6 Best Ways to Improve Your Mental Health

If your mental health is suffering and you don’t know how to fix it, start by changing your diet and your lifestyle, and follow these simple steps to improve your mental health.

Today, it’s very common for people to develop mental health disorders. Anxiety, depression, disassociation, and eating disorders are just some of the most pervasive ones today.

With greater access to the internet, it’s easier to know what’s happening around you at all times. Unfortunately, this has led to over-information, which is part of the problem.

When digital media mostly points towards a rise in socio-political strife, economic crisis, and poverty, disillusionment becomes common.

However, in order to take control of your life and stay afloat, you need to improve your mental health.

Tips to improve your mental health are:

1. Develop healthy eating habits 

What goes into your body directly affects your mental health. Therefore, ensuring a balanced diet is very important.

Your meals are what give you energy throughout the day. Eating processed, sugary foods will only make you more lethargic, groggy, and irritable.

Such a diet is also likely to lead to brain fog which can cloud your ability to concentrate on work or school. Apart from your diet, the timings of your meals are also crucial to your mental well-being.  

Most people are tempted to skip breakfast when they’re running out of time or have busy schedules. However, when you do this, your body grows tired and weary quicker.

Your mental health is likely to deteriorate as a result of hunger, stress, and anxiety. Thus, make sure to eat at least three healthy meals a day. Additionally, add rich sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to your diet.  

2. Reduce caffeine and sugar intake  

It’s easy to become overly dependent on caffeine. You can’t be blamed for such an addiction. Coffee wakes you up in the morning, gives you a burst of energy, and gives you the illusion of happiness.

But here’s the catch. Large amounts of it can also worsen your mental health. It can lead to anxiety, jitters, heart palpations, and even stress.  

Thus, if you’re already struggling with mental health, caffeine is likely to make it worse. Similarly, sugar, too, can have the same effect.

In fact, it also makes you feel bloated and uncomfortable when consumed frequently. Therefore, it’s important to reduce both caffeine and sugar consumption.

If you drink more than 1 cup of coffee or tea in a day, limit it to a single cup. You can also try switching to a decaf version of your coffee. As for sugar, stick to natural sources like fruit or honey.  

3. Start working out regularly 

Working out not only helps you stay active, but it also releases the ‘happy hormone’. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which boost positive emotions.

Plus, exercise can also make you not cry when you look at yourself in the mirror. If you’re feeling too overwhelmed, or you have a busy schedule, try simple, low-intensity workouts.

Yoga is known to be an effective stress reliever. It also helps you to regain energy with breathing exercises.  

Such exercises can regulate your mood, release anxiety, and ease stress. It’s also a good idea to add some cardio along with low-intensity workouts.

Cardio increases your heart rate which boosts endorphins and your overall mood. In order to exercise, you don’t even need access to the gym.

Just use workout tutorials on YouTube. However, it’s always a good idea to go outside for a walk or a run every now and then.  

4. Start journaling 

Writing can help you bring clarity and control back into your life. In today’s anxiety-ridden world, the act of journaling is slowly making a comeback, This is because people are realizing the importance of writing only for themselves in a diary.

After a hard day’s work, this can be therapeutic and relaxing. But more importantly, it helps you stay grounded and self-aware.

You can start with some journaling prompts that will help you list down the things you’re grateful for or the things you’re looking forward to. Writing this makes it appear more real and concrete. 

 Thus, even when you’re mentally struggling, this can help you see the positivity around you. It also makes it easier to realize that there are still things and events you can look forward to.

Apart from gratitude, you can also note down the things you want to achieve by a certain date. This could mean something as simple as to-do lists or something more exciting like ‘things to do before I turn 30’.

Journaling can help you stay on track and stay motivated and focused.  

5. Get out of the house 

No, this is not your mother telling you to leave her basement. You just need to get out of the house from time to time for a better grasp of your reality.

When you stay in one place all day, you’re likely to grow tired and even depressed. Your life begins to feel monotonous and redundant and you feel like you’re experiencing nothing new.

For an enhanced mental state, it’s important to change your setting frequently. Moreover, going outside instantly shifts your mood.  

When you breathe fresh air and see nature, birds, and people, you’ll feel calmer. In addition to this, the serenity of nature and greenery has a soothing effect on your mind.

Even if you live in a concrete city like New York, the rush of people around you will make you realize that you’re not alone and that there are thousands like you.

Plus, going out always increases your chances of meeting new people and finding old friends.  

6. Talk to a therapist 

If you like it’s getting harder to manage your mental health, talk to a mental health professional. Go to a therapist or a psychiatrist, Such people are professionals and they understand what’s going on with you.

They have expertise in this field so you can trust mental health professionals. In fact, don’t wait for this to be your last resort.

You can go to a therapist as soon as you start feeling any symptoms of a mental health disorder.

Therapists can help you understand the root cause of your problem. Once you have the source figured out, it’s easier to look for solutions.  

However, make sure you find a therapist you feel comfortable around. If you’re intimidated or suspicious of them, therapy won’t be as effective for you.

It’s important to trust your therapist and talk to them freely. Keep looking until you find somebody you’re satisfied with.

In addition to this, if the thought of going to therapy intimidates you, take an online session. This won’t involve an in-person meeting and can be especially beneficial if you suffer from anxiety.