The world is not a kind place. It is a place filled with challenges and obstacles that can sometimes wear us down. It may get a little too much to handle to a point where it affects our mental health. In 2019, 5 .5 million adults living in the United States were reported to have experienced some form of mental illness. With the prevalence of mental health issues, we should always find ways to take good care of our mental health.
And while the idea of taking care of our mental wellness is associated with big acts of self-care, there are subtle yet helpful ways for you to preserve your mental health. You can even take care of it at home. This article will help you break down the small but powerful ways to stay mentally healthy amidst a crazy, unpredictable world.
But first, let’s learn what mental health is.
What Is Mental Health?
A person’s mental health is the state of their overall psychological, social, and emotional well-being. The state of your mental health will help you determine how you cope with problems, how you interact with other people, and how you make choices. It affects your emotions, thinking processes, and behavior.
Why Should You Care for Your Mental Health?
Similar to our physical health, the state of our mental health can also fluctuate. It is something that is affected by our surroundings and life experiences.
With poor mental health, your way of thinking is generally disrupted. You may experience a lower sense of life satisfaction. You may feel periods of confusion. And your relationship with other people may be negatively affected. Poor mental health can lead to more serious mental illnesses.
For this reason, we all should try our best to take care of our mental health. But the question is, how do you take care of your mental health?
How Do You Take Care of It?
The best and most recommended way to improve your mental health is by seeing psychologists. These people are experts when it comes to psychological problems. They are the most qualified to help uplift your mental health.
But even as this is the best way to help you with your mental health problems, going to psychology practitioners is purely voluntary. They will only work with you if you are ready for them.
Apart from going to a psychologist, there are ways to take care of your mental health, even at home. These are extremely achievable and can greatly impact your day-to-day life.
Physical Activity
One way to best keep a healthy mind is through physical activity. Physical and mental health may be separated when taken at face value. But evidence suggests that physical exercise can help alleviate plenty of our mental health troubles.
Jogging, swimming, and other aerobic exercises were observed to reduce anxiety and feelings of depression. This alleviation has been thought to be linked to the increased blood circulation caused by physical exercise.
Simple exercises can be done at home. If you are unable to do so, a decent walk around your neighborhood can help you do the trick.
Hobbies
Your hobbies can also help you preserve your mental well-being. When you indulge in your favorite hobbies, you are making yourself feel positive emotions. Positive emotions such as enjoyment and happiness can release dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, in the brain. With that, you become more encouraged to partake in your hobbies because it makes you feel good.
A study also suggested that participating in activities of leisure can result in physical and mental improvements. These findings only strengthen the fact that we should partake more in the things that we enjoy doing.
If you have hobbies that you can do at home, give them a try now and then. If you have hobbies that are difficult to do in your own house, it is never too late to explore new ones.
Surround Yourself With Nature
Being with the elements of nature can also help you deal with the mental stresses of life. Nature has been linked to several mental and physical health benefits. These include improved moods, stress relief, and improved attention.
Make sure to go on a nature walk regularly. If you can’t bring yourself to nature, you can bring nature to you. Achieve this by creating small botanical gardens in your home.
You can create gardens in your backyard or inside a conservatory. Make sure the glass for your conservatories is strong enough to withstand outside elements.
Gardening has been observed to help with anxiety and depression. So make sure to try it out if you want improved mental health.
Life can get extremely overwhelming, and that’s okay. We must always keep in mind that no matter how difficult it can become, we should always help ourselves.
