Things to improve your mental health are as easy to come by as things needed to improve your physical health.
Once you notice any sign of weakness in your body, or any symptom of sickness, the first thing you do is, make a run for medications, prescriptions, exercise, anything to heal your body and make you healthy, but when it comes to your mental health, it becomes extremely difficult to take care of it.
There are a lot of physically fit people with mental health issues on the streets.
Why?
Because, the same attention you’ve given to your body has not been given to your mind. Also, there are those who don’t even take care of both their body and mind as should.
The fact remains that taking care of your mental health is not difficult. The things to improve your mental health are very easy to come by. All it takes is your determination and consistency, which becomes hard part.
I’m not here to give a pep talk to a grown adult on the importance of mental health and why you should be consistently prioritizing it, because if you as an adult, (18+) do not know the importance of your mental health, then you are sleeping. (Tell that to some Nigerian Parents)
It would baffle you to know that, some Nigerians still perceive a toll in mental health as madness. Shameful!
If you’re reading this and you’re one of those Nigerians, then your thinking is far from the truth. Such perception is vague and misleading.
Signs that Your Mental Health has Taken a Toll
1. Anxiety
2. Overthinking
3. Toxicity
4. Insomnia
5. Lack of Gratitude
6. No self worth and self love
7. Depression
8. Jumpiness and Anxiousness
9. Bad eating habit
10. Distancing yourself from others.
Its easy to experience all of these things because life presents situations that make you anxious, pain that make you depressed, toxic people that try to rub their toxicity on you and fear that makes you jumpy. (Sarmlife shared something helpful on Anxiety you should see) The key is to listen to your body, and mind to know when these things get out of hand. And when they do, that’s when you know its time do things to improve your mental health.
This is where the Mental health help guide come in. It’s important that you are aware of these 7 things to improve your mental health and apply it in your everyday life.
7 Things to Improve Your Mental Health.
Overcome Triggers
Triggers are events, experiences or other stimulus that initiates a traumatic memory or action in a person. If you were abandoned as a child, any form of rejection can trigger that traumatic experience again. There by giving you reasons to respond to it. Avoiding triggers can do so little, but overcoming triggers lies the real gain. You can overcome triggers by;
• Reminding yourself that its all in your head.
• Reminding yourself that you can control it.
• Not responding to its effect on you by not letting it overwhelm you.
• Understanding that such traumatic event cannot affect your present. Affirming that Good things will come.
Love Yourself
We are all imperfect beings with flaws, weaknesses, and deficiencies, and you are one of those people. Perfect in imperfection. Love yourself. Be kind to yourself. Respect yourself enough to not look down on yourself. Spoil yourself. Tell yourself sweet things. A friend posted on his status yesterday saying, “I’m so happy because I first fell in love with myself.”
Reading that alone brought tears to my eyes, because there’s an undisputed amount of happiness that come with loving yourself and it is one of those things to improve your mental heath that I love so much. Self love is gold.
Take care of your body
Taking care of your physical body as one of the things to improve your mental health works like magic. Things like:
•Exercising
•Eating well
•Avoiding alcohol and drugs
•Drinking plenty of water
•Sleeping and resting well
•Engaging in hobbies
•Having fun exercises
Meditate
Meditating connects your mind with your surrounding. It opens your mind to positive possibilities. It stretches your mind to see more than what has or is happenening around you. It calms your nerves and refreshes your soul. It organizes your thoughts. It takes away the feeling of fatigue and allows your mind to see more, to ponder upon situations in a collected way and to build positive growth reflections.
Journal
I call Journaling every ones best friend. Sometimes I hear people say “but how can I just be writing anything on a book.” That is the purpose journaling. To show you that there is something in your nothing. Journaling helps you make sense of the senseless. Putting them down on a journal, and writing all your feelings and thoughts helps you clear your head. Let me also add what I shared In my last post on Journaling, “Write on your journal regularly, your thoughts, actions, plans, ideas or just how you spend everyday. Go back and read it, you’d be amazed at the things that would begin to unravel.”
Be around good people
Good family and friends are one of the things to improve your mental health. Good people who share good values like you are such a rare blessing. If you know them, hold on to them. Surround yourself with them. They would be a source of encouragment, love, support, and care on those days when your mental health detoriates. Don’t push them away or deny them the right to love and comfort you.
Seek Help
This can be a difficult part for some people. Although, there are few others who would shamelessly ask for help. Please be among those few others. I get that you may not want to burden someone else with your issues, but dear, there are people who can handle it. A counselor, (Guardian angel offers free counselling ) a therapist, a specialist in the area, a mentor or someone you respect. Just seek help.
I hope that you’d take these 7 things to improve your mental health guide seriously anytime you begin to feel down mentally. So, bookmark this post and share with your friends and loves ones.
