It can sometimes feel like adding more to your plate might help your mental health, to distract from the noise, but it can have the opposite effect. It is therefore important to consider what you need to reduce, remove, or change in order to help your mental health.
There is a lack of understanding that your day-to-day habits, the way you manage stress, your social life, and much more can impact your mental well-being. To help you on your journey, here are some things you might want to consider.
Learning how to manage your stress
Chronic stress can lead to serious health complications if you don’t learn to manage it. Stress is a physiological response within the human body that activates your nervous system. It is vital that you learn how to cycle through your stress response and return to a balanced state. Some people are unable to do this and stay stressed a lot longer than they need to. Learn how to identify when you are stressed, and experiment with coping mechanisms that help to regulate you. It can also be helpful to learn what your triggers are and whether they can be removed or reduced.
Don’t Ignore or suppressing emotions
When you bottle up your feelings, whether that is anger, sadness, or anxiety, it can cause them to build up inside of you and manifest unexpectedly or in an unhealthy way at another time. It is vital that you learn to accept and flow through your emotions. The normal human experience is to feel a whole range of different emotions.
Try not to isolate yourself
Human beings are social creatures. If you often withdraw from friends, you might be making a mistake that is impacting your mental health. Social connection is a basic human need. Consider how you can find a balance when you need time to yourself, and how you can push yourself out of your comfort zone with trusted friends and family.
Get enough sleep
Poor sleep patterns can wreak havoc on your mental health. When you don’t get enough sleep, it can impact your energy levels, your mood, your cognitive function, your focus and concentration, your digestion, and much more. This can then have a negative impact on your life, relationships, work, eating habits, and other areas that are important. You should set a regular bedtime, create a cozy set up, use a sleep mask, and stop any screen use before you sleep.
Physical activity
Physical inactivity can exacerbate any low moods and feelings that you may be experiencing. It can also increase the risk of depression and anxiety. Exercise is essential as it releases important “feel-good” hormones that can help to reduce stress and improve your mood. Exercise also helps with cognitive function, socializing, sleep, energy, and much more. Start small and find a movement that you can do easily. You want to avoid making it a chore; instead, choose something fun and something you are more likely to stick to.
Mental health is complicated and can take many steps to heal. Hopefully some of these tips feel like small steps to help.
LL x
*This is a contributed post. As always, all opinions are my own.
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