How to maintain your mental health?

When we fall sick we get so worried, right? 

A minor temperature rises and we immediately call the doctor and take medicines, we even take as many steps as we can to avoid our health deteriorate.

Do we do the same with our mental health? I’m guessing, the answer would be no for many of us.

We also tend to be cautious and avoid things that might damage our perfectly healthy body. 

In the case of our mental health, do we do something similar? 

Why don’t we contact psychologists to support us or take precautions for our mental health well being? 

The care and proper well being of our mind are as important as our physical health. We all need to attend to our mental health and take care of it.

The point is that not many people know how to maintain their mental health. 

We all think that only mental health professionals can help us and that could be true to a certain extent, i.e., when we aren’t able to take care of it ourselves and the impact increases.

What if I told you, that you could achieve some kind of inner peace and say goodbye to your poor mental health. 

Here are some ways you can improve your mental health and not put a huge amount of effort to make it better. 

1. Perform Yoga or Meditate regularly:

Yoga helps us give a fresh feeling every day, it also helps release toxins from our body. Yoga increases body awareness, relieves stress, reduces muscle tension, strain, and inflammation, sharpens attention and concentration, and calms and centers the nervous system.

1. Eat well:

Did you know that a proper diet is beneficial for physical health as well as mental health! WebMD states that “More research is finding that a nutritious diet isn’t just good for the body; it’s great for the brain, too. The knowledge is giving rise to a concept called “nutritional (or food) psychiatry.” 

Also, psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University says that “diet is potentially the most powerful intervention we have, by helping people shape their diets, we can improve their mental health and decrease their risk of psychiatric disorders.” Who knew what we eat would be so important for our minds?

1. Do some kind of self-care:

We all deserve a great day of self-care, not just once in a while, but almost every day! After all the hard work we do, it’s certainly important for us to give ourselves some time without any other disturbance.

It can be done in any form we want like watching our favorite movie, listening to music, playing some game we like, or even treating ourself with DIY face masks. 

It will help us relax and we’ll immediately feel better. 

1. Spend some time with your loved ones:

I know some days can be a bit hectic and we don’t want any kind of irritation around us. But sometimes it’s great to spend time with your loved ones and just talk. Discuss your older times and have a big laugh with them! It will surely help you relieve all the stress and anxiety.

1. Live in the present: 

Sometimes we worry about the past or the future so much that we forget our present. It’s good to think about your future and relive the past once in a while but try not to get too much into them and find yourself indulged every other minute. Live the present and enjoy it, as Bill Keanes once said- “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”

1. Get enough sleep!: 

Sleep is so important yet not many people realize how much it affects our mental health. Get at least a minimum of 8 hours of sleep to get enough rest. Sleep and health are strongly related – poor sleep can increase the risk of having poor health, and poor health can make it harder to sleep. Sleep disturbances can be one of the first signs of distress.

1. Don’t avoid help if you need:

People might be aware of their neglecting mental health but still not get support. This might be due to various issues to avoid any kind of professional help. But if you find yourself or anyone you know who needs mental health help, don’t avoid it and encourage yourself as well as them to seek assistance. 

Rendering simple changes to how you live life doesn’t need to cost a fortune or take up loads of time. Anyone can follow this suggestion and attain some kind of inner peace. I hope you all do your best to improve your mental health and are in a better place in your lives.

• Sarah Hashmi

Sources: 

• https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-hardy/201305/take-stand-yoga-today%3famp

• https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20150820/food-mental-health#:~:text=%22A%20very%20large%20body%20of, factor%20for%20depression%20and%20anxiety.%E2%80%9D

• https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/importance-sleep#:~:text=Sleeping%20helps%20us%20to%20recover, the%20first%20signs%20of%20distress.