How to Achieve Good Mental Health
What is good mental health?
Good mental health isn’t just the absence of a diagnosable mental health problem, it can be characterised by the ability to fulfill a number of key functions and activities. This includes:
• the ability to learn
• the ability to feel, express and manage a range of both positive and negative emotions
• the ability to form and maintain good, healthy relationships
• the ability to cope with change and uncertainty.
It’s important to take care of yourself and gain the most out of life. Below are 9 practical ways to look after your mental health. Incorporating some of these small, simple changes to your lifestyle doesn’t need to take up a lot of money and time. They can also be completed by anyone! Why not start on a healthier mind and life today?
1. Talk about how you feel
Talking about your feelings can help deal with tough times and support good mental health.
Talking about your feelings should never be perceived as a sign of weakness. It’s a necessity when understanding your emotions and what you can do about them.
Talking is a healthy coping mechanism when dealing with problems. Just being listened to can help you feel supported and less alone. Also, it works both ways! If you open up, it might encourage others to do the same.
It’s not always easy to describe how you’re feeling. If you can’t think of one word, use lots. What does it feel like inside your head? What does it make you feel like doing?
These conversations can just develop and occur naturally with someone you feel comfortable with. If at first you don’t feel comfortable, make them aware of that feeling and give it some time.
2. Stay active
Regular exercise can boost your confidence and can also help you concentrate, sleep, and generally make you feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and your other vital organs functioning well, and is also a significant benefit towards improving your mental health!
Studies have shown that exercise releases feel-good chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. This exercise doesn’t have to be running miles in the gym or outside, it can include walking, swimming, your favourite fitness class, or even house work. Experts recommend 30 minutes of active movement at least five days a week to keep your body and mind healthy. Try to make physical activity a part of your routine and find something that you love!
3. Eat a balanced diet
Your brain, just like other organs in your body, needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.
There are strong links between what we eat and how we feel, for example, caffeine and sugar can have an immediate effect.
A healthy balanced diet includes:
• lots of different types of fruit and vegetables
• wholegrain cereals or bread
• nuts and seeds
• dairy products
• oily fish
• plenty of water
Eat at least three meals each day and drink plenty of water. Try to limit how many high-caffeine or sugary drinks you have, and avoid too much alcohol.
Please Note: This advice may not apply if your doctor or dietician have given you specific dietary advice due to a health condition such as diabetics or kidney patients.
4. Drink responsibly
We often drink alcohol to change our mood - some may drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary. When the drink wears off, it can make you feel worse because of the way the alcohol has affected your brain and the rest of your body. Drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.
Apart from the damage too much alcohol can do to your body, you would need more and more alcohol each time to feel the same short-term boost. There are healthier ways of coping with tough times. Occasional light drinking is perfectly fine and enjoyable for most people. Just aim to stay within the recommended weekly alcohol limits of 14 units a week for both men and women.
Many people also smoke or use drugs or other substances to change how they feel. But, again, the effects are short-lived. Just like alcohol, the more you use, the more you crave. Nicotine and drugs don’t deal with the causes of difficult feelings. They just create more problems!
5. Ask for help
None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan. If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help! Your family or friends may be able to offer practical help or a sympathetic ear.
Local services are also there to help you. For example, you could:
• join a support group to help you make changes to your life
• find a counsellor to help you deal with your feelings or make a fresh start
• call the council if the issue is a local nuisance
• visit a Citizens Advice Bureau if you want advice on debt.
Your GP may be able to refer you to a counsellor. You should consider getting help from your GP if difficult feelings are:
• stopping you getting on with life
• having a big impact on the people you are close to
• affecting your mood over a prolonged period of time
6. Taking a break
A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health.
It could be a short break from an activity you’re doing, an hour lunch break at work, or a trip away to explore somewhere new to refresh your mind. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you.
Give yourself some ‘me time’, it’s so important!
Taking a break may also mean being very active. Or, it can mean not doing very much at all. Take a deep breath… and relax. Try yoga or meditation, or just putting your feet up if you’re often very busy and preoccupied. Listen to your body. If you’re really tired, give yourself time to sleep. Without good sleep, our mental health suffers and our concentration goes downhill. The world can wait!
7. Do something you love
Enjoying yourself can help to eliminate stress and boost your self-esteem. What are you good at? What activities can you lose yourself in? What have you loved to do in the past?
Concentrating on a hobby like gardening or the crossword can help you forget your worries for a while and change your mood. It can be good to have an interest where nothing is expected of you, you’re just you, doing what you love, for yourself!
Maybe it’s playing an instrument, writing, sketching or painting, singing, dancing or playing a sport. Getting involved in fun activities can also be an opportunity to meet new people and socialise – which can add to the experience!
8. Accepting who you are
We are all different. It’s much healthier to accept your uniqueness than to wish you were more like someone else. Accepting yourself will boost your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.
Some of us make people laugh, some are good at maths, others cook fantastic meals.
Be proud of who you are. Recognise and accept what you are and what you aren’t good at, but focus on what you can do well.
Work out if there’s anything about yourself that you still want to improve. Are your expectations realistic? If they are, work towards the change in small steps.
9. Care for others
Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together. Check in on those close to you by reaching out and communicating about what they’re up to and how they’re feeling. Or why not consider volunteering for a local charity? Helping out can make us feel needed and valued which makes us feel good, as well as who it is we are helping to care for.
Caring for others can also help us see the world from another angle and put our own problems in perspective.
Caring for a pet can improve your wellbeing too. The bond between you and your pet can be as strong as between people. Looking after a pet can bring structure to your day and act as a link to other people. For example, lots of people make friends by chatting to fellow dog walkers.
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