5 Steps To A Better Mental Health
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health, and quite often you need one to help the other.
Here are 5 steps to improve your mental health. These can be done gradually, don’t try and change your habits all at once as this will set you up for a fail.
Step 1: Eat A More Balanced Diet
And no this does not mean a cake in each hand as certain fridge magnets may have lead you to believe. This is making sure you eat the right food to get the right nutrients into your body. Iron, vitamin D and B12 deficiency’s can put you in a low mood. Staying hydrated is also very important.
Step 2: Sleep
A good night sleep is vitally important for achieving good physical and mental health. Sleep helps to regulate chemicals in our brain which help us to function at our best the next day. Lack of sleep can cause things like depression and anxiety. So switch off the TV at 10pm, leave your phone across the room and get some sleep.
Step 3: Be Social
Connect with other people. Meet for a coffee, give them a call. Interacting with others can boost self esteem. Improving your relationships with friends and family also means that you have people to contact when you are struggling. Board games are a great way to socialise and bring an element to fun and laughter to a meet up.
Step 4: Sit In The Sun
Getting plenty of sunlight is a great way to boost your mood. Sunlight releases endorphins and serotonin which helps to improve our mood. If you struggle in the winter months then invest in a light therapy lamp which can help reduce your symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. A great tip from me is to stick on your headphones, listen to some good tunes, sit with a cup of tea, and put your face to the sun. This always helps when I’m feeling low or overwhelmed.
Step 5: Be Active
You don’t need to be going to the gym 5 days a week to increase activity, adding an extra long walk or two into your week can help. Find an activity that you enjoy, it doesn’t have to be a fitness class. Rock climbing, dancing, hula hooping will all help to boost your mood. Exercising more doesn’t just help to maintain good physical health but it can reduce your feelings of being tired.
I hope these 5 mental health tips have given you some ideas on what to do to improve your mental health.
Kelly