Emotional and mental health are both a large portion of your overall health and your wellbeing. Maintaining an emotional balance and managing your emotions is a skill that’s quite important.
When you’re able to do that, it can assist you with facing stress and challenges. Not being able to do that can lead to difficulty in your relationships and poor mental health. Here’s a quick look at some tips to help you remain mentally healthy, regardless of your age.
Physical
If you’re worried about your mental health, you should also be worried about your physical health. In addition to taking a mental health quiz, you can stay on top of your physical health by getting enough rest and exercise, and by eating right. Try to eat foods that are rich in things like Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 in order to keep the mood-regulating chemicals in your brain in balance. Making sure you rest enough helps with the daily wear and tear on your body, but if you don’t get enough sleep, it can leave you feeling cranky, stressed, and tired.
Take Care of You
Did you know that it isn’t only aging people who have to worry about mental health? There’s also a crisis with youth mental health that we need to worry about. Make sure that while you’re taking care of yourself, you’re also looking out for the kids.
Investing time into self-care can contribute to your emotional and mental well-being. Set some time aside for you and then take care of your emotional needs, pamper yourself, or read a book. A few minutes can do a world of good.
Get Out
Did you know that mental health can be improved by getting outside? Exposure to sunlight can increase your body’s production of serotonin. This chemical is critical to your brain being able to regulate your mood.
Friends/Family
Spending a bit of time with friends and/or family (people you get along with and love) can fill you with a sense of being appreciated and valued. Having a healthy relationship with your neighbors, colleagues, family, and friends can increase your overall emotional wellbeing while also filling you with a sense of being connected.
Eat lunch with a colleague, or why not make plans to meet up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Remember that being able to spend time with someone face to face is better than connecting with tech.
Stress
Everyone, even you, has triggers that cause stress. You might attempt avoiding stressful situations, but if you’re left with no other option but to face someone or something that causes you to stress, you’ll have to find methods of coping. In some instances, avoiding situations that generate stress might work, but you need to be able to know when you can and can’t avoid them. Find a strategy that will allow you to manage stress so you’re able to take better care of yourself. That might be something as simple as taking a walk or meditating.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you’re feeling angry, confused, frustrated, or even just overwhelmed and as if you aren’t able to cope, get in touch with a person you know you can trust. If you’re really struggling, for example say you’re in the middle of a hypomanic episode, reach out to your psychiatrist or therapist to help you through it. Speak to a friend or family member if you need to. But if you think you might need even more support than that, don’t hesitate to attempt to reach out to your counselor or physician. Remember that the sooner you make that call for help, the better it will be for your mental and physical well-being.
