Tips to Improve Mental Health

"Hello, Jarvis! Have you got the emotions report for today?"

"Yes. You are going to be 53% joyous, 23% sad, and 24% reminiscent. In addition, there are some other minor emotions present, but not worth mentioning."

"That's interesting. I can't deal with that percent of sadness today though. Switch it to determination and the rest is fine."

"Will do. Implementing into your subconscious right now."

It sure would be nice if we could program ourselves to feel a certain way each and every day and not have to worry about our mental health. Unfortunately, Life is not that straightforward. Just as the ocean wanes and ebbs at the bid of the moon, our mental health can fluctuate similarly and is largely dependent on things seemingly out of reach. Our mental health has a lot to do with our subconscious minds and our thoughts, together these influence the view through which we see the world and the interactions we have with others. Taking care of your mental health is a top priority, as it is a very important facet of overall health.

Here are some practices and activities that I like to do myself and can help improve mental health.

Journaling- This is my personal favorite and it is something I try to do every day. At the end of each day, I will grab a journal and I will write about my day. Some days I will have a lot to say and my entry will scope multiple pages and other days I will have very little to say and barely fill up a page. It is all dependent on how you felt that day and what you experienced. I enjoy journaling because it allows me to get my thoughts and feelings onto a page and out of my head. In my experience, it helps me relieve feelings of stress and anxiety. What is therapy but just talking out your own issues? In addition, journaling is very versatile and it does not have to be limited to an end-of-the-day synopsis. I also like to journal about my goals and the timeline of which I hope to achieve them. Furthermore, I also like to journal about past experiences and instances that still hold strong emotions. This helps me dissipate these unwavering emotions and leave things in the past. Journaling is a great tool to deal with past and current emotions and become mindful of your own mental health.

Exercise- Exercise is another great way to improve mental health. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression and help improve self-esteem. Personally, I try to get some form of exercise every single day and is an essential practice for maintaining my mental health. I enjoy having a commitment and seeing it through every day. I have committed myself to going to the gym 5-6 times a week and I get a sense of accomplishment by holding myself accountable to this. Not to mention, it is beneficial for my physical health. In addition, being able to see your own self-growth and progression is great for your mental health. It is a great feeling to see improvements in your body and strength which come as a direct result of your dedication and willpower. For these reasons, exercise is a great way to improve your mental health.

Meditation- Another great way to improve mental health is meditation. I have talked about meditation multiple times on my blog already, but even so, I would be doing a disservice by not communicating the importance of meditation every chance I get. I like to do a 10 to 15-minute meditation every morning, typically in the first hour after I wake up. To do this, I sit down in a comfortable position, and for the allotted time, I attempt to control my breathing pattern by becoming absorbed in the heave and ho of my diaphragm. I am human though and I oftentimes lose my focus on the breath and instead focus on my thoughts. The main purpose of meditation is to become aware of when this loss of focus occurs and to practice bringing your awareness back to your breath. For me, meditation helps alleviates the stress and anxiety I might be feeling. Also, It helps me realize when my thoughts are creating the narrative and that to become better than my thoughts I must live in the moment. Meditation is not just a practice you do when you have time to waste, rather it can become a way of life that helps nurture self-awareness and control. It will become a tool that is available to you.

Eating healthy- The last tip I have for this blog is to sustain a well-balanced and healthy diet. Eating healthy has a lot of impact on mental health and can even help with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Eating a diet that is high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is great for brain and body health. Furthermore, eating healthy creates a healthy gut microbiome which communicates with the brain through the gut-brain axis. It is crazy to think that little bacteria in our stomachs can influence our brains, and by eating healthy and creating a good microbiome we can improve our mental health. I will admit that I regularly struggle with my diet, but I can attest to feeling better when I eat better. I think the most imperative thing for a good diet is to completely ditch processed foods and try to eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible. This has helped me improve my mental health and is a great commitment to start.

I hope these tips and tools can help you improve your mental health.