Five ways to promote mental health
Stress is inevitable in a world that is perennially changing. If so, are we doomed to live a life that is mentally draining or is there a way out of this seemingly hopeless predicament?
As the old saying goes, “Behind the hills of sacrifice lie the valleys of paradise.” There is always hope even in the bleakest situation. There are various ways to help us cope better with our problems. They may not magically alter our situation but they can pave the way for us to healthily and effectively tackle our problems one by one.
Nourish your brain
Whenever we are in a dire situation, two things may happen to our eating pattern. We can either lose appetite or result to emotional eating. Both ends of the spectrum are unhealthy for our mental health. If you do not intentionally feed your brain with the right nutrients, it cannot effectively process thoughts. Sleep could be a problem. These could all affect the way an individual reacts to problems. It is important to eat not for the pleasure of eating but for nourishing the mind and body. On the other hand, emotional eating can lead to unhealthy food choices that affect the mood, such as those that are high in sugar and unhealthy fat. This could also lead to overconsumption of calories that lead to undesirable weight gain. Therefore, it is important to feed your mind and body not for pleasure but for the sole purpose of nourishing it.
Be physically active
Exercise helps the body produce happy hormones. It also promotes blood circulation for better oxygenation of cells. This in turn will make a person mentally alert. In addition, the body produces the happy hormone serotonin, which aids in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Thus, staying physically active throughout the day and having regular exercise can improve sleep, which plays a huge role in equipping the body to cope with stress.
Control your breath
Whenever you find yourself in a stressful situation, remind yourself to pause and take a deep breath instead of uttering words you will surely regret later on. Regulate your breathing in order to bring your heart rate and blood pressure down. These markers normally increase when emotions are high. If we do not learn to control our breath, it will be more difficult for our mind to think clearly.
Rest your mind
It may be easier said than done for a person whose mind is always busy. It is important to rest the mind regularly. Resting the mind does not only mean being idle and just letting thoughts drift off. It also entails engaging in mind relaxing activities, such as reading books, listening to music, appreciating nature, doing art, even doing something positive that is not part of your daily routine. This process makes your brain create new pathways that will help you cope with stress more effectively. Traveling after weeks or months of stressful work is also refreshing for the mind.
Learn to communicate
Unloading one’s thoughts and feelings in a positive manner at the appropriate time and place are considered healthy. Keeping emotions all bottled up will surely cause a lot of stress, which may eventually manifest physically. Many cases have ended up in suicide without any of the family members knowing what led that individual to end his or her life. Communication is vital to your mental wellbeing.
Keeping emotions all bottled up will surely cause a lot of stress, which may eventually manifest physically. Many cases have ended up in suicide without any of the family members knowing what led that individual to end his or her life. Communication is vital to your mental wellbeing.