Now, more than ever, it’s important to make more of an effort to safeguard our positive mental health. With people across the world being locked down in the face of the pandemic, people’s mental health has deteriorated exponentially.
Luckily, if you’re feeling the claws of depression creeping up on you, there are things you can do to throw yourself a helping hand, all from the safety of your own home. If you’re still reading, that’s great, because you’re another step closer to discovering 8 ways to maintain your mental health.
How to Maintain Your Mental Health
Let Some Fun In
Gather your family, or gather your mates, and get together and play some board games. Surprisingly, there’s a world beyond your phone screen where people play in person – have a dig through your cupboards and dig off some relics. Playing board games will help to boost your brainpower, will connect you with others, and help to lower your stress levels. As a bonus, playing board games can help lower the possibility of getting dementia.
Sleep
You most likely know that adults should aim to get 8 hours of sleep a night, but it’s often easier said than done. If you dismiss regular sleep regularly, you will find yourself sleep-deprived, which is proven to have a negative impact on emotions and overall performance. The principle is simple in the same way that your smartphone needs charging overnight, so does your brain.
To help you implement the best sleeping routine possible, follow these steps.
Related: 10 SIMPLE REMEDIES TO HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
Morning Routine
On the flip side of good sleep, you need to have a morning routine to get your day off to a flying start. Having a disciplined morning routine will stop everything from falling into chaos: you will have more time to get your daily tasks done, which means more time for that much-needed relaxation. Further, with more time on your hands, you can ensure you eat a satisfactory breakfast, which will give your body the energy it needs.
Exercise
Any form of at-home exercise is proven to have a positive impact on your mental health – it improves your cardiovascular system and reduces anxiety. Fortunately, over the past year, there has been a burst of online exercise videos to get you motivated. You don’t need to do anything ground-breaking because if you’re not exercising already, any movement will be better than none.
Deep Breathing
Take it down a notch and find your zen with some breathing exercises. Built-up tension in your body can be a sign of increased stress levels. When you breathe calmly, you send messages to your brain telling it to relax, which in turn relaxes your body and releases stressful tensions.
The best part about breathing exercises is you can do it from anywhere, as long asyou’ve got a quiet place you can switch off. There’s more to deep breathing exercises than simply inhaling and exhaling;there are plenty of breathing methods.
Get Yourself a Pet
Pets, especially dogs, can help to maintain positive mental health and ease loneliness. Caring for an animal will give you a sense of purpose, encourage you to get exercise because you’ll need to walk your dog. Further, if you live alone, a dog can help you feel a close bond. It has been proven that the act of stroking a dog can calm the mind and lower stress levels.
Remember, in the same way, that a pet isn’t just for Christmas – a pet isn’t just for lockdown either. Make sure that you have the facilities to care for a pet long term.
Do Some DIY
An amazing way to improve your mental health is to get your teeth sunk into a DIY project. Not only will your brain be fully distracted, but it will also improve cognition and increase your sense of purpose. When you finish your project,you will be overcome by a sense of accomplishment and feel-good chemicals. Your project can be anything from household work, creative writing, to an art project.
Social Interaction
Even though you might be separated from your friends and family, that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected. Technology allows us to video call our loved ones at the click of a button, play games, and watch movies together. Humans are built for social interaction and a sense of community, so do whatever you can to remain part of yours.
For more mood-boosting activities, click here.
Going through hard times and having your mental health impacted is a normal part of life that everyone goes through, the important part is that you can find your way back.
These are just a few of the ways that you can improve your mental health. You are in control of your mental health; you just need to be disciplined and try as many mental health-boosting activities as possible.