In general, a lot of individuals don’t place too much emphasis on their mental health, especially when it’s not really something “concrete” as our physical health. There’s also no one way of determining mental health without going to a vetted and licensed professional hand discerning what your emotions are telling you.
In the last few months, mental health has been a pressing issue, especially for those that are just stuck at home and not doing much during their daily lives. With most individuals being depressed and unmotivated over being stuck at home or being anxious over the looming threat of a particularly contagious disease, it’s quite clear that this dip in mental health has made it difficult for most individuals to feel energized or motivated in doing anything.
Long work hours, being stuck at home, and several other inconveniences that happen daily are known for stressing us out. Still, no one wants to feel tired by the end of the day.
In general, good health will encompass all parts of the body and not just our mental health. But our mind is definitely one of the more important organs of the body, especially when we have to be emotionally and mentally sound.
Since it’s harder to discern the current state of your mental health, it’s only appropriate that we make the necessary lifestyle changes that can help improve our mental health. Not only will this help motivate us in doing our daily tasks, but this will also give us the necessary energy to tackle problems and issues that might arise.
Be Mindful of Yourself and Staying Sociable
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need, a person will have a variety of different needs, with some needs taking priority. These five basic needs will often lead to self-actualization and will help determine the identity and purpose of the individual throughout most of their life.
When one part of this hierarchy is not met, people will start looking for ways of fulfilling that particular “void” in their life. One of the most important needs is being able to belong in a certain group. In most cases, this could be the family or an organization that people can relate and belong to can increase motivation. It’s also known for being a great emotional outlet at the end of the day.
Recent studies have shown that having an active social life is great in having better physical and mental health, which can lower the risk of dementia.
Still, it’s important to get professional help when it comes to Dementia, especially when it’s more prevalent among older adults. A lot of older individuals might feel alone and “left out” when they’re just at home all the time. Fortunately, there are dementia residential care homes that are explicitly designed for older adults with mental illness.
Start Moving Those Muscles
One of the tried and tested ways of improving your overall mental and physical health would be through exercise. Certain studies have shown that individuals who take long walks will generally have better results than those who exert too much effort on their workout routine.
When you’re working in a desk job 8 hours a day, five days a week, it can cause health problems. It’s known that sitting for long periods can often lead to mental health complications, poor posture, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Muscles will also atrophy if they’re not being used. Thus, it’s only important that we prioritize exercise during our free time.
Get a Good Amount of Sleep
It’s important to stick to your sleeping schedule so that you can conserve energy without causing any imbalance in your body’s programmed circadian rhythm. The number of hours of sleep for different age groups will vary. Older adults and individuals will need a more consistent sleep schedule as the ageing process is known to disrupt serotonin in the body.
Even when you have to stay up late at night for work, an irregular sleeping pattern can cause obesity, diabetes, and depression, among other mental disorders that usually come from the lack of sleep.
Conclusion
When you’re feeling down, these key lifestyle changes can help give you the much-needed energy and motivation to power through your day while also improving both your mental and physical well-being.
Although these changes might seem small, practicing them daily can help give you a regimen and schedule that you can follow. Remember: you don’t have to push yourself too hard when you can take it slow and pace yourself. Most of these changes can slowly become a habit if you practice it daily.
Still, it’s important to learn from your shortcomings while tracking your progress. You’ll need to keep your goals in mind, especially long-term goals that you’re striving for. Not only will this give you a purpose that you can work towards, but this will also make a lasting difference in your mental health.
