Supporting your mental health and wellbeing isn’t just a one-time task or something you should do when a crisis occurs. It should instead be an ongoing commitment to yourself. Just as you would with your physical health, mental health should be treated the same. It should be nurtured through commitment, awareness, habits, and support. In a fast-paced world, there are constant demands and a constant need to hustle. Prioritizing your mental well-being is an essential part of being happy, resilient, and balanced in life.
Mental health and well-being are closely linked. Mental health in this context refers to the psychological, emotional, and cognitive state. Wellbeing is often referred to as your overall quality of life, including your self-esteem, purpose, and relationships. When you are working on them both together, you can support yourself psychologically, improve your wellbeing, better cope with stress, have healthy relationships, and feel fulfilled in life. When you know the connection, you can start to take positive action towards your goals.
To help you on your journey to supporting your mental health and wellbeing, here are some important things to consider.
Nutrition
Food is one of the most important things that impacts your mental health, but often the quickest to be neglected. Fast food and processed food are just too convenient and cheap, and have become the building blocks of diets today. However, when you base your diet on processed junk food, you are not getting the right nutrients into your body, which can impact your mental health and your well-being. Incorporate whole foods and vegetables, cook food fresh, and consider how a paleo diet may support your journey.
Building daily habits
Your habits are going to define your future self. Small habits can have a huge impact on your mental health. Regular routines can provide you with predictability, a basic human need, and support focus and reduce anxiety. Prioritize quality sleep at night, stay hydrated, and move your body every day. This can all contribute to your emotional stability. Even practices like going out into nature are going to be important. Consider where you spend your time and energy, and review what needs changing. One bad habit that can be very harmful is high social media use.
Seek support when challenges arise
Many people think it is not okay to ask for help when needed. However, humans are social creatures, and community is a part of life. It is important to recognize when you need additional support and how to ask for it. Seeking help is not a weakness, which is the first and important mindset shift to make.
For some people, there may be an underlying condition that may impact daily life, such as anxiety disorders, depression, or neurodevelopmental differences. For example, seeking a private adult adhd assessment can provide clarity, validation, and access to the right treatments.
When you can understand how your brain works and what daily things you are doing that are helpful and unhelpful to your mental health, you can more easily support yourself.
Want to unlock greater wellness?
Listen to our friends over at the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast to unlock your best self with Dr. John Lieurance; Founder of MitoZen; creators of the ZEN Spray and Lumetol Blue™ Bars with Methylene Blue.
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