Every single day, people have to deal with a lot of things. They appear physical burdens, but people actually deal a lot more with mental burdens. Here are the few main tips to improve your mental health.
Exercising
According to Mayo Clinic, exercise is a planned and repetitive body movement, so it is unnecessary to go overboard. You can do simple physical activities for 10 minutes daily at first, then increase the duration at your own pace. From walking up flights of stairs to going out for a little walk, small physical activities can improve your mental health in the long run. “Anything that affects our physical [health] can also affect our mental [health],” Mr. Gonzalez said, a counselor at the GROWL Center.
Healthy Diet
It is important to attempt to eat less processed food like chips and food with added sugars like cake, as they may help cause anxiety and depression, according to Cleveland Clinic. A healthy diet can improve your mental health because it provides the nutrients necessary to produce the hormones that promote your well-being. A healthy diet consists of complex carbohydrates composed of whole grains like brown rice, as well as starchy vegetables like potatoes. It also contains lean proteins like fish.
Socialization
Socializing is crucial to your well-being. It is necessary to maintain relationships with family and friends by spending time with one another and reminding one another that you can support each other. You can also join specific clubs that house people with similar interests. Whenever you are feeling down, it is a good time to connect with these people in order to talk about your feelings and attempt to remove the mental weight off your shoulders.
Self-Care
A time dedicated to yourself is very important and very fun. Activities that give you joy and peace of mind reduce stress and improve mood. Another very important and very fun thing is trying to have a positive outlook on the present moment and appreciate every little thing, without trying to overthink ahead of the moment or to gloom over negative thoughts. “Positive self-talk, I think, is a big thing. Our internal monologues can sometimes be a little bit negative,” Mr. Gonzalez said. “Just because we think things doesn’t necessarily mean they’re true.”
Professional Help
When everything feels not right anymore, it is time to seek the professionals. Therapy can help you find ways to emotionally support yourself for your well-being. “Working with a professional, or a counselor, or a therapist could help you gain these different coping mechanisms that could be more healthy when trying to deal with certain situations,” Mr. Gonzalez said. Whenever you are not feeling alright, you can always stop by the GROWL Center. “This [the GROWL Center] is definitely a resource to them [the students],” Mr. Gonzalez said. The GROWL Center will help you and try to find a way to make you feel better. Mr. Gonzales comments that, depending on how the conversation goes, the GROWL Center will try to reach out to other resources in order to provide the support that individual students may need.
I hope these tips may help you mentally. I feel like life has its tunnels: we will go through difficult and dark times, but better things are ahead by the light at the end of a tunnel. We are all in this life together, and we have each other to support and help ourselves.