World Mental Health Day is approaching!
To celebrate, we have come up with 5 ways to take care of your mental health.
These methods have worked for us, but there are so many other ways to take care of your mental health and everyone does so differently.
1. Do something you’re passionate about
Doing something you love and are passionate about can raise levels of self-worth and esteem. This could be engaging in hobbies or learning new skills you’ve never tried but are curious about. The most important thing you should know is that you shouldn’t do something you aren’t passionate about. This can increase stress levels and can be detrimental to your mental health.
Start by thinking of your hobbies. What do you normally do enjoy doing in your spare time?
Have you had the opportunity to engage in your hobbies in the midst of your busy life?
Hobbies are great for your mental health for a few reasons:
They lower stress
Better physical health
More sleep
More social connections
Improved work performance
Increased happiness
If you don’t know what kind of hobbies to take up, get started by:
Exploring activities that interest you – spend time brainstorming things that you’re interested to explore. This could be things like art, playing an instrument, baking, learning a new language, crocheting, etc. If you’re still not sure, try thinking about the things you’ve enjoyed in childhood or simply doing what you’ve always wanted to try.
For example, I love journaling. I would set a time to journal at night. Sometimes, an hour is enough to feel refreshed!
If all else fails, Google/YouTube is your best friend. While surfing the net of scrolling through social media, you might see something that piques your interest. It takes a while to find out what you’re interested in. But when you do, it feels rewarding.
Make time for your hobbies – Set aside time for your hobbies in your schedule!
Hobbies give us a purpose – We live in an achievement-oriented culture, as such many of us can be too busy to pursue our hobbies. However, taking care of yourself by doing the things you love is intentional and we should take the first step to improve our well-being this way.
You can even go beyond your hobbies by doing something you’ve never tried before.
Who knows?
Maybe having some time for your hobbies can give you the fuel you need for a new week at work!
Sources:
2. Spend time with your loved ones
Maybe you’re not the type to mix around with a crowd, but that’s not what point 2 means.
In fact, it’s important to spend time with people that are good for your mental health.
This also means that if you feel like the company you have is detrimental to your well-being, it’s time to pluck up the courage to say ‘No’ on occasions you don’t feel like joining them. If they are family members, find a community of people you trust and who can make you feel comfortable.
Ways to do this are to:
Seek out a support group, club or class - If you’re in university, don’t forget to check out the student clubs or activities and get yourself involved. Or if you’re part of an online support group, hobby group or fan network, find a trusted friend to connect with. However, be mindful of your safety online and your boundaries.
Talk to friends, family members or loved ones with whom you trust – Do you have a friend or two to share with? Or a trusted family member or loved one? Healthy connections with whom you trust mean that these people are willing to listen to you without judgment. They care about you, are there for you, and they wouldn’t make you feel bad for approaching them. In fact, they’ll thank you for reaching out to them!
This is important because humans are naturally social creatures, and connecting with loved ones can alleviate your stress and burdens.
Once you connect more with others, you’ll realize that everyone has a different set of problems. You might think that you’re alone in your problem, but when you’re connecting with others, you won’t feel alone. And there’s a difference.
3. Focus on the present
Humans have never liked uncertainty. In an ever-changing environment, it’s not surprising that many feel anxious of what the future holds for them. It’s good to think about your future, but it become worrisome when you overthink it.
Overthinking about things you can’t control only increases stress levels and can be detrimental to both mental and physical well-being.
This is also called “mindfulness”
Mindfulness helps you enjoy life and understand yourself better. Moreover, it can change the way you approach life and deal with challenges.
In this case, we’re talking about the stresses of life such as relationships, career, friendships, school work, etc. There may be times where you feel like you’re “lost” and lacking in direction, wondering what the future holds for these aspects of your life. Maybe you’ve argued with your partner for quite some time, or maybe you’re wondering if you should quit your job.
Here are some tips that personally helped us:
Take baby steps – When you feel like you’re young, you’ve got to make the most out of your time by hustling or loading yourself with tasks. But it's all about experimenting, failing, and figuring it out. Sometimes, getting to where you want to be takes years, and we shouldn’t rush our growth. Rushing our growth only increases our stress levels and is bad for our health in the long run. As long as you’re alive, you’re always growing, learning and achieving something. Be proud of the small wins. It’s okay not to know or accomplish everything in this world.
Break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces
Take breaks – Taking breaks allow you to understand yourself better which gives you time to solve your problems and reflect on yourself. If need be, cry it out. Once you develop the habit of having time for yourself, your anxiety levels decrease.
Appreciate the now – Enjoy where you’re at now! If you spend time worrying about the future, you will miss making memories that you could’ve made in the present moment. Even if the future didn’t turn out the way you wanted, you will look back and tell yourself that you’ve at least did something great in the past. You’ll find it easier to move on.
When you find yourself living in the present moment, you’ll find that it’s these very moments that lead up to your future. Why worry so much when tomorrow has worries of its own?
Just like breaking larger tasks to smaller ones, we should take one day at a time.
It’s hard to think about what life is all about.
But it’s easier to ask yourself how you want to live your life.
4. Take care of your well-being
A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Taking care of yourself physically can improve your mental health. Here are some advice tips that you need to refer to:
Do regular exercises - Spend at least 2- 3 times a week within 30-45 minutes. You can head to the nearest gym or follow some exercise videos on Youtube to work out. Exercise is a medicine for many common mental health challenges. It helps to relieve stress, improves memory, boosts a better mood and gives a positive impact on mental health.
Even if you’re not a gym junkie or cardio bunny, take the initiative to move around like going out for walks in your leisure time, dance to your favourite jams, go for a bike ride or play sports with some friends and family. It’s better than not doing anything at all, so spend some time on certain activities that help you to keep yourself going.
Maintain a healthy diet - People with a healthy diet have more volume in an area of the brain that is important for learning, memory and mental health. Make sure that you watch what you eat and prevent yourself from overeating or eating less. Avoid excessive intake of sugary, greasy and highly processed foods.
Avoid intake of alcohol and drugs - Minimize alcohol drinking habits or keep them away from you. Avoid taking other drugs that are harmful to your body and your mental health. People sometimes use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate themselves which is not true. However, alcohol and other drugs only aggravate problems and affect a person’s well-being.
5. Seek professional help
If you feel that you might need to seek some professional help, you can head to a local service that provides counselling, emotional support and mental therapies. Find and hire a mental professional who can provide plans for your problems, gives advice on what needs to help you heal, builds self-confidence and change behaviours that hold you back.
You can find help from these local organizations in or outside Sarawak, namely:
MHAS
Befrienders
MIASA
MMHA
See from this source: https://listenkuching.wixsite.com/listenkuching/seek-professional-help
You can refer them to a family or a friend, who might be having some issues regarding their mental health.
To wrap up..
When our minds are troubled or unbalanced, it affects the entire functioning of our bodies. It also has a detrimental influence on our emotional well-being, work performance, and relationships.
Therefore, do whatever it takes to improve your mental being and avoid anything that affects it so you can have a balanced life.
How do you take care of your mental health?