memory stinks and what is worse, people who love you are noticing something is wrong.
Any one of these are signals that you are not taking care of your mental health as best you can. It is also a sign that you need support during this process. Building a support system starts with your counselor. With help, you can create a list of people who can give you strength and encouragement through this process.
Start Today
A final tip, and one of the best, is to start today in taking care of your mental health. Taking the first step can be challenging, but the reward is worth it. Make yourself a priority. You deserve all the positive benefits you will receive.