Lifestyle Factors to Manage Mental Health

What are the different lifestyle factors available for you to manage your mental health? 

No two minds are exactly the same, and so it’s true that mental health maintenance is not something that can be perfectly applied from person to person. However, anyone well versed in mental health science shows that struggles are not uniquely yours, and that you’re never truly alone in terms of the struggles you go through. This inspires hope for change and recovery, and at the very least, careful maintenance of your mental state.

Of course, if you feel you need expert analysis and medical treatment, be sure to visit your Doctor without delay. There is zero shame in it. In fact, this defines you as a brave, courageous person who deserves care - which you are, through and through.

It can also be that once going through this process, you adopt a range of lifestyle measures that can help you manage your mental health as well as possible, even if recovery or personal care isn’t linear in its progress. In this post, we will focus on the measures everyone can take, and avoid specific advice given to you by your mental health professional, such as remembering to take medication if necessary. Always defer to them as the absolute authority.

Without further ado, let’s begin:

Appropriate Exercise

It’s good to get exercise. While physical health is not always a predictor of mental health, it’s true to say that it can help. The mind/body connection is deep, and so it’s essential to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Remember, you don’t have to lift weights or commit to heavy cardio to be fit, doing what you can and what is appropriate to you is important.

For some, this may involve walking through the local park each morning, getting out in nature, performing yoga, or simply doing some home exercises such as pressups, situps, and planks. Appropriate exercise can help you feel much more yourself, much more awake, much more inspired, and much more connected. It can help you relieve your stress, and feel more motivated, inspired and stable. In that context, you’re much more able to flourish as you deserve to.

Good Sleep

Sleep is one of the most nourishing self-care practices to get right, as without it, it’s quite easy to feel somewhat put-out and more unstable than you could otherwise be. Sleep helps nourish our minds, our bodies, and our outlook. It helps us feel more relaxed, and energetic throughout the day.

Great sleep entails practicing great sleep hygiene. This means making sure your sleeping environment is a good temperature (including having the right amount of blankets or ventilation depending on the season), and it means keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. If you live in a noisy area, you might decide to wear memory foam earplugs in order to help you sustain your sleep habits. In this way, you’ll be better off. 

Relying On Your Social Circle

It’s always worth relying on your social circle if you can, because they are most likely to aid you when you’re encountering a problem and may be in need of help. Relying on your social circle can not only help you feel more open about admitting you need help, but a healthy social life can keep you balanced and supported.

Of course, this means ensuring your social circle is supportive and full of people who truly care for and can trust. Even if this is just one person, you can see a real difference when you feel allied in this way, and help them through their troubles, too. In case you feel that no one understands the troubles you’re going through, feeling somewhat supported can be as simple as reading these words of encouragement for depression, which showcase that no one is above needing help from time to time.

Using A Routine To Help You

Using a routine to help you is of course a good idea, but it’s easy to forget why. Waking up at the same time and going to bed at a regular time can help you feel more energized, but so can having a morning self-care ritual.

This might involve showering and stretching after drying yourself off, meditating each morning, taking your dog for a walk, and eating a healthy breakfast. Then, no matter what, you have woken with a sense of possibility and awareness, and you’re much more likely to look forward to the future feeling confident and able. Routines can help us build momentum positively, and that means more than you think.

With this advice, we hope you can make the most of lifestyle factors that will truly help you manage your mental health.

This is a partnered post.