5 Tips to Improve Mental Health
May is coming to an end, but I wanted to chime in with a quick blog since May is Mental Health Awareness Month to talk a little about mental health especially with the recent teen suicide epidemic in Grand Junction.
Our mental health is vitally important to our overall wellbeing, but it often gets overlooked. We live in a country where physical health is given priority. Going to the doctor for some physical complaint is no big deal. Going to a counselor regarding mental health struggles can feel stigmatizing and shameful. Our mental health is impacted by a variety of factors and when even one mind, body or spirit factor is out of whack we can feel "off." Here are 5 tips to help you improve your mental health and identify when talking to a counselor could help.
1. Eat Regular Meals. This may seem silly, but I wanted to start out with an "easy" one. The first thing you can do to improve your mental health is taking care of your most basic need by eating. This means sitting down to eat regular meals ideally without doing anything else - not driving, not working, not watching TV etc. When we give ourselves the time to sit and eat without distraction we can eat more mindfully and tune into our bodily signals of hunger and fullness more easily thus simultaneously caring for our most basic need. We don't function well if we don't have enough food. Food provides the nourishment and energy we need to do life. Eat foods that are exciting to you. Taking breaks during the day to eat allow you to recharge and honor your body, mind and spirit.
2. Get enough sleep. This ties into our first tip in that we often are over-scheduled and do not give ourselves even enough time to even sleep. Without enough sleep lets face it we all know we don't function well. We aren't our clearest or best self. We need to make time for rest and aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Listen to your body and honor the amount of rest your body needs - it will tell you! Try to turn off all screens an hour before bed to allow your mind to wind down. Make sure your bedroom is peaceful, comfortable and cool enough for a good nights rest. Lastly, schedule a bedtime and stick to it like you would any other appointment. Lack of sleep can greatly impact both our physical and mental health.
3. Be aware of life balance and healthy boundaries. Because our mental health is complex and influenced by a variety of different factors I wanted to address two topics that come up often in my work with clients. The first is making sure you aren't too busy, overcommitted in your schedule or working too much. Our American culture prides itself on work, but working can become detrimental to our mental health if we are working too much and not giving ourselves enough time to rest. Plan vacations even if they're stay-cations or something simple like going to the mountains. Don't let your employee vacation time run out before using it and take the time to rest. Second, is creating healthy boundaries in your life with family and friends. Relationships can be difficult and we can find our mental health being influenced by relational boundaries being crossed. If you find yourself fixating and becoming frustrated with specific relationships in your life it could be that a boundary of some kind is needed. Think about how you could communicate your boundary clearly to this person so you can find the freedom you are looking for. Look for a future blog about boundaries because I think they are a really big deal!
4. Engage with people. When we are isolated we are likely not happy and living our best life. Isolation increases the risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety. We were created to be in relationship with each other. Technology presents us with a false sense of community, where we feel somewhat connected, but we are still isolated. Being in relationships where we can be vulnerable and talk about our deepest struggles is healing, freeing and necessary. Make spending time with people a priority - even if it's just 1 or 2 close friends or family members.
5. Get help. If you are wondering if depression, anxiety or any other mental health struggle is taking over and leaving you depleted, exhausted, overwhelmed and discouraged then maybe seeing a counselor would be beneficial. Be aware of depression symptoms including: changes in sleep, appetite and energy, lack of energy, pervasive feelings of sadness, helplessness or hopelessness, thoughts of suicide and overwhelming thoughts. Getting counseling can feel extremely overwhelming and intimidating, but the right counselor can make you feel heard and validated as well as give you the tools you might need to move through difficult times.
Taking care of our mental health is equally as important as taking care of our physical health. I hope these 5 tips help you take a quick inventory on if you are giving your mental health the care it needs. These may seem basic - but I find in working with clients it is most often our basic needs that are being neglected and therefore greatly decreasing our mental health wellbeing. We so easily put the needs of others before ourselves, which in reality isn't a sustainable way of life. Make your mental health and wellbeing a priority! If you are struggling with any of the tips above reach out and get help you - will be grateful you did!
In Health,
Chelsea
Encounter Counseling offers in-person counseling in Grand Junction and telehealth counseling state-wide in Colorado including Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs.
