Tips for good mental health

Overview

Health is not restricted only to your body but also comprises your mind. It is not just about what you eat but also about what you feel and think inside. Mental health is often a neglected thing all over the world. 

Over the course of our evolution, it is not just the body that has evolved but also the mind. In our current times, our minds are experiencing so much stress more than ever. Naturally, it becomes a crucial time to know the importance of mental health. 

Your mental hygiene is critical for functioning within your family, organisation and society. Your state of mind defines you. In addition to affecting your social and family circle, an unsound mind also affects you personally.  

Since ancient times, the importance of mental health has been spoken about and written, but least noticed and adopted. There are certain ways through which you can take care of your mind. There are many self-care tips for mental health that you can rely on.  

How to be mentally healthy and happy?

While diving into tips on how to improve your mental health, you also need to be aware of why it is important to take care of your mental health. 

Care for your body

A sound body leads to a sound mind. An ocean of literature tells you that the mind and body are interconnected. The body is something that tends to get weaker with age.  

But with regular exercise, you can counter the aging of your body to a great extent. But aging is not the main problem here. The real issue lies in the healthy performance of your body.  

A sluggish body usually keeps the mind inactive. But when you work out, your mind releases various hormones, including happy hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, etc. This will keep your mind happy and active. 

In addition, it lowers your stress and anxiety and lifts your mood. Physical activities also help you sleep better. 

Eat healthy

There is no need to emphasise the importance of food. Quality food supplies essential nutrients to all parts of your body. This includes your brain as well. It makes sense that a portion of good food will help attain and maintain good mental health.  

As the proverb says, a hungry man is an angry man, not consuming adequate food makes your feel irritated. It also drains your energy and does not let you perform fully. 

Here are some ways you can improve your mental health through food:

• Eat regularly without skipping meals
• Control your caffeine intake
• Control your alcohol intake

Sleep is the key

If you compile a list of top 10 tips to maintain your mental health, sleep occupies a top position in that. Sleep is one of the important activities to improve mental health. 

Your brain is the busiest part of your body. The only way it can take some amount of rest is by a sound sleep. Else, your mind will wear off eventually. 

A sound sleep takes all your stress out of your mind and rejuvenates the mind. It also helps in concentrating, handling problems, and improving your memory. 

Although the number of hours one should sleep differs greatly, many studies show that 6 to 8 hours of sleep is a decent level. It is essential for you to eliminate practices that hinder your sleep. 

The following are some ways that help you to get quality sleep:

• Avoid intake of heavy meals before sleep
• Avoid smoking before sleep
• Keeping your room dark and cozy will help greatly
• Reading before going to bed 
• Make a sleeping routine and try to stick to it

Be cautious of thinking traps

As they say, you are what you think. Your mental state highly depends on the way you think about things. If you think something terrible will happen to you, your mind will be conditioned to believe that. This is called a thinking trap.  

You have to come out of thinking traps, or else you will be in a state of negativity and fear. You can come out of it by looking at the facts.  

For instance, if you have a negative thought, see if any fact is available to support that idea.  

Eventually, you will know the root cause of problems, and you can devise plans to fight them.  

Slow down

In this fast-paced world, we often forget the importance of taking a break. Despite rushing towards things most of the time, taking a step back will help you ease things. 

As Zen philosophy says, the art of doing nothing is a great skill that eliminates most of your mental worries. It does not mean that you should not run for your goals and meditate all the time. 

Sometimes, taking a step back helps you see the problem clearly. It also reduces your stress and makes your brain active so that you can perform mentally well. 

Socialise

We are social beings. It is relationships and the people around us that add value to our lives. Even an introverted person will have a friend or a family member to talk to. 

When you feel stressed out, reach out to your loved ones and share things with them. This will take a bulk of the load from our minds. 

When you socialise, you will come to know different perspectives on your problems and find different solutions.  

Some people are good at dealing with emotional matters, and they may comfort you. While some are good at showing different perspectives from whom you may get clearance for your problems.  

Nevertheless, when you reach out to people, you will feel that others are there to look for you.

Some other self-care tips for mental health improvement are:

• Show empathy
• Start your day with what you love
• Have a nice breakfast
• Have some dark chocolates
• Develop a sense of humour
• Take time to laugh
• Dance while you do your housework
• Sink into music
• Travel whenever you get a chance

Way ahead

Mental health is a highly fluctuating one. Having sound mental health is not synonymous with just being happy. You cannot be happy every day. Anger, sadness, grief and other feelings are also a part of life.  

Mental health is something that makes you think clearly and make decisions in the least hurtful way, even when you are in trouble. Mental health is what keeps you going without losing your spirit.  

It is a guiding light that leads you to a state of clearness however foggy a situation can be. With proper care and lifestyle practices, you can conserve and nurture your mental health.