When people think about health they often only consider physical health, though our mental well
being is a huge factor in a person's overall general health. So what is mental health? Mental health is a term used to encompass our psychological, emotional, and social well being. It is often brought up when talking about mental illness, but mental health does not only exist in a negative state. Having good mental health allows you to cope in a positive
way when dealing with the stresses of life and build supportive relationships.
What can damage mental health?
There are certain parts of life that can hurt our mental health, making the world seem
overwhelming. Biological factors like a predisposition to depression or addiction and environmental ones like bullying, abuse, and poverty can all hurt our mental health. Though it may seem hard to manage, there are ways to improve our mental health.
1. Sleep
Good sleep is important for both physical and mental health. Your brain uses sleep to reset and
take in information from the day. It helps maintain your memory, attention, and ability to learn. When you get poor sleep you are more prone to being agitated or easily angered, which is where the phrase “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” came from.
Here are some tips to help you sleep better:
- Have a night time routine
Having a regular wind down time and time you go to sleep helps you keep your sleep in check. Try not to take naps during the day or sleep in too late on days off.
- Avoid devices
It may be tempting to watch your favorite show or scroll through social media before you sleep it
can actually keep you up longer. You may have heard of “blue light”. Blue light is the light emitted from screens (laptops, phones, tablets) that makes your brain more active. There are specific settings on electronics that change the lighting and types of glasses that can prevent most of the blue light from affecting you. Another part of avoiding electronics is keeping your device out of the bed, or at least on Do Not Disturb. Notifications can easily wake you up, disturbing your sleep.
- Limit caffeine
Though you may need some in the morning to pep you up, caffeine is still a brain activating drug
and easily keeps you up at night. Avoid caffeinated food and drinks in the afternoon and night, as it can stay in your body for hours.
2. Manage Stress
Stress is a state of tension or worry that affects our daily lives. It may be hard to focus on daily
activities or connect with others. Some amount of stress can be good, but too much can hurt your mental health.
- Try mindfulness
Mindfulness is a stress reducing technique that is easy to do. It is about being in the moment and
grounding yourself. There are a variety of kinds of mindfulness, but mindful breathing (breath exercises that have you focus on your breathing), journaling (writing about your feelings and what is bothering you), and the 54321 exercise (grounding technique using the senses. Noticing 5 things you can see, 4 things you feel, three things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste) are some of the most popular ones.
- Do something you love
Make sure to take a step back and do something you enjoy. It could be participating in a hobby,
spending time with friends or by yourself, or listening to music you love. Try to find some time to do this every day.
- Just take a break
You do not always have to be productive, try doing some of the above to calm yourself. Even if it
is small as leaving a stressful situation for a couple minutes it can reduce your stress.
3. Connection
Even if you might consider yourself an introvert or are anxious in social settings, connection with
others is an important part of being a human. Interacting with others and having positive relationships in your life can boost your mood and lessen your anxiety.
- Talk to a professional
Even if you do not feel you need it, talking to a qualified adult can reduce your stress. Getting it
all out and having someone that listens and can give you advice is quite helpful. This could be someone like a therapist or school counselor.
- Spend time with positive relationships
People you have a healthy relationship with can be an anchor for you. A friend, partner, or family
member that helps you relax and brings out the best in you is the perfect person to spend time with. This does not need to be in person - calling or texting is a good option as well.
- Avoid isolation
Some time alone can be nice, but isolation can be dangerous. It may feel good at the time, but it
can lead to you feeling worse, increasing depression and anxiety. Try to spend time around others, even if you are not interacting with them. This can help you distract yourself from negative thoughts.
Conclusion
Mental health is extremely important to focus on. Just spending a couple minutes a day trying to
reduce stress can dramatically improve your mental health. Try one of the ideas above or come up with some of your own!
If you feel you want to hurt yourself, hurt others, or are experiencing abuse, seek professional help or use one of the hotlines below.
For substance abuse: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Crisis line: https://www.crisistextline.org
Crisis line and support for transgender people: https://www.thetrevorproject.org
Child abuse hotline: https://childhelphotline.org
Domestic abuse hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/
Sexual violence hotline: https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm#:~:text=What%20is%20mental%20health%3F,others
%2C%20and%20make%20healthy%20choices.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health
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