Due to the pandemic, everyone’s mental health has taken a hit in the past year or so. Here are 10 tips to improve your mental health that may help you feel better.
Mental health has become a frequent topic of conversation in the past decade. There’s been a general shift in people’s attitudes, who are now more empathetic about and understanding of mental health issues, especially depression and anxiety.
With the past year and COVID-19 rearing its ugly head, we see a spike in conversation around mental health personally and even on social media. You can take certain measures to help you feel a little more in tune with your mental health.
We’ve listed some activities you can do to feel better if you’re in a slump.
1. Value Yourself
Avoid criticizing yourself. Sit with your emotions. Treat yourself with kindness and empathy. DO things that make you happy.
2. Listen to Your Body, and Take Care of It
Make sure you’re eating properly and hydrating yourself as best as you can. If you can take a walk, take a walk around the block. Avoid smoking or vaping, as this is likely to exacerbate your anxiety. Try to get as much sleep as you possibly can.
3. Focus on People Around You Who Make You Happy or At Peace
You must surround yourself with the right kind of people. If you’re in a place where you can meet your friends, don’t isolate yourself. Hangout with trustworthy, empathetic people who understand your mental health issues and won’t make you feel bad about yourself. Invest in friendships that hold space for you and your mental health. You might even find it helpful to find a support group for people with conditions similar to yours.
4. Apply Yourself
Volunteer in a nursing home or in some activity that helps a community. Get involved in something outside of yourself. If a friend needs help moving into their new apartment, help them. Getting out of your head and helping other humans will likely make you feel better.
5. Limit Your Time on Social Media
Social media can be a great tool to stay connected with your friends, but it’s not real life. Watching other people post only the highlights of their life can leave you feeling very miserable about your own. Additionally, social media has many triggering posts about daily events that can make you feel untethered and disturbed, which is why you should be careful when using it.
6. Manage Your Stress
Stress is a big part of life, but you should learn how to manage it to live a fulfilled life. You should practice good coping skills like meditation or breathing exercises that relieve some of the tension that you may feel.
7. Change Things Up
Routines can be good for your mental health, but often sticking to a routine can make us feel very trapped and stuck in our lives. Do something different by buying yourself something useful or try out some new food for lunch.
8. Avoid Alcohol and Drugs
The extra chemicals in alcohol and drugs are mind and behavior-altering that can exacerbate existing mental health issues.
9. Do Something Challenging
It could be something small like taking a shower or biking to your closest superstore in less than ten minutes.
10. Ask for Help if You Need It
Suppose you’re seeing a psychologist, set up an appointment. If you have a friend you can rely on, call them up and have a conversation with them. Let yourself express your emotions.
