Working on your mental health to help improve it is vital for everyone. It is not just something to focus on when you are struggling mentally, feeling low, anxious, or stressed, but you should think about improving your mental health all the time. It is something that is worth investing in too, just like our physical health.
Keeping on top of your mental health and well-being is not only worth it for now, but also helps you manage difficult times you may have in the future. After a while of looking after your mental health, you can also aid with improving your physical health as it reduces the risk of physical health issues.
There are many ways to work on your mental health daily, with lots being small and simple things that can really make a difference. If you are struggling with how to improve your mental well-being, try these tips to improve your mental health and boost your mood daily!
Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is a leading factor in our overall mood and mental well-being. As well as ensuring you get a good amount of sleep, recommended around 7-8 hours, the quality of sleep is also important. Disrupted sleep can contribute to mental health symptoms as you are getting a low-quality sleep.
To ensure you get a high-quality sleep you can create new habits during your day so you can drift off easier and stay in a deep slumber for longer. A great way to help you sleep more is to avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. so your body can have time to wind down and not be stimulated. You can also try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day to get your body used to a routine. Doing this allows you to sleep better every night.
To prepare for sleep, make your bedroom cosy, quiet, relaxing and a clutter-free space so you can walk into the space without getting distracted by anything and can use it to unwind and drift to sleep. As well as this, it is ideal to keep your bedroom at a warm temperature that isn’t too hot or too cold so you can easily rest and sleep without fidgeting or shaking.
Cut back on social media
Social media can be a huge factor in negatively affecting our mental health and well-being. If you constantly consume other people’s lives through social media, you can easily start to compare your life to theirs. Social media also portrays an idealistic lifestyle showcasing only the best parts of people’s lives. This is an unrealistic view of how life can be as the people that post aren’t always in the best mental state. However, social media can make you feel down as you start to compare and can lead to feeling anxious and drained too. Similarly, if you post regularly, it can lead to the same feelings as you begin to hide your true feelings and mental state daily. You can also start to depend on people’s responses to you, and these aren’t always nice which can lead to serious depression.
To combat these negative mental health issues and feelings, you can reduce your time spent on social media. Due to social media platforms being a part of daily life, it can be hard to achieve this. To help you, you can keep your phone in a drawer or outside of the bedroom at night, so you don’t spend time scrolling and missing out on sleep. You can also list more meaningful and fun activities to do when you feel the urge to scroll through social media.
If these don’t work, you can turn off notifications on all social apps or even temporarily delete them from your device. Taking a break from social apps can help to boost your mood and mental health, leading to a happier healthier you!
Give back to others in need
Giving back to others in need through donating and helping charities and your local community can significantly improve your mental health. Giving to various causes, such as the Sadaqah Jariyah cause, can induce the “helper’s high” which reflects the feel-good effects that giving can bring. Your mood can instantly improve, changing negative feelings and thoughts into positive ones.
Giving to others in need reduces stress too and boosts self-esteem. It can also build gratitude for you while gaining insights into those less fortunate and other cultures.
Live in the present
Living in the present is vital to improving your mental health as if you take the time to be self-aware, you can gain a better perspective. Make sure to be in the present moment and notice your own thoughts and feelings each day to reflect on your mental state and make changes if you are experiencing negative issues.
Take notice of your surroundings each day and the world around you too so you can be fully present every day, finding joy in the little things to boost your mental health. Doing this is a simple technique to begin practicing mindfulness which can significantly improve your mental health if practiced regularly.
Connect with others
Spending time connecting with others can improve your mood at the moment and is ideal for seeking advice when you are down. Try to spend quality time with friends or family more and talk to them about how you are feeling if you are experiencing negative mental health.
Doing this can help you to feel less lonely and improve your mental health and well-being. Plus, being there for other people and giving them help and advice when they are struggling, enhances your mood and gives you that feel-good feeling. You don’t have to always see them in person too, as this isn’t always possible. You can speak to loved ones online, by phone or by meeting up in person, so you can easily ensure you connect with them regularly.
Eat healthily
Surprisingly, even the food you eat can affect your mental health! Due to this, you should make a conscious effort to eat healthily and maintain a balanced diet. To support your mental health, you can expand your current diet to include foods full of mood-boosting nutrients. These foods can include:
- Beans
- Bananas
- Whole grains
- Berries
- Fatty fish, such as salmon
On top of this, make sure you fuel your body daily as eating anything is better than nothing. It is vital to drink plenty of fluids daily, especially water, so you can stay hydrated. If you’re not drinking enough, you can become dehydrated, which leads to negative emotions and feeling drained as you are starving your brain and body of the nutrients they need to work at their best.
Get up and move
Exercising can give you a plethora of mental health benefits such as relieving stress, helping you fall asleep faster, helping to sleep longer, lifting your mood and aiding with managing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Exercise can involve something different for everyone and it doesn’t have to mean an intense workout at the gym. You can make moving more enjoyable for you by choosing physical activities you like and that work the best for your body, health and preferences.
If you’re unsure what physical activities you like or will be able to stick to regularly, start with a range to experiment with what you enjoy and choose the ones you love most to do daily. These movements can be running, walking, yoga, Zumba class, stretching breaks every hour, gardening, or a hike with loved ones every weekend.
Reframe negative thoughts
The way we think, feel and behave is linked to our mental health. If you are experiencing negative mental health issues, you will reflect this in your thoughts, emotions and behaviour. The same applies if you’re experiencing the opposite, a more positive headspace.
Sometimes, you can develop patterns and thoughts or behaviours that are negative and unhelpful, which brings your mood down and your headspace. It is ideal to begin to recognise when this happens so you can take the necessary steps to turn it around. Once you’ve recognised this pattern, try thinking about whatever it may be from a different angle, reframing it in your mind. Ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen? And then ask what will likely happen? Doing this can help reduce anxieties and negative thoughts and can lead to you putting a positive spin on situations. This can improve your mental health and well-being, as well as learning to cope with difficult feelings and situations.
Your mental health plays a pivotal role in your quality of life, so looking after it is vital. Try these tips to improve your mental health and make time for yourself daily to reap the benefits!
