Mental health issues are far more common than we think. In truth, keeping a healthy mental balance in our day and age is an exploit in itself. Whether it has to do with stress, depression, anxiety, or personality disorders, it’s been estimated that nearly 1 in 3 people will face such challenges at some point in their lifetime. Now, regardless of what’s causing you hardship, when you start to notice symptoms and changes in your behavior, it’s important to know that viable solutions exist. Below, we have highlighted a few recommendations to help deal with mental health struggles effectively.
Value Yourself
You must have already heard this a few times, but valuing yourself is one of the first steps that will help enable you to break the spiral of poor mental health and strike a happy balance in your life. Treat yourself with respect and kindness, and let go of negative self-perception. In the end, you are everything that you have. As a popular TV show host smartly puts it, “if you don’t love yourself, how the h*ll are you gonna love somebody else?”. Words to live by!
Take Care of Your Body
Poor lifestyle choices can wreak havoc on your mental soundness. As such, a crucial step towards recovery involves making it a habit of eating nutritious food, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, and getting sleep in both quantity and quality. You may also want to steer clear of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, which can often aggravate existing conditions. You’ll be surprised at what some lifestyle adjustments can do to re-energize you and make you feel better. Exercise alone has been to shown to change the hormones in the body and is an effective stress reducer.
Surround Yourself with Good People
A strong support network will also go a long way in enabling you to overcome mental challenges. In that regard, studies have shown that individuals with close family and social connections are healthier (physically and mentally) since they are less exposed to psychological hardships. So, ban toxic relationships from your life and surround yourself with positive and supportive people with whom you can make plans, go out, and talk about your feelings openly.
Learn to Deal with Stress
Stress is one of those realities of life everybody must deal with. The key is to find how to cope with it in productive ways. For instance, trying breathing exercises, exploring a new hobby, or adopting an emotional support animal can all help reduce the stress you face on a daily basis. If you think a cat or a dog can be a healthy addition to your life, search for a service provider who will guide you throughout the adoption process. Getting a therapy pet is no walk in the park, so make sure you hire professionals for a successful adoption.
Quiet Your Mind
Do you often feel overwhelmed? In truth, our minds can either be our best allies or our worst enemies. In moments of self-doubt or anxiety, take a step back and try to relax. Practicing meditation, mindfulness, or prayer can do wonders in that area. When done regularly, connecting with your inner spirituality may help soothe you and enhance your outlook on life. Meditation is a simple and effective tool that you can do from the comfort of your own home. You can find meditation videos online or subscribe to one of the many meditation podcasts.
Set Goals
Few things will help you conquer poor mental health as much as setting realistic goals for the future. It’s essential to always have things to look forward to and be proactive, rather than being a mere spectator of your life. To reacquaint yourself with a sense of self-worth, progress, and accomplishment, decide what it is you wish to achieve personally, academically, and professionally. The higher you aim, the taller you will grow as an individual. However, it’s important not to overdo it and over-schedule. Start with baby steps, and take it from there. So look to a mix of short-term as well as longer-term goals.
Seek Help
Lastly but importantly, realize that it’s entirely normal to get qualified help in order to overcome your current challenges, be it chronic anxiety or depression, addiction, or any other common disorder. Don’t let toxic people discourage you by telling you that you’re weak; reaching out is a sign of strength, certainly not a weakness. With the appropriate help, therapy, and treatment, you’ll be able to recover from your mental condition and start to lead a healthy and rewarding life once again.
It’s OK not to be OK. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know what they’re talking about. Mental health struggles vary in nature and gravity, which is why each one must be treated differently according to the individual’s situation. Self-help can be an effective first step towards recovery; start by evaluating your life and make appropriate changes accordingly. Find ways to unwind and leave your own mind. Ultimately, when this isn’t enough, don’t wait to reach out to a competent therapist or a well-being center to get help. You are never alone and its great to get the experience of someone that deals with these issues in others for a living.
In short, today is the first day in finding help and improving who you are.
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