Dealing with mental health issues, whether it’s depression, anxiety or something else can be difficult. While it may be possible to keep them under control at times, at others they may feel hard to manage, and this can be overwhelming. The thing that many don’t realize, though, is that there are simple things they can do themselves to help improve their mental health.
The Mind-Body Connection
There can be many causes for mental health issues, and the symptoms can be hard to deal with at times. However, what some may not know is that these symptoms can be improved by increasing your awareness of the mind-body connection. The theory behind this is that your mind and body are directly connected and that your physical state can have a direct impact on how you feel mentally, and vice versa. Following along with this, then, for many it can be possible to improve their mental state by making changes to their daily routines.
Eating a Healthy Diet and Supplements
One way that some can help stabilize their mental health is by improving their diet. Unhealthy foods, particularly those high in sugars and refined carbs can cause your blood sugar to spike and crash, which can lead to a lack of energy as well as mood swings. By cutting down on these foods, you can help even out your blood sugar, and therefore your mood as well.
While you are cutting out foods that are bad for your mood, increasing your intake of healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables can actually help improve it. Along with fresh produce, lean protein and plenty of fiber are also great for boosting wellbeing. If you struggle to get all the nutrition you need in a day, though, adding things like hormone balance supplements can be beneficial as well.
Getting Enough Exercise
The amount of exercise you get in a day can have a significant impact on your mood and wellbeing. This is because when you work out, you not only do things like improve your muscle tone and flexibility which can be great for your confidence, but you can also release many mood-boosting hormones and brain chemicals, like serotonin and endorphins. In addition to that, working out can also help balance and regulate your sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen, which can have a big impact on mood as well.
Getting Quality Sleep
Most who have missed out on a night of sleep know how it can be detrimental for mood, but what they may not realize is that getting chronic poor sleep can really affect their mental health in a big way. Over time, a lack of good sleep can contribute to and worsen depression and anxiety, and can even cause those that don’t have these issues to develop them. While it may not always be easy to get a full night’s rest, doing what you can to get 8 hours every night can make a huge difference in your mood and overall mental health.
Taking Time To De-Stress
Stress is a huge culprit when it comes to worsening almost all health concerns, and it can be particularly bad for your mental health. What is even worse is that in today’s busy and fast paced world, some may not even realize how stressed their daily routine makes them, or they may feel guilty or like they are being lazy to want a break from it.
The truth is that stress can be one of the most damaging things for health, so if you are feeling overworked it is important to acknowledge it and do something to address it. One of the simplest and most effective ways to de-stress is to do deep breathing exercises, which can help calm the nervous system almost instantly. Another great way to feel more relaxed quickly is to begin a meditation practice. While it may be difficult to sit still for 15 to 20 minutes at first, starting out at smaller intervals like 5 to 10 minutes and building up can be a great way to begin a meditation practice.
The Bottom Line
Mental health issues can be hard to deal with, and you may not always feel capable of managing them, even if you are getting help for them. The good news is, though, that there are things you can do to take your mental health into your own hands and start feeling better today.
Tags: exercise, Healthy Lifestyle, mental health, physical health
