Do you want to live a life of good health? Then it’s important to follow healthy habits in all areas of your life. Staying healthy means practicing good nutrition, healthy mental health habits, and healthy relationship habits.
Let’s closely examine how healthy mental health habits can improve your health and life outlook.
Table of Contents
Get Exercise
One of the most significant ways to improve your mental health is to stay active. Studies show that regular exercise doesn’t just improve your physical fitness; it also improves your mood and mental health. Plus, exercise can reduce stress and anxiety.
Whether you like to run, walk, swim, do yoga, or do something else, getting regular exercise is critical to enhancing your mental health. Recovery from exercise is important. Doing things like ice bath, massage and stretching can help you get back to training faster.
Reduce Cell Phone Time
Everyone has a smartphone, and they are useful devices. However, having a computer in your face can be too much. A recent study found that American adults spend nearly 12 hours online daily. While social media benefits, being online can erode mental health.
Experts often recommend setting a 30-minute limit on social media daily. Instead of staring at your phone, consider reading a book, meditating, going for a walk, or spending time with family.
Get More Sleep
Sleep is vital to your mental health. It allows the body to rest after a long day and heal. Not getting enough sleep will quickly affect your mental health. People who regularly get less than eight hours of sleep per night may have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and irritability.
Connect With Others
Interacting with others is a big part of the human experience. However, being too isolated in your daily life can affect your mental health. So, try interacting with people daily (in person, not online).
Consider taking group exercise classes or joining a social group. Try to interact more with people with the same interests and your mood will improve.
Eat Healthy Foods
No question eating nutritious foods can benefit one’s mental health. Some of the foods that are proven to boost our mood include:
- Bananas
- Beans
- Whole grain breads
- Fatty fish, such as sardines and salmon
- Berries
It also helps your mental health by ensuring you are eating enough daily. If you are feeling down, you may not eat enough which can increase anxiety and depression. And remember that caffeine, simple carbs, and alcohol can worsen your mood and anxiety.
Start A Hobby
A proven way to keep your mental health strong is to keep your brain engaged and active. If you already have hobbies, make sure you take the time to practice them every week or month.
One of the first things many of us do when we feel depressed is to stop doing things we enjoy. If you don’t have hobbies anymore, that’s ok! Do some online research to find something you enjoy. Maybe it’s fishing, sewing, rock collecting, or something else.
When you start a new hobby, find a group in your area that shares your passion. Being around people who like what you do also can be a big mood lifter.
Think Positively
If you feel down, it can feel impossible to think positive thoughts. However, a lot of scientific evidence suggests thinking positively will boost your mental health.
You can start thinking positively just one step at a time. For example, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, tell yourself that today is going to be a fantastic day. If something great happens during your day, take notice and acknowledge it. It is easy to remember all the bad things that happen and pass over the good things. Don’t let that happen.
Take notice if you have a positive interaction with someone or have a delicious meal. Acknowledge the good things that happen daily and thinking positively will become ingrained.
Get in the Sun
Sun is one of the best sources of vitamin D. Also, studies suggest that getting a regular dose of sun will enhance your mood and attitude. But your time outdoors doesn’t need to be long. You may need 10 minutes of sunshine once or twice daily to boost your mood.
If you are often stuck inside working, try to take a short walk, sit in the yard, or simply stand outside for a few minutes. Getting a few rays for these short periods can do a lot of good for your mood.
Summary of Healthy Mental Health Habits
Your mental health is vital to your health and overall quality of life. While some factors that affect our mental health cannot be controlled, the tips we mention here can make a big difference.
Also, keep in mind that when developing new, healthy habits, change takes time. Start with one or two of the suggestions above. Then, add one or two more healthy habits after a few weeks. Over a few months, you should notice an improvement in your mood and mental health.