Over the past two years, most of us have been faced with abnormal stressors due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, this can impact our mental health, making it vital to always look into new ways to improve mental health.
What can you do if you have found yourself on the verge of snapping due to stress, anxiety, depression, or sleep deprivation?
Well, while there is no substitute for engaging with professional treatment – typically medication and/or psychotherapy), you can start boosting your mental health with some simple self-care tips.
12 Fun Ways to Improve your Mental Health
- Surround yourself with good people
- Looking after your body will improve your mental health
- Start your day with a coffee and reduce your risk of depression
- Get a massage to relax your body and boost your mood
- Only drink alcohol in moderation and avoid illicit drugs through choice: empower yourself
- Learn and implement healthy coping mechanisms to confidently navigate life’s stressors
- Break up your routine and shatter the monotony
- Spend some quality time with someone you love
- Plan a getaway with friends
- Be mindful and appreciate what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have
- Disconnect from the virtual world for a day
- Curl up with a good book
1) Surround yourself with good people
People with healthy social connections and strong family bonds are usually healthier and happier than those lacking a robust social support network.
If you find it tough to meet new people, consider joining a club, a gym, a fitness class, or a support group. This gives you a solid chance to connect with like-minded people. Whatever your interests and whatever your orientation. Seek out kindred spirits rather than settling for second best or feeling lonely and isolated.
Create a social circle of open-minded and optimistic friends looking to celebrate your wins and lift you when you’re down. You owe it to yourself.
2) Looking after your body will improve mental health
It’s no secret that looking after yourself physically enhances mental health.
Implementing a healthy lifestyle doesn’t need to be a zero-sum game, and you can quickly start slowly by introducing positive changes in the following areas:
- Eat as many healthy, whole foods as possible and as few processed foods as possible
- For a balanced diet that boosts both body and mind, consider incorporating more organic foods into your meals. Brands like Whole Food Earth offer a variety of options to enrich your lifestyle holistically.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, and you will feel more energized
- Aim for 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise to combat the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Exercise has proven mental health benefits.
- Avoid smoking and vaping if possible.
- Focus on sleep quality and quantity to start each day feeling rested and rejuvenated
A healthy lifestyle does not need to be boring. On the contrary, the better you feel physically and mentally, the more you can embrace life rather than passively pushing through your days.
3) Start your day with a coffee and reduce your risk of depression
Now some great news for all coffee lovers: coffee consumption is associated with lower rates of depression.
Treat yourself to a new single-serve coffee machine and kickstart your days with a delicious coffee at the push of a button without feeling guilty.
4) Get a massage to relax your body and boost your mood
Setting aside an hour or two for a professional massage is not only remarkably relaxing but also loaded with therapeutic benefits.
Feel stress and anxiety melt away while the aches and strains are kneaded from your body.
Beyond this, massage can help you overcome sleep issues like insomnia. It can also offer relief for many people with chronic conditions like fibromyalgia.
5) Only drink alcohol in moderation and avoid illicit drugs through choice: empower yourself
Alcohol might be legal and socially acceptable but drinking excessively typically leads to a bad mood. You don’t necessarily need to quit drinking altogether. But you should drink moderately if you want to prioritize your mental health.
Avoid using drugs, too. While many drugs may induce temporary euphoria, this is always followed by a crash and lowered mood.
Anyone self-medicating the symptoms of a mental health condition with drink or drugs should consider getting integrated dual diagnosis treatment in alcohol rehab in California.
6) Learn and implement a healthy coping mechanism to confidently navigate life’s stressors
Stress is a part of life, so you should equip yourself with healthy coping skills to avoid reacting poorly when things start going wrong.
Try some of the following:
- Walking in the great outdoors
- Playing with your pet
- Writing a journal
- Practice meditation
- Perform some deep breathing exercises
- Go to the gym
By learning how to respond more favorably to life’s stressors and by laughing in the face of misery, you should notice a pronounced uptick in your overall frame of mind.
7) Break up your routine and shatter the monotony
If you find a life of routine is becoming stale, mix things up.
- Go running or walking on a different route
- Take an impromptu road trip
- Head somewhere you have never been before for a day
- Switch up the decor at home
- Eat at a new local restaurant
What you choose to do will depend on your routine and your interests. But never let yourself get stuck in a rut, or you will likely experience a worsening mood.
8) Spend some quality time with someone you love
If you seldom spend enough quality time with your nearest and dearest, take steps to change this. The more time you spend nurturing your closest relationships, the more rewarding these relationships will become. And the better you’ll feel about yourself and life in general.
9) Plan a getaway with friends
Anticipating future pleasure is one of the surest routes to feeling happy. Plan a trip with friends. Where you go is not essential. What counts is embracing the excitement of planning and then organizing the journey itself.
10) Be mindful and appreciate what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have
Mindfulness is a concept involving focusing sharply on the present moment.
You can improve your mood and mental health by reframing how you look at things. By focusing on all you have instead of obsessing about what you don’t, you will start building a more positive mindset, triggering an improved mood.
11) Disconnect from the virtual world for a day
Even if you have a super-busy professional and social life, take the time to disconnect once in a while. Leave your phone and smart devices at home and spend some face-to-face time with a friend. The virtual world will be there when you return.
12) Curl up with a good book
Losing yourself in the pages of a gripping book can take your mind away from troubling, racing thoughts.
Devote an entire day to reading. Curl up in a comfy chair or stay in bed and immerse yourself in the book you keep meaning to read.
In closing, don’t forget to reach out for help if you feel your mental health is suffering. With the right level of care, it is possible to recover from severe mental illness. When accompanied by addiction, try to lead a rich and fulfilling life. Just try following some of these tips to improve mental health, and you’ll start seeing a difference in no time. You’ve got this.