The post is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.
Some days are tougher than others, and that’s true for all of us. There’s a difference, however, between one bad day and a string of bad days.
Could your mental health use some improvement? Do you feel like you’ve been especially down lately? Read on to learn about four ways that you can boost your mental health.
4 Ways to Work on Your Mental Health
These are four simple ways that you can start to work on your mental health. They aren’t, however, a substitute for medical advice or treatment.
Move Yourself
Did you know that exercise can give you a natural high? That’s because, following endurance exercise, your levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids both get a boost. Simply moving yourself at all may help improve your mood, and some studies have even shown that it can be effective against depression.
You may also experiment with exercising in nature—for example, hiking—to get a double mood boost. Getting out in nature—also known as eco-therapy—has been shown to help improve mental health.
Improve Your Diet
There are all kinds of fantastic benefits that come with a healthy diet. One of the biggest benefits of them all is surely the boost that you may get to your mental health. When you feel better physically, you’re bound to feel better mentally. It can be tough to feel at your best if you’re filling your body with junk food. It’s easy to get addicted to poor food choices, as well, which leads us on a vicious cycle.
Improve your diet—more whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables—and you’re likely to experience a significant boost to your mood and energy levels.
Get Social (with Good People)
Are you an introvert? Or do you hang out with people who bring you down? Spending too much time on your own or with the wrong people can wreak havoc on our happiness. Fortunately, there’s plenty of good advice online now when it comes to improving our mental health: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/how-to/
So, instead of wallowing by yourself or hanging out with a bad crowd, try to spend quality time instead with kind and supportive people. These should be people with your best interests at heart, who genuinely care about you and your mental health and who won’t be a bad influence on you.
Work on Your Sleep Routine
Many of us don’t get enough sleep, and this can really keep us back from living the lives we want to lead. When we’re fatigued, we’re more prone to making bad choices, and little mistakes and bad choices can really add up. Insufficient sleep has also been closely linked to irritability.
So, to get a quick and easy mood boost, simply work on improving your sleep routine. Set a fixed bedtime each night and try calm activities such as reading before bed rather than looking at your phone or TV.
Conclusion
While these tips may prove to be just what you need to improve your mental health, they may not be enough. In that case, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor or to a licensed counselor for support. Remember, there’s strength in getting help!
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