8 Ways To Look After Your Mental Health

We all have mental health and sometimes, just like your physical health, your mental health takes a turn for the worse, or you need to give it a little extra care and attention. So here are some helpful tips on how to look after your mental health:

Eat Well

What you eat has a lot to do with how you feel, for example, caffeine and sugar can have an instant effect on your mood, but food can also have a long-lasting impact on your mental health. Your brain needs a good mixture of nutrients to stay healthy and to function correctly, just as other organs in your body do too. Remember, your mental health is as equally important as your physical health, and a diet that’s good for your physical health is more than likely going to be good for your mental health. Make sure you include lots of different types of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals or bread, nuts and seeds, dairy products, oily fish and plenty of water. Try to limit the amount of high-caffeine or sugary drinks you have, and avoid drinking too much alcohol.

Watch What You Drink

People often drink alcohol to change their mood and some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but sadly, the effect is only temporary, and when the alcohol wears off, you feel worse because of the  withdrawal symptoms. Drinking is not an advisable to manage difficult feelings not to mention the damage alcohol can do to your body. There are far healthier ways of coping with tough times. However, you can still enjoy the odd tipple as occasional light drinking is perfectly healthy and enjoyable for most people, but remember to stay within the recommended daily alcohol limits which are 3 to 4 units a day for men and 2 to 3 units a day for women.

Stay Active

Exercise is said to release chemicals in your brain that make you feel good and regular exercise can help to boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate, sleep, look and feel better. It also keeps your mind and your other vital organs healthy. Doing sport and going to the gym are great friendly activities to do as well, playing in a team or doing a class can be a great way to meet new people and make new friends and nowadays with the internet and apps, it’s so easy to find activities and groups you can join near you. Take a look at a site like Play sport to find and connect with people who play sports in your area. Of course, though, exercise doesn’t just mean playing a game or going to the gym, walks in the park, gardening or housework also count. According to experts, people should do about 30 minutes’ exercise at least five days a week, so try to make physical activity just part of your day and do something you enjoy.

Talk About Your Feelings

Talking about how you feel can help your mental health stay in the right place and then help you to deal with things when times get difficult. Talking about how you feel, good or bad isn’t a sign of weakness, but part of taking charge of your well being and doing all you can to stay healthy.

Talking is an excellent way of coping with a problem you might have been carrying around in your head for a while and often, just being listened to can help you feel supported and less alone.

Keep In Touch

As well as talking about your feelings, even when you’re feeling fine, make sure you’re keeping in touch with your friends and family. They can also make you feel included and cared for as well as offer different views from whatever’s going on inside your mind. It’s not always possible to see people face to face, life gets in the way and time flies, but you can give them a call, drop them a note or chat to them online instead. Keeping the lines of communication open is right for you!

Ask For Help

No one can do everything alone; there comes the point when we all have to ask for help. Whether you’re feeling tired or overwhelmed, if things are getting too much for you and you think you’re not coping, ask for help. While your family or friends can often offer practical advice, there are also local services which can help you. If you are wanting to make changes in your life, then a local weight loss group or an addiction support group could be an option. You could also try counselling as a counselor can help you to deal with your feelings or make a fresh start. You could also visit your GP who may be able to refer you to a counselor.

Take A Break

They say a change is as good as a rest, so if you don’t think you have time for a rest then perhaps a change of scene or a change of pace is possible as this will be good for your mental health. Whether it’s a five-minute pause from cleaning your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring somewhere new. Even a few minutes can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself some ‘me time’ which could mean being very active or it might mean not doing very much at all. You could give yoga or meditation a try or do something as simple as just putting your feet up, slipping on your cat eye glasses, and reading a familiar book for 15-20 minutes; genuinely just do whatever makes you happy. Make sure you listen to your body and if you’re exhausted, then give yourself time to sleep. Our mental health relies on proper sleep, or it will suffer, and your concentration goes downhill.

Do What You’re Good At

Think about what you love doing or what you have loved doing in the past. Enjoying yourself helps to beat stress and doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at which enables you to feel like you have achieved something and will then boost your self-esteem. Also, concentrating on a hobby like gardening (by the way, if you are a gardener, think about creating a wonderful look of your outdoor space with the help of a garden mirror) or the crossword can help you forget your worries for a while and change your mood.