Looking After Your Mental Health: 101

Even though taking care of your body, in terms of your physical health, is absolutely essential for anyone of any age or background, just as important are your levels of mental health and well-being too.

When you have broken your leg, for example, or have another visually obvious problem with your body, both yourself and other people make reasonable adjustments, but as mental health issues such as periods of low mood and depression, for example, are invisible, people are often not as forgiving.

With that being said, here is looking after your mental health: 101.

Live in the Moment

Now, perhaps the most frustrating thing of all for people who are living with depression, especially those who have been for many years, is the propensity for friends and other loved ones who have never experienced it themselves to tell them to ‘get a grip’, ‘keep their chin up’ or simply ‘live in the moment’.

Even though such comments are not only entirely ineffective but can also be somewhat counterproductive, allowing yourself to slow down and ‘smell the flowers’, so to speak, can, in some instances, help. From your instincts in a certain situation to your thoughts and behaviors and your reactions to the world around you, paying more attention to your current situation with a more objective viewpoint can only ever be a good thing.

Put Yourself ‘Out There’

If you are currently experiencing prolonged periods of low mood and depression, you should not hesitate to contact prominent, professional, and discrete medical professionals at nhsgp.net, but another task to consider involves reaching out to someone in a different way.

Numerous scientific studies have conclusively proven that isolation is so closely linked to making depression worse, or at least preventing recovery, so general acts of kindness and giving could make a real difference.

From volunteering in and around your local community, helping out at an old people’s care home, and spending time with relatives who are themselves experiencing a trying time, there is a myriad of ways to help others and simultaneously help yourself.

Mindfulness is a hugely important aspect of your emotional health and well-being. With some simple ways of practicing mindfulness, you may like to introduce to your daily routine, including:

• Feeling in tune with your own body
• Learning some basic meditative techniques
• Eating healthier and more nutritious foods
• Practice ways of actively listening to the people around you
• Focusing on your breathing

Experiment with New Hobbies & Passions

Learning new skills can have a plethora of benefits, even if it simply gives you the time alone and the space to think, which you are currently craving.

Not only will experimenting with a new hobby of fulfilling an ambition you have always wanted to experience boost your sense of self-worth and self-confidence levels, but it may also remind you of the benefits of socialization and help you to regain your sense of purpose.

Just a few ideas and suggestions for new hobbies and experiences to try include:

• Working on a brand-new DIY project in the home or garden
• Signing up for an evening or weekend course at your local school or college
• Learning a new sport
• Starting a blogging website online
• Expanding your cooking and baking ability

Embrace Physical Activity

Physical activity is something that some people wholeheartedly embrace, and others shy away from in any way possible.

However, there is an undeniable link between engaging in regular physical activity and boosts to emotional health. As such, whether you are currently experiencing periods of low mood and lack of focus or not, taking just half an hour out of your day to exercise will benefit you.

Not only is physical activity a great way to start setting achievable goals for yourself, but also a fantastic way to boost your self-esteem. Moreover, some studies suggest that physical activity increases certain chemical changes in the brain, which act as natural mood boosters.

Spend Time with Loved Ones

Even though it can sometimes be difficult to willingly attend social occasions and cope with conversing with people for an entire evening, even though it may not feel like it at the time, spending time with your loved ones is still important.

Depression’s end goal, as it were, is to isolate you to the point of never wanting to leave the house again, and as such, fighting the urge to be alone all of the time is an effective mindset to keep when fighting such feelings.

Get Yourself Outdoors!

Finally, another brilliant method of keeping in touch with how you are feeling and checking in with your emotional health and well-being is to start to spend more time outdoors.

Not only will breathing fresh air, free from the smog of the city and the stuffy, airtight environment inside your home or the office, serve to clear your head, but just a short walk around your local park will help to give you the space and time to think.

Furthermore, spending time in and around nature can help to improve your mood, make you feel more relaxed, improve your confidence and sense of achievement and also reduce your feelings of anger, frustration, and anger.