May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and articles typically come out around this time of year about depression, stress, a wide range of other mental disorders, and ending the stigma surrounding mental health. Though it’s important to end the stigma and educate the public, this year we thought we’d do something just a little different. For this Mental Health Awareness Month we’re sharing some general tips for overall wellness that you can use all year long to improve your own mental health.
4 Important Tips for Overall Mental Wellness
1. Start and end each day with gratitude
Before you even get out of bed in the morning, take a deep breath and think of 5 things you’re grateful for. Just this simple act can start your day on the right foot, and there is always something to be grateful for. For example, just the fact you woke up today is something to be grateful for!
Then, before you go to bed, again think of 5 things you’re grateful for. This can calm you down, and give you more restful sleep.
2. Practice meditation
There are hundreds if not thousands of free guided meditations on YouTube. They can reduce stress and anxiety significantly. Meditation also reduces your blood pressure and your heart rate, while boosting the immune system and increasing positive emotions.
3. Exercise more regularly
If you are not currently exercising regularly, you should start. Not only can it boost your mental health, it can actually reduce symptoms of mental illness.
According to the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, “Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.”
4. Improve your diet
Believe it or not, what you consume is also of significant importance to your mental health. As Harvard Medical School reported, “Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the ‘waste’ (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.”
They went onto say, “Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.”
Finally, they reported that about “95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions.”
It makes sense that when we eat junk, we feel bad. On the other hand, when we eat healthy foods, our mental health improves.
Additional Tips for Overall Mental Wellness
- Laugh as much as possible. Laughter can be quite therapeutic, so watch comedies, read jokes, tell jokes, and more to add more giggles to your life.
- Volunteer to help those less fortunate than you.
- Get a hobby. Keeping your mind active can help prevent negative thoughts, and reduce stress.
- Practice positive self talk. Treat yourself better. You are worth it.
- Talk to a therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, reverend, or somebody if you’re feeling low. You shouldn’t keep your feelings in. You don’t have to go through pain alone, and there is no shame in seeking someone to talk to. No one should suffer in silence.