Maintaining your mental health is a lot like staying physically fit: it requires a little effort every day. But the rewards are great! Mostly, it’s about finding balance in your life. Everyone has to face stresses and demands, but we all need and deserve a break sometimes.
We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. It’s a state of well-being.
Devote a little of each day to improving your mental health. You’ll reap the benefits in the same way that daily physical exercise makes you stronger and fitter.
Tips for keeping mentally healthy every day
Here are a few healthy practices that can be easily integrated into your daily life. The idea is that a lot of small, concerted actions can add up to a significant overall effect. Apply some of these ideas on a regular basis and you’ll find yourself feeling rejuvenated and more confident:
- Learn how to cope with negative thoughts: Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud: don’t let them take over. Distract yourself or comfort yourself if you can’t solve a problem right away. Try seeing the issue from all sides rather than from just one point of view.
- Be in the present: When you’re out for a walk or socializing, turn off the cell phone and take in all the sights and sounds around you.
- ‘Collect’ positive emotional moments: Make a point of thinking about the times when you’ve felt pleasure, comfort, tenderness, confidence or other positive emotions.
- Enjoy hobbies: A hobby helps bring balance to your life. You’re doing something because you want to, not because you have to. There’s no pressure. It’s a form of mental stimulation too.
- Treat yourself well: It could be a good meal, a bubble bath, a movie, or just sitting in the park enjoying nature. Small daily treats have a cumulative effect.
- Live a healthier, more active life: Eat healthy foods, be active and get enough sleep. Regular physical activity is good for the mind. It can even reduce depression and anxiety. Share your activity with others; social connections are beneficial too.
Mental health is an essential part of your overall health. Just as physical fitness helps your body to stay strong, mental fitness helps you maintain a state of good mental health. Mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. It’s a state of well-being.
May 6-12 is Mental Health Week, an annual national event that takes place during the first week in May to encourage people from all walks of life to learn, talk, reflect and engage with others on all issues relating to mental health.
