This is a collaborative post
One of your goals for this year should be to give your mental health a boost. This will always be a good idea, even if you believe you have sound mental health. There is always something you can do to help yourself feel better. It’s important to note that you should speak to a doctor for serious concerns. Treat this article as a guide for some small changes you can make to improve your mental health. Let’s get started.
Sort Out Your Sleep Schedule
One of the most important factors that can influence your mental health is your sleep schedule. Sleep and mental health are linked, with problems with your sleep affecting how you feel physically and mentally. A lack of sleep can affect your mental health, so you should do all you can to improve it.
You should be aiming to get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. It’s also important that you try to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time. You will find that your inner body clock will start getting more used to the time you sleep, allowing your body to get prepared for sleep each night naturally.
Poor sleep can affect your emotional regulation, which means prolonged poor sleep will affect your daily life. You will find that your energy levels will be depleted, lower your mood, and can reduce your concentration. Overall, it will negatively impact your relationships and even your immune systems. It can create vicious cycles, so you can positively impact your mental health by improving your sleep.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
A great way to boost your mental health this year is to work on your physical health in some capacity. If you are currently overweight or underweight, then you will find that your mental health may be affected by your physical health. The two go hand in hand, with your physical health helping to increase your mental health, and your mental health being boosted can help you with your physical health.
You can maintain a healthy weight by ensuring you are on top of your nutritional health and are getting plenty of exercise. With your food, you should ensure you are eating food in proportion and eating the right amount of calories for your specific self. You should also ensure that you are not putting too much food onto your plate and that you have smaller portions.
Try to avoid unhealthy snacks, or at least overconsuming these snacks. These snacks will not satisfy your hunger and will be packed with fat and calories. That’s not to say that you should avoid snacks, as you should still enjoy treats, which can be included as part of a balanced diet.
If you find that you are always hungry between meals, but don’t have the time to make food or want to indulge in snacks, then you may benefit from some weight loss shakes. You can find weight loss shakes in your favourite flavours from Shake That Weight online, which offers affordable, low-calorie, high-protein shakes. These shakes can give you the vitamins you need, helping satisfy your cravings until it’s mealtime.
You will find that maintaining a healthy weight will help you feel better within your own mind. For example, you will have greater self-esteem and be less self-conscious. Overall, it will help you improve your mood and outlook and can help you battle symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Start The Day Positive
A great way to boost your mental health this year is to start each day off in a positive way. If you are waking up each day and embracing it, you may find that you are more welcoming of the day and feel better about what is coming.
There will be a few different ways for you to start the day off positively. For example, you could take a moment each day to think about the things that you are grateful for. Think about what you’ve done that you’re proud of, it can truly be anything. For example, you could think about that pasta sauce you made recently that was really good, or you could think about the fact that you accomplished something recently or completed a simple task.
Ensure you nurture yourself from the moment you wake up. Do something that you enjoy once you wake up, as this could set the tone for the rest of the day. It may be that you enjoy a cup of tea, or you like watching a bit of the news. Engaging in these activities helps you start your day off the right way, and can help boost your mood too.
Set Small Goals
For you to effectively boost your mood and improve your outlook on life, you may benefit from setting small goals. These goals could help you to improve your mental wellbeing, from setting simple goals like washing your face each morning to having a daily cup of coffee.
Your goals may be more long-term, such as trying to quit smoking or alcohol. Smoking and alcohol have been linked with negative mental health. You may feel like you need to consume alcohol and smoke to deal with any difficult feelings, but it’s unlikely that this will actually have any benefit for you, either short-term or long-term.
You should set small goals that you believe are achievable in some way. If you set your goals too unrealistic, then you run the risk of never achieving them and feeling like you are a failure. When you have smaller, positive, more achievable goals, you will have something you can actually aim for.
Ask For Help When You Need It
It’s important that you know when to ask for help. Some people get stuck in their minds with how to deal with a problem, assuming that they have to deal with it alone. It may be that they don’t want to bother anyone, or get anyone else involved, but this should never be the case.
If you are struggling, then you must speak to friends and family. Speak to the people close to you within your life and express to them how you’re feeling and what you’re going through, as this will help ensure that you aren’t going through negative times alone. This will put less strain on your brain and help you boost your mood.
As well as communicating with those close to you personally, you should also speak to medical professionals. In particular, you should consider speaking to a therapist. Sometimes, talking to a complete stranger may be easier than your friends or relatives. This will certainly be the case if the issue stems from friends or family members.
Your time with a therapist will be your time. A therapist will listen to what you have to say and help you find the answers to your own problems. Your therapist will give you the time you need to be heard, cry, and look at your problems differently. Most of the time, you will communicate with a therapist in a one-on-one situation, but it is not uncommon for therapy treatments to be in a group setting, or even as a couple.
It’s all about finding something that works for you. Some people may write down their thoughts in a journal, and some people may have an open dialogue. Explore a few different options, and do whatever works for you, to allow you to boost your mental health.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post