Simple Habits To Improve Your Mental Health

It is very easy to fall into a routine that doesn't benefit your well being considering most of the activities that gave the world some euphoria have been shut down for over a year.

A lot of people have been trying to make peace with being alone and find comfort in solitude. This may lead to indulging in distractions such as social media apps for lengthy hours in a day or having little to no sleep because of binge-watching tv shows.

The trap makes it hard to be motivated, positive, and ambitious enough to plan any of the usual things we used to participate in due to the fluctuations in mental health and emotion.

The fact of the matter is, life goes on, and what I mean by that is, although it feels like life has stopped everything else about it, bills, taking care of family, working etc, still has to go on. 

It is essential to adopt these habits to your daily routine so that you can fill your cup before putting energy into anything or anyone else. 

Here are a few simple daily habits that have a positive impact on your mood.

Get enough sleep

Sleeplessness is often a symptom of mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Its reduced activity and reduced interactions with surrounding are important for overall health because people who are sleep deprived experience an increase in negative moods and decreases in positive moods. 

The U.S Department of health and human services has reported that not only does efficient sleep improve your mood and reduce your stress, it also lowers your risk for serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. 

Try setting a sleep time alarm, to remind yourself to get ready for bed and put away all possible distractions e.g phone. Also, try staying in bed until your wake-up time alarm goes off, reflect on what you want out of the day instead of rushing for a gadget.

Drink water

Water is a very important resource on earth because it is needed for life to exist. Water stimulates the flow of nutrients and hormones that release those feel-good endorphins you need to feel happy.

Other benefits, as mentioned by Harvard health publishing, include cushioning joints carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, protecting organs and tissues. Water’s protection for vital organs helps to convert food into energy, and the body absorbs that energy. This improves mood because dehydration can affect your mood and make you feel sad, grumpy, and confused. Stay hydrated and feel energized by drinking the recommended amount of water  (typically eight 8-ounce glasses a day).

Exercise regularly

Exercising not only controls your weight, reduces the risk of heart diseases, helps keep thinking sharp, amongst other benefits but it also improves your mental health and mood by encouraging chemicals in the brain that improve your mood and make you more relaxed.  Physical activity reduces anxiety and depressed mood, and enhances self-esteem, boosts energy and brainpower

Your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood when you exercise according to the US National Library of Medicine on Medline plus, exercising can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression. 

Eat healthy food

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They're an excellent source of dietary fiber, which helps to maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. 

People who eat more fruits and vegetables also have a higher likelihood of optimal mental states, such as greater happiness positive mood, life satisfaction, and socio-emotional flourishing. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, stated that eating uncooked foods results in lower levels of symptoms related to depression and other mental illnesses, compared to those who ate more cooked, canned, or processed varieties.

Self-reflect

Self-reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning. This meaning becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions. It helps with recognizing and learning your emotions that is an important skill to have in order to calm yourself down or adjust to change your behavior.

An article on how Self-Reflection Can Strengthen Your Emotional Intelligence by Healthline discusses how introspection can alter the way we see ourselves and those around us. The art of  “turning inward” can strengthen our emotional intelligence, which can make it easier for us to cope with life's challenges.

Talk To Someone

Talking to someone gives a sense of social support, advice-giving, information-sharing helps put things in perspective to help with coping when things don’t work out.  Feeling lonely causes poor mental health but talking to someone you trust about something upsetting may help.

 It is important to find ways to express your feelings. The benefits of talking through problems as listed on a better health channel are releasing the tension, look at the problem in a different way and make better decisions. 

Listen to music 

Listening to music is very therapeutic, it is one of my go-to activities when I feel down because music can raise someone's mood, raise excitement, or release the feeling of calmness and relaxation which contributes to overall well-being and create happiness. A study by get-healthy-stay-healthy authored by Pfizer Medical Team listed a few benefits of listening to music consisting of:

• Improves mood.
• Reduces stress.
• Lessens anxiety.
• Improves exercise.
• Improves memory.
• Eases pain.
• Provides comfort.
• Improves cognition.

These points suggest that listening to music can have positive effects on health, physically and emotionally.

Indulge in a hobby 

It might not seem like a good idea to add one more thing to your to-do list but having a hobby can bring a sense of fun and freedom. 

According to a study by the University of California on Real-Time Associations Between Engaging in Leisure and Daily Health and Well-Being, defined indulging in a hobby is a

“self-selected, self-rewarding behavioral pursuits that take place during a non-work time”.

Having a hobby  increases productivity and job performance because you become happier, less bored, stress less

Practice the tips given above and anything else that makes you happy, for me, playing with my pet lightens up my day. What brightens yours?