We get so busy with our routine life that we start neglecting our mental health. Like the way we take care of our physical health by exercising and following a proper diet, we should also focus on activities to keep ourselves mentally fit and healthy.
In this article, we have rounded up the 9 best ways to prioritize your mental health to help you keep all signs of psychological distress at bay.
Do a Social Media Detox
We put a lot of mental energy on a regular basis into using social media, which could, of course, be put to much better use. This is why social media detox is one of the best ways to improve your mental health.
A social media detox is all about taking a break from the online world, which has already got our brains completely sucked into it. Taking a break from social media is like giving yourself a chance to clear your mind and try to put your life back on track. It is how you can evaluate what’s most important in your life and what really needs your time and attention.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep and mental health are closely related to each other. A study found that many adverse mood effects such as irritability, sadness, anger, and mental fatigue are caused due to sleep deprivation. Also, trouble sleeping, which often leads to insomnia can possibly trigger different types of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends at least seven hours of sleep per night for adults. Anything less than that can have a very negative impact on your mood. So, if you really want to prioritize your mental health, prioritize your sleep first.
Schedule Time for Personal Development
It is very important for you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. To do so, you need to invest your time and energy in yourself in the things you do.
Whether it is about your personal and professional development, you need to make sure that those particular moments of the day should only be about you. This way you’ll be giving back something to yourself regularly.
You can easily start by giving 15-20 minutes a day to yourself. It is important for you to take no less than three to five hours per week. During this time you can engage with enriching personal development materials like TED Talks. The informative content they have in their videos will surely help you to grow your mindset and learn new skills.
See a Therapist (Or a Psychiatrist)
If you are noticing your mental health is deteriorating with time and having a negative impact on your day-to-day routine and other activities, you could take help from a mental health professional like a therapist or a psychiatrist.
Talking to a mental health expert would help people deal with a variety of issues associated with their mental health conditions. It could also help them improve their social and community functioning, which would get self-esteem high and reduce anxiety. This means going to a therapist is one of the best ways to prioritize your mental health.
Be with People Who Make You Happy
Get surrounded by people who care about you and make you feel good. For example, your family and friends, especially the ones who are always ready to listen to you to make you feel relaxed and happy
A study has indicated that those who enjoy close friendships and share strong bonds with other people tend to have a lower risk of mental conditions like depression or anxiety. It not only improves their self-confidence but also helps them reduce stress, which is extremely good for their mental health and growth.
Spend Time Outside
People nowadays usually work from home and sometimes spend their entire day indoors. This makes it really important for them to spend some time outside, engaging themselves in different types of activities and anaerobic exercises to take care of their physical health.
Studies show that outdoor activities have a very positive effect on someone’s mental health. It greatly reduces anxiety and fatigue. You need to change your environment whenever you feel depressed or cooped up.
Pro Tip: You can also set a routine to spend at least 10-20 minutes outside your home. Try to walk, jog, or simply explore your neighborhood on foot every day. It is among the best ways to prioritize your mental health.
Create a Support System
It is like building a community to combat mental health conditions and illnesses. You need to be open about the mental issues you have been facing. By creating a support system, you are not only helping yourself but also others who are going through similar problems.
You don’t need to start big like a group or something. All you need to do is to identify the right person. Someone you can trust and feel comfortable talking to. This way your network can grow slowly and gradually. Keeping your mental health conditions to yourself and a secret from even your closest friends and family members surely does more harm than good.
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Try Meditating
Know about meditation? Well, it is the practice of clearing your mind from all that background noise and focusing or thinking deeply about something for a certain period of time.
No matter the form of meditation you’re trying, the ultimate goal will always be the same. It is to achieve a feeling of relaxation and inner peace and it is one of the best ways to improve your mental health.
Researches are conducted every now and then that are focused on the benefits of meditation on mental health. There are some surveys that have concluded that practicing meditation can help you to easily manage negative energy based on emotions like fear and anger.
Start a Gratitude Journal
Think of all the positivity in your life and pen it down. How about starting a gratitude journal? Well, it is surely an amazing way to keep yourself in a positive state of mind and be thankful for everything you have in your life.
You can start writing down all your basic necessities and how thankful you are to have all those material things to address your needs. Recognize things that sustain your life on this planet and be thankful for every breath you take.
Well, these were the 9 best ways to prioritize your mental health. We hope the information in this article will help you manage and improve your mental wellbeing.
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