5 steps to improve your mental health
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Life is great when everything is going well. Our relationships with family and friends, our health, our finances, our work and where we live all impact how we feel; sometimes, it doesn’t take much for us to feel stressed and depressed when any of those aspects of our life are not going to plan. It’s easy to start comparing your life to others, particularly with social media, which is so easily accessible. Before you know it, everything that’s going wrong in your life suddenly feels far worse. If that’s you, You might be thinking, how do I get out of this black cloud? Well…… Here are five steps that you can take to help improve your mental well-being.
The power of changing your mindset
No matter what happens in your life, everything is an opportunity to learn and grow, particularly from our struggles. If you failed that test, didn’t get that job, or if your job makes you miserable, you’re struggling to make ends meet. Perhaps a relationship has ended, and you’re heartbroken. You might struggle to lose weight, have a health problem, or worry about a family member’s health. You might feel lonely and left out by family or friends. The list goes on; problems and worries are all part of life, and though they can feel overwhelming, we’re all human, and none of us go through life without some struggle, including the people you think have a perfect life.
Social media is an example of how many people like to present their lives to others as being happy and wonderful; it’s like a performance on a stage. I’m not saying their life isn’t pleasant and fantastic at times, and I’m not saying all people do this, but many people use social media to show the best parts of their lives, not the difficult ones. Many people want to appear successful and happy when, quite often, those very people are struggling with things going on in their lives you know nothing about. I think by nature, as human beings, we want to feel loved and liked by others, so don’t be fooled by all the happy, beautiful photos you see on Facebook or Instagram and think everybody else has a fantastic life because we all have good and bad days, you’re only seeing one side of their life story.
Never compare your life to others, and you will feel calmer and more peaceful from within. You are not living anybody else’s life but your own. Our minds are so powerful that they can lead us to a life of self-pity, judgment, hate, and destruction, or they can lead us to a life of peace and acceptance, love, joy, and prosperity. Mindfulness is about being in the present moment, not overthinking things, just being aware of our thoughts but choosing not to be judgmental.
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change “Wayne Dyer.
We all have our journeys to walk. Remember, you are only human; tomorrow is another fresh start. Soon, the black cloud will pass. Imagine sailing through a rough storm at sea if you are going through a difficult time. It’s challenging, but keep going because soon you will see the horizon, the storm will eventually pass, and the sun will rise again.
Research has shown that Meditation is an excellent way of helping you to be in the present moment, sit quietly and focus on your breathing. If your mind wanders, don’t worry. Take several deep breaths until your mind stops wondering, then breathe normally again; try to keep that focus on your breathing. If you cannot meditate because you’re at work or driving, try taking a few breaths where you breathe in but then breathe out slower. This can lower your heart rate and have a calming effect; for example, breathe in for four seconds and out for eight, then repeat 4 or 5 times. This probably won’t help if you’re about to be chased by a lion, but if you’re feeling stressed at work or about to have an interview for a new job, this may help ease your anxiety.
If you find yourself stuck in a negative mindset, a gratitude list can be helpful; write down everything you have to be grateful for, no matter how big or small.
Boosting your self-esteem
Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. Good self-esteem would mean you feel good about who you are. You feel confident. A person with low self-esteem is likely to lack confidence and feel they are not good enough. If you feel like you’re not good enough and compare yourself to others. There are Ways to Boost Your Self-esteem. The first thing to do is stop comparing yourself to others and focus on yourself. Stop looking outwards for validation and start looking within. Start working on improving yourself and boosting your confidence and self-esteem.
If you have a dream or a goal, focus on that and start to work towards that goal every day. A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into several steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action becomes achievable. Achieving goals, no matter how big or small, will boost your self-esteem. Take the first step, no matter how big or small; take a step. The one thing you must do is keep that promise to yourself; when we say, for example, we’re going to start eating healthier or we’re going to make an effort to exercise, we must stay disciplined; when we break those promises to ourselves we lose confidence, we lose confidence in our ability to succeed because we give up so often. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s far more essential to start with a small goal and achieve it than to set a big goal and give up. Start one step at a time and keep going.
If you are someone who suffers from depression and can’t seem to get to the root cause, there is a book by DR. Terry Lynch called Selfhood that might help. You can find it here https://amzn.to/3Y8Euw4
Terry Lynch wrote the book because he felt mental health services were overlooking a key Issue: After years of working as a GP, he realised that the medical model used to treat people with mental health problems was insufficient because they overlooked the root cause of what he calls Selfhood
Feed your brain
Yes, you have probably heard or read a thousand times about eating healthier for a healthy body, but do you ever think about eating for a healthy brain? Eating a healthy diet is the best thing you can do for yourself if you want to feel good physically and mentally.
A healthy diet doesn’t mean you can’t have a slice of cake or occasionally enjoy your favourite snack. It just means cutting down on saturated fat and sugar and trying to eat a low-fat, balanced diet, which includes vegetables, fruit, and legumes like lentils, beans and whole grains. Try not to look at a healthy diet as a quick fix but as a way of life. If you love sweet things or like having a pizza instead of cutting them out completely, pick two or three days of the week when you let yourself have your favourite food, so don’t binge. Remind yourself you want to change your diet health goals for the better, so allow two or three treat days to make the transition a little easier; soon, you won’t crave unhealthy foods as much as you might do now. Also, you might find it easier not to keep unhealthy snacks like chocolate, biscuits and crisps in the house. Then, you’re less likely to be tempted to eat them.
Another thing to remember is that foods we find addictive are made that way, so we eat more and buy more. Food companies selling these foods get rich. Ultra-processed foods are the worst foods for your physical and mental health.
In fact, most of them you can’t really call food; they are basically edible ingredients with added flavours. Next time you shop, look at the ingredients on the box or tin and count how many are in them. If an ingredient is in the product you wouldn’t keep in your cupboard, you can be assured it’s ultra-processed.
If you want to know more about the detrimental impact of Ultra-processed food, I highly recommend you read or listen to Ulta Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken: https://amzn.to/3Nu4TQ3. It’s an absolute eye-opener. I guarantee you will look much closer at the ingredients in the food you buy. The audible version you can get from here https://amzn.to/3Uf16df is really good because once you sign up, it is free for 30 days, and you can cancel anytime.
Where possible, make your own vegetable soups in bulk, then freeze some for later. Bake your own cakes. Make your own bread or buy fresh from a bakery, then slice it up and put it in the freezer and take it out when you need to rather than buy ultra-processed bread that has enough additives and preservatives to make it last all week or longer.
Easy homemade vegetable and lentil soup
The fewer added additives, artificial flavourings and preservatives in your food, the better. A few simple changes will make a big difference to your health and pocket. Isn’t it Ironic that obesity started to rise when low fat was introduced, such as low-fat spreads, etc? Think of eating more food as if your granny was cooking for you. If you can cook in bulk, then put it in the freezer. That will help save you time, too. There are hundreds of fantastic tutorials on YouTube for cooking healthy food if you’re stuck for ideas.
I once remember hearing someone say, “Many people dig their own grave with their knife and fork”, and there’s probably a lot of truth in that. Some people choose to live an unhealthy life and think; we’re going to die someday anyway; you may as well enjoy yourself and eat or drink what you like. Yes, we’re all going to die someday, but when you choose an unhealthy lifestyle, it impacts the quality of your life. You’re at a higher risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc., and the list goes on; as a qualified Adult nurse, I can tell you the majority of these people don’t just drop dead; they spend an awful lot of their lives in and out of the hospital with chronic disease, either bed bound or chair bound and it’s not just a poor diet that causes disease, stress is a huge contributor. If you eat comfort food or drink excessive alcohol when you feel stressed, you are only adding more stress to your body.
If you are someone who hasn’t been eating properly and thinks this could be causing you to feel anxious and depressed, head over to Discover the potential supplements could have in improving your Depression and anxiety.
Scientists say that our brain and gut are closely linked. If you have ever had a gut feeling about something or had butterflies when you were nervous, those feelings likely come from what scientists call our second brain, which is hidden within our digestive system. This knowledge has created a better understanding of how our digestion, health, thinking, and moods are linked.
Scientists call this brain in our gut the enteric nervous system (ENS). The enteric nervous system is two thin layers of over 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract from your oesophagus to your rectum. ENS’s primary role is the control of digestion. Still, it also communicates back and forth with our brain, and researchers have discovered that if our gut isn’t healthy, the signals sent to our central nervous system can trigger mood changes. Our two brains communicate, so what helps one also helps the other. Therefore, when you feel down and are tempted to eat foods high in fat and sugar or drink alcohol, think to yourself, if my mind doesn’t feel too good today, I need to take better care of myself.
If you are someone who craves sweets or high-fat food when you are stressed, try and think this junk food I’m craving is stress disguised as comfort and is not going to help. Try, if possible, to calm yourself down in other ways, such as taking several deep breaths, breathing in for four seconds, and then out for 8 seconds. Exercise, such as going for a walk, particularly somewhere scenic, can help. Listen to some calming music. If you can’t resist eating something, choose fresh or dried fruit or a handful of nuts instead of junk food. Cravings for sweet and high-fat food may not cause much of a problem occasionally, but if this becomes a habit, then this can negatively impact your physical and mental health. The more you resist turning to food or alcohol when you are stressed or upset, the less likely it will become a habit.
Exercise
There are so many health benefits to exercise, but when it comes to mental health, research shows that exercise can be just as effective as antidepressants. Exercise releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Many people feel so good after a good run or an aerobics class. The real benefits are from regular low-intensity exercise over several weeks because exercise promotes the release of proteins called neurotrophic or neurotrophins. These proteins cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections, improving brain function. Scientists believe this process can take a few weeks for you to feel better. The benefits of incorporating exercise for better mental health should not just be seen as a short fix but as a way of life. Choosing an exercise you enjoy and want to incorporate into your life daily or weekly is better, so you’re less likely to give up. If you’re not into working up a sweat, start off by going for regular walks.
The Benefits of Walking for Physical and Mental Health
The healing power of nature
Having healthy friendships
Humans are, by nature, naturally social beings. This doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy alone time, but evidence suggests healthy relationships with others benefit our mental and physical health. I think you only have to remember the impact the COVID-19 lockdowns had on many people’s mental health to realise this.
If you are someone who doesn’t have any friends, you’re not alone. So many people are in the same boat, and it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. Many people find it harder to make new friends as they get older. Loneliness is so common these days and is a huge contributor to poor mental health. You might have moved to a new area, or your friends have moved away; perhaps you and your friends have just drifted apart. There are so many reasons people find they have no friends, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. There are many ways to meet people and make new friends. Unfortunately, new friends are not likely to suddenly appear and knock on your door. Here are some ways you can try to meet and make new friends.
You could join Meetup.com. Meetup is a website that enables people to meet and make new friends. You can start your own group or join one. There are so many different meetup groups all over the world. There are groups for those into socialising at bars and nightclubs, groups into dining out, book clubs, hiking groups, those into theatre, coffee and chat meetups; the list goes on. One thing you will notice if you join meetup is that there are thousands and thousands of people worldwide who want to meet and make new friends.
Disclaimer
This post is not sponsored or affiliated with meetup.com; it is my thoughts and, hopefully, some helpful advice.
Another way to meet people is to take a class and learn a new skill simultaneously. Volunteering is another excellent way because there are so many organisations to volunteer with, and you’re bound to find something that interests you. Consider joining a Hiking/walking group. How about joining a Gym class, a running club, a cycling club, or a swimming club? If you enjoy singing or acting, you could join a fun choir or amateur dramatics club. The best thing you can do is try.
There is a saying, “If you change nothing, nothing changes.” Therefore, try stepping outside your comfort zone and reaching for the life you want to live.