Ms. Shourya Gupta
It is a well known fact that lifestyle factors affect our mental health. But the changeable lifestyle factors that influence our mental health are not always talked about. Even those who do not have a mental health condition may still need these ways to further improve their mood, reduce stress, and manage their day-to-day mental health. It can be empowering to make such small and meaningful life changes.
Here are a few lifestyle changes to get you started in order to take care of your mental health:
1. Improve your diet
There are certain mineral rich food items which have a relation in regulating the chemicals in the brain, such as leafy green vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, yellow fruits like banana and papaya and seafood provide nutrients that are important for optimal brain function. Foods rich in polyphenols, such as berries, tea, dark chocolate, wine and certain herbs, also play an important role in brain function. Thus, intake of such food items will help you regulate your mood and behaviour.
2. Start moving
The general exercise guidelines recommend doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity everyday. But even short bouts of activity can provide an immediate elevation of mood.
In terms of exercise, many types of fitness activities are potentially beneficial for elevating your mood such as dancing, swimming, jogging, lifting weights, playing sports or even just getting your body moving by taking a brisk walk or doing active household chores. These activities also give you a sense of achievement and motivation, which combats with the mental health difficulties.
3. Reduce substance intake
Managing problem-drinking or substance misuse is an obvious health recommendation. People with alcohol and drug problems have a greater likelihood than average of having a mental illness, and have far poorer health outcomes.
Smoking cessation is also an important step, as nicotine-addicted people are constantly at the mercy of a withdrawal-craving cycle, which profoundly affects mood. It may take time to address the initial symptoms of stopping nicotine, but the brain chemistry will adapt in time. Quitting smoking is associated with better mood and reduced anxiety.
4. Prioritize rest and sleep
Over-working and not taking enough rest and sleep can affect your mental health in many ways. So, making it a priority is a must. One must take around 6 to 8 hours of sleep in a day.
If you have problems related to your sleep like insomnia or disturbed sleep cycle then refer to our article on sleep hygiene – https://sochpositive.com/a-guide-to-sleep-hygiene/ . Sleep hygiene techniques aim to improve sleep quality and help treat insomnia. They include adjusting caffeine use, limiting exposure to the bed, limiting exposure to light during the night time, staying away from gadgets a few hours before going to bed and making sure you get up at a similar time in the morning everyday. All this will increase the secretion of melatonin, which helps you get to sleep.
5. Get a dose of nature
Activities which involve exposure to nature can potentially increase mental well-being. An adequate exposure to sunshine helps levels of the mood-regulating chemical, serotonin. It also boosts vitamin D levels, which also has an effect on mental health, and helps at the appropriate time to regulate our sleep-wake cycle.
Activities like gardening or just taking a walk in a lush green garden can help to boost your mood. And a natural extension of spending time in flora is also the positive effect that animals have on us. Researches suggest having a pet and spending time with them has many positive effects and may also boost feelings of well-being.
6. Prioritize Self-Care
Getting enough time for relaxation and leisure activities on a daily basis is important for regulating stress. Taking out time for your self-care is very important for your mental health. This can include any activity that makes you feel happy and relaxed, for example, cooking, baking, drawing, painting, spending time with family and friends, taking a hot water bath, taking a spa session, playing with children or a pet animal, learning a new skill, journaling your thoughts, reading your favourite book, playing your favourite game or watching your favourite movie.
7. Reach out to someone when you need help
Do not keep your mental health issues under wraps, share your feelings and emotions with a friend or a family member and remember that these positive lifestyle changes are not a replacement for medication or psychological therapy. If you feel that your mental health issues are affecting your personal and professional lives and you need a comprehensive intervention for it then do not shy away from seeking help of a mental health professional.
