Surprisingly as it may seem, mental illnesses are more prevalent than cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Mental disorders affect one in four people, so things aren’t looking so great. Millions of people all over the world experience some kind of disturbance. Taking into consideration that all aspects of our lives are affected by mental health, there is nothing more important than looking after psychological and emotional wellbeing. This doesn’t mean seeking professional support. There are many things that someone you can do to achieve balance in life. Improve your mental health with these habits.
Learn how to value yourself
There is no doubt about it, we’re living in the age of high esteem. People are more narcissistic than ever. They only think about themselves and couldn’t care less about those around them. Many suggest that this accusation isn’t true. Unfortunately, it is. If you take the time to notice people, you’ll see that they have an excessive interest and admiration for themselves. The young have become the Generation Me - in other words, people with self-involved qualities. It’s quite shocking to find people who don’t value themselves. It seems that some individuals don’t know how to treasure their qualities. They focus on their flaws and don’t let the inner light shine through. What about you? How much do you value yourself? It’s very important to treat yourself with kindness and respect and do your best to avoid self-criticism. In case you didn’t know, self-criticism is toxic. Pay close attention to your thoughts and feelings. You’ll immediately discover that you call yourself names or you say harsh words to yourself. Replace the negative thought in your head with true statements and cut your automatic thinking. Try the following exercise: keep a journal. When you write down what is going through your mind, it’s a lot easier to identify and stop toxic behaviour. Take actual notes of your ideas and catch the negative ones. Examine those thoughts and determine if they are valid. Do you have any kind of evidence? If not, then chances are that you’re exaggerating. Don’t torture yourself for anything.
Go for a swim
Sometimes, you’re less able to deal with stressful situations. You work 24/7 and, at the end of the day, you’re tired as tired can be. Maybe you also have money problems. There isn’t a single family out there that doesn’t have financial issues. Or maybe you’re suffering from anxiety. No matter the situation, you should go for a swim. What? Don’t you have a swimming pool? If this is the case, get a paddling pool. Here are some good options. Your kids will love the paddling pool. By the way, there is no rule saying that grown-ups can’t take a dip too. Paddling pools are the latest summer must-have. So, what are you waiting for? Swimming is the best thing you can do when you’re feeling down. Not only is it fun, but it works as a stress reliever. Being in connection with the water helps relax the mind and body. Immersing yourself in water has a calming, meditative effect. So, instead of going for a run or hitting the gym, you might want to take a dip in the paddling pool. Being raised in the United Kingdom, you probably have a water culture. Perhaps you spent your childhood at the beach. As you can remember, swimming is a combination of physical and social activity. Adults are prone to forget about the simple pleasures in life. Don’t make the same mistake. Go wadding.
Exercise on a regular basis
People often say that they are too busy to work out. Somehow, they find time to check their social media accounts tens of times per day and watch bad TV. Individuals make up all sorts of excuses for not exercising. They simply don’t believe that exercising is the key to leading a healthy life. If you don’t work out, you should start right away. Exercising decreases the risk of succumbing to depression. Whether you take a long run or do yoga, you’ll be a lot happier. What is it with exercise that makes people so freaking happy? Well, engaging in physical activity favours the production of dopamine. Dopamine is a compound that leads to increased heart rate and blood pressure. Your adrenaline level will increase and you’ll feel much better. Dopamine is the missing ingredient when it comes to pleasure and happiness.
Stay away from alcohol and drugs
Alcohol makes us feel good. That isn’t a secret. What you don’t know is that it’s all an illusion. Drinking alcohol does provide pleasure and a sense of freedom, but it doesn’t make you more joyous. It’s best to keep alcohol use to a minimum. If you drink too much, you’ll become addicted. It doesn’t take long to become an alcoholic, which is the reason why you should be careful. Consuming drugs isn’t recommendable either. Self-medicating yourself is indeed tempting but that doesn’t mean that you should resort to using drugs. Everyone deals with difficult situations. Do you know what they do about it? They act like adults and get over it. If you take everything personally, it won’t be good for you. It may seem like the most difficult thing in the world, but stay away from alcohol and drugs. When you’re stressed and you feel like the entire world is against you, take a few moments to calm down. Breathe deeply and relax. There are exercises that can help you loosen up in less than 10 minutes. Inhale and then exhale. Repeat this action 4 times. You can also try the abdominal breathing technique. Are you curious to know how it’s done? Place one hand on your chest and inhale enough air so as to create a stretch in the lungs. Take 6 to 10 deep breaths and keep in mind to pause every 10 minutes. As you can see, it’s not that hard. Breathing exercises may not make perfect sense. All you need to remember is that they work.