Mental health is one of the most crucial aspects of a person's health and well-being and holds equal importance to physical health. Poor mental health often leads to physical illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke, heart disease, and even cancer. However, you can prevent the above consequences by taking good care of your mental health. We’ve listed down some simple yet effective tips to take care of your mental health, which in turn will improve overall health as well. Keep scrolling to learn more. 

Why is Mental Health So Important?

Emotional and mental health are crucial in life. It impacts your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. It can also affect your physical health. As the mind and body are connected, many mental ailments causing stress, depression, etc., can affect the immune system, inviting frequent sickness and illnesses. It can also lead to high blood pressure and/or heart rate, heart disease, obesity, and gastrointestinal issues.

Also, mental health affects the way you see life. Lack of proper treatment can lead to a lack of interest in life, hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, and fear. So, to prevent all of this from happening and have dominion over life and emotions, mental health and mental health care are important.

5 Tips for Improved Mental Health

  1. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is something you need not only to rest physically but also mentally. A lack of it can put you at risk of developing several mental health issues. According to studies, insomnia is linked to depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. That is why, if you want to avoid any health issues, you have to get a good 7 hours of deep sleep. If you find it difficult to get some shut eye at night, you can add these tips to your daily routine: -

• Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day.
• Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m.
• Make sure your bedroom is clean, calm, relaxing, and quiet.
• Avoid screen time for at least 2 hours before going to bed.

If you are unable to sleep due to stress or for any other reason, try meditation. You can also opt for supplements consisting of Melatonin, L-theanine, and vitamin B6 for insomnia relief and to calm the mind for better sleep.

   2. Strengthen Your Relationships

Having strong and healthy relationships with friends, family, and even pets can positively influence your mental health. Feel free to talk to anyone you trust about how you feel if you are struggling with something. It will help boost positive feelings in you and fight off anxiety and depression before they get worse. 

A study was done to analyze the connection between relationship quality and mental health during the pandemic. The results revealed that on every mental health scale, those with bad relationships did significantly worse. Individuals with good relationships had better mental health.

Remember, the quality of relationships is more important than quantity. If you have no friends or family and cannot afford pet care, you can socialise by volunteering with a variety of community organizations. You can also consult a therapist.

  3.  Exercise  

Exercise is known to be a stress buster. It benefits your mental health by lifting your mood and helping you manage symptoms of anxiety and depression to help you fall asleep faster. Just 20 to 40 minutes of cardio can reduce anxiety and lift your spirits for several hours.

When you exercise, you release endorphins. These endorphins release the feelings of happiness and euphoria. Physical movement or exercise can also reduce stress and reverse stress-related damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones that improve your mood and cognition.

Last but not least, exercising will improve your stamina and might help you lose weight if you are struggling with excessive weight gain. And all of that will add to your self-esteem and even help you sleep better at the end of the day. 

Here are some simple and interesting exercises you can try:

• Walking/jogging/ running 
• Hiking or trekking
• Try seated exercises
• Yoga
• Swimming

  4.  Better Eating Habits

Your diet has a direct impact on your mental health. Research says your brain needs ample nutrients to function, just like the other organs of the body. And when your diet lacks those nutrients, mental health issues can arise. This is due to the brain-gut axis. 

Your gut, or gastrointestinal system, is closely associated with the brain. The gut is home to several microbes that play several roles and functions for the body, like synthesizing neurotransmitters and sending chemical messages to the brain, regulating mood, sleep, appetite, etc. Here's how you can regulate your diet to better your mental health:

• Try to limit your alcohol, sugary foods, and caffeine intake. These substances increase anxiety symptoms.
• Consume more fruits and vegetables. A study found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and legumes and low in processed foods and red meat was related to a reduced risk of depression.
• Say no to fried foods, baked goods, sweetened beverages, and processed meats.
• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration robs your brain and body of the necessary nutrients needed to function at an optimum level. 

  5.  Get Some Sunlight

Sunshine is the best and most natural source of vitamin D. Adequate levels of Vitamin D in the body help improve mood. A deficiency of the same vitamin can lead to fatigue, anxiety, hopelessness, and mood changes.

Studies prove that vitamin D improved symptoms of depression and had a positive impact on the overall well-being of the participants. A lack of vitamin D brings not only depression but also anxiety. Therefore, make sure you take at least 5–10 minutes for yourself to get some sunshine, as it can do a lot for your mental health. You can also add vitamin D3 supplements to your daily diet in order to get the necessary nutrients your body lacks and help counter any deficiencies.

Wrapping Up

Your mental health can worsen or improve the quality of your life. So, make sure to take good care of it. These strategies can help you improve your mental health. However, it is always better to consult a therapist to figure out the root cause.

References 

• Scott AJ, Webb TL, Martyn-St James M, Rowse G, Weich S. Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep Med Rev. 2021 Dec;60:101556. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556. Epub 2021 Sep 23. PMID: 34607184; PMCID: PMC8651630. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34607184/ 

• Fang H, Tu S, Sheng J, Shao A. Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment. J Cell Mol Med. 2019 Apr;23(4):2324-2332. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.14170. Epub 2019 Feb 7. PMID: 30734486; PMCID: PMC6433686. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6433686/ 

• Gómez-Pinilla F. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 Jul;9(7):568-78. doi: 10.1038/nrn2421. PMID: 18568016; PMCID: PMC2805706. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/ 

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• Huang Q, Liu H, Suzuki K, Ma S, Liu C. Linking What We Eat to Our Mood: A Review of Diet, Dietary Antioxidants, and Depression. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019 Sep 5;8(9):376. doi: 10.3390/antiox8090376. PMID: 31491962; PMCID: PMC6769512. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769512/ 

• Ljungberg T, Bondza E, Lethin C. Evidence of the Importance of Dietary Habits Regarding Depressive Symptoms and Depression. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 2;17(5):1616. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17051616. PMID: 32131552; PMCID: PMC7084175. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7084175/ 

• Menon V, Kar SK, Suthar N, Nebhinani N. Vitamin D and Depression: A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence and Future Directions. Indian J Psychol Med. 2020 Jan 6;42(1):11-21. doi: 10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_160_19. PMID: 31997861; PMCID: PMC6970300. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6970300/