There is no better time than today to shine a light on our mental health. It used to be a taboo topic with so much stigma surrounding it and most people would not dare explore the subject – through fear of being judged, criticized or even worse, chastised.
The term mental health refers to an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Just as taking care of our physical health makes us feel fit and strong, the same applies to our mental health. We can feel uninspired, lethargic, demotivated and if not taken care of, this can easily lead to depression or varying disorders - bipolar, anxiety or post-traumatic stress and an overall feeling of “wanting to give up”.
It is crucial to understand that when you are feeling any of the negative emotions such as stressed, overwhelmed or anxious, the best solution is to welcome them, acknowledge them and listen to them. Our automatic response is to push them aside, thinking that ignoring them will make things better but being in denial will not make them go away. Rather the opposite, your worries will come out in other ways, such as stomach problems, eczema, headaches etc
Coming from this angle you will be on top of your emotions rather than them being on top of you.
Here are 10 tips on how to take care of your mental health:
1. Speak up and get help: the more you open up, the more you will realise you are not alone in feeling this way.
2. Be physically active: the ties between physical and mental health are frequently highlighted, and taking care of one helps to maintain the other.
3. Get out into nature: soak in the vitamin D enriched sunrays and walk bare foot on the grass or in the sand – this will ground your body with the earth’s energies and revitalise you. Research has proven that bacteria in soil and sand trigger our bodies to make serotonin, the happy hormone which calms us and makes us feel good: nature’s perfect antidepressant recipe.
4. Practice self-love and self-care: do things that you enjoy doing, not what others want you to do.
5. Stay connected: we are social creatures who thrive on community. When we are surrounded by people who understand us, there is sense of belonging and we feel happier.
6. Eat healthy brain stimulating foods: cut out sugars and anything that has been processed.
7. Practice mindfulness: as well as decreasing stress, practicing meditation (even sitting still for a few minutes and deep breathing) improves one’s mental health and overall well-being.
8. Do something new: we all love our routines but this can get boring. Make sure to add some novelty to your day.
9. Hydrate and get enough sleep: dehydration affects your cognitive abilities and those who suffer from mental health conditions may find it impacts their sleep patterns.
10. Limit social media: the comparison game will only make you feel worse about yourself.
When we focus on our mental, physical and emotional health this will automatically create a much more well-rounded balanced, happy human being.
Even though the subject of mental health is still a bit sensitive, gone are the days of feeling the need to appear “having it all together”. We have entered a new age where being vulnerable and talking about our feelings is considered strong.
So let’s be that beacon of light and strength for others to follow. Here’s to a happier, healthier and stronger you!
Hyesha Barrett
@CoachHyesha
Hyesha Barrett is a certified Life Coach and NLP Practitioner based in Muscat
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