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Good mental health provides you with personal well-being and good quality of life. For you to take care of your mental health, we share the following 10 recommendations.
Many people may not realize that their mental health is just as important as their physical health. But it is vital as it covers their psychological, emotional, and social well-being. And if they are not well mentally, it will affect the way they feel, think, and act when facing life.
At all stages of life, mental health is important. Also, it determines how you handle tension and stress, relate to others and make decisions.
Why is it important to take care of our mental health?
After another year of pandemic, there is no doubt about the importance of individual and collective mental health care. The events that have occurred have unbalanced us and questioned the life we led before.
We are in a historical moment that has caused a great impact in various areas of people's lives. Among the most affected is mental health, which includes psychological, emotional, and social states, as mentioned before.
Even before COVID-19, the prevalence of mental illness and suicidal ideation was high. In addition, there is an unmet need for mental health treatment among youth and adults. The importance of mental health care lies in the contributions it has to our daily lives:
- It allows us to face the stress of life
- Have a healthy relationship
- Work productively
- Contribute to our community meaningfully
- Reach our full potential
It should be noted that mental health plays a crucial role in physical health since some mental conditions can increase the risk of health complications, for example, type 2 diabetes, strokes, and heart disease.
10 ways to take care of mental health:
1. It is important that you stay active. Physical exercise reduces the physiological activity that is related to anger, anxiety, or stress. Sport gives you energy and makes you stronger - not only physically, but mentally as well. That, ultimately, will increase your personal happiness.
2. You have to rest properly. For a thorough rest, we all need at least eight hours of sleep a day. If you rest well, it will improve your physical and intellectual performance.
3. Have a social life. Interacting socially with several people helps you feel less anxiety or stress. Having friends or starting new relationships prevents you from falling into isolation and keeps your brain more active. Besides, you can search for your old classmates, childhood friends, or distant relatives to reminisce and relive positive emotions. To find them, you can take help from Nuwber. Surround yourself with people who bring you joy and uplift your spirits.
4. Have fun. If you do an activity that you like, either alone or accompanied, it will improve your mood. Being happy, you will know how to take care of your daily responsibilities, whether they are work or family, in a better way. Find those activities that put you in a better mood and exercise them regularly.
5. Relax. Look for relaxation techniques that help you in times of high stress and that will make you feel chill for longer. A pleasant bubble bath, a walk on the beach, or listening to your favorite music will relax your mind and reduce stress. Find such things and use them when necessary.
6. Have a positive attitude. It does not mean that you do not feel sad or angry, you need to feel those emotions to be able to get ahead of difficult situations. It means you should learn how to have a positive outlook on life and come back to positivity after stressful moments.
7. Be grateful. Recognize every day the good things that are in your life and give thanks for them; it could be the support you receive from your family, a delicious meal, or being healthy. Practicing gratitude helps you see your life differently.
8. Find a purpose in life. You can find it in your work, it can be in volunteering, in developing new skills, or even in your spirituality. Anything that helps you set new goals and work on achieving them.
9. Meditate. Meditation helps you focus your attention and awareness. Find a quiet place where you will not have distractions and choose a comfortable position. Focus on your breath and have an open mind. Meditation is really powerful in terms of reducing stress and helping your body rest.
10. Seek help. If your health does not improve after putting these recommendations into practice, contact a professional who can support you in caring for your mental health.
Give yourself permission to invest time in yourself:
You may feel guilty about taking a mental health day when there are so many things you know you should be doing. One way to work through that guilt is to live the experience, be there, and do it anyway.
If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for the people around you, because you'll feel refreshed and more likely to approach them with a positive attitude.
How to communicate at work that you need a mental health day?
For many people, the main source of stress is work. However, few organizations promote free time for mental health.
Unfortunately, we're not at a time where every organization is open to the idea of considering a mental health day, but honestly, everyone wishes to have one. The important thing is to make sure that your workplace stressors don't build up when you're not in the office. Be sure to let your co-workers know that you will be taking the day off and make a plan with them beforehand so that the day's operations are not affected.
Set up a reply of "out of office" in your email that gives your colleagues and clients instructions on who else they can contact on any matter.
Think about what things fill your cup and make you happy:
There is no right or wrong way in terms of how to take care of your mental health. In this case, think about how you will be spending your mental health day before it comes.
Also think, what gives you joy? If you will take an off day and feel lost with what to do, it can make you anxious.
It is also valid if what you plan for that day is simply to rest, but you must combat the feelings of guilt that may arise. Remind yourself that you are doing this for your benefit and that your future self will thank you.
