How do you improve your mental health when stress and anxiety are seemingly around every corner? Here are eight mental health strategies to help you get out of your rut and into a sense of being renewed and refreshed.
By Guest Blogger Justin Bennett, HealthFit.info
From work and money problems to family issues, it can be a challenge to find easy ways to make positive change. There’s lots of advice out there when it comes to battling stress, but if the usual things don’t work for you, it may be time to start thinking outside the box. Today, Beyond the Rut shares a few things you can try when you’re ready to make a big difference in your mental health.
8 Mental Health Strategies
Get Rid of Bad Energy
Your home is a major source of comfort and happiness, but when it’s cluttered or the sink is full of dirty dishes, you’ll definitely feel the negative effects. Clean up, air out each room, and get things in order so you can banish any bad energy and turn your living space into a truly positive vibe that will help you focus on feeling good.
Help Others in Need
While you’re being proactive, think about how you can put that energy to good use for others. Consider forming a nonprofit corporation, which will make the process of applying for grants and other funding much easier. Just make sure you write out the bylaws by which your organization will operate, including how it’s governed and what the voting process is, how often you’ll hold board meetings, and how you’ll prevent conflicts of interest.
Take Up a Relaxing Hobby
Need something that will help you relax after a long day of working or helping others? Look for a hobby that calms and soothes, such as gardening or painting. If you enjoy singing or playing music, those are great ways to decompress when you need to put a long day behind you. If you enjoy staying active, you might take up an outdoor hobby like hiking or swimming. Try a few different activities to see which ones work best for your needs.
Change Your Diet
Activities like hiking can help both your mental and physical health, and changing up your diet is a great addition to a new routine. The goal doesn’t have to be to lose weight; there are many different foods that contribute to good brain health, such as fish, nuts, berries, and eggs. Think about what you can remove from your diet as well, such as refined sugars.
Get Better Sleep
Like the food you eat, the way you sleep has an enormous effect on all sides of your health, so it’s crucial to make sure you’re getting quality rest. Give up screens for at least an hour before bed, turn your sleeping area into a relaxing haven, and get outside for a little while every day in order to reset your body clock.
Buy Some Fish
One surprising way to get better sleep is to invest in an aquarium, which has shown positive effects when it comes to rest and stress reduction. Fish tanks have calming qualities, but if it’s outside your budget at the moment, consider heading to your local aquarium for the day and check out all the sea life it has to offer.
Note from Jerry: I keep a 10-gallon fish tank in my living room. It has aquatic plans that are relaxing to trim every couple of weeks. There is a status of Groot, yes, Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy! The tank is occupied by a betta fish named Neptune…king of the fish tank. This may be one of my favorite mental health strategies from this list.
Appease Your Inner Child
You may have loved looking at aquariums as a child, but what else brought you joy? Coloring with crayons? Jumping on a trampoline? Think of a few things you used to love doing and try them out as an adult; you may be surprised at how much they help your mental health.
Try a Weighted Blanket
Looking for the same sense of security you had as a child? Consider trying a weighted blanket, which can help individuals with anxiety and other mood disorders get better sleep and feel more relaxed after a stressful day.
Adding new activities to your routine can be stressful if you overwhelm yourself, so start small and keep in mind that you can change things up whenever you want. If one of these mental health strategies helps with both mental and physical health, even better!
Beyond the Rut will inspire you and equip you with tools and courage to pursue your dreams. Call (469) 608-0355.
Justin Bennett, [email protected]
