Better your mental health by adding and subtracting a few habits in your Daily Routine.
Mental health is still considered a taboo subject, but the fact that many influential people are talking about undergoing therapy is piquing the interest of young people to learn more about it and raise awareness.
While thinking about how to improve your mental health is important, we should also give serious consideration to whether or not your mental health is in good shape.
Let’s examine the scientific definition of mental health before learning about methods for enhancing it. According to WHO , “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community, and socio-economic development. “
We have read numerous articles on the subject of how to improve your mental health, including two, five, ten, twenty, and fifty different methods. However, very few explore deeper into the significance, science, facts, and human experience after taking those measures. As a result, we’ve narrowed it down to 5 ways that, in 99.9% of cases, will both improve your mental health and your general quality of life.
Overthink less meditate more!
Have you heard the phrase, “Meditation is the best medicine? ”If not, give it a shot. Do not rush; instead, sit down in a comfortable position. It must be comfortable, to begin with otherwise you will be distracted the entire time. Consider taking back support if necessary. No rules…!
For a relaxing experience, choose a quiet place to sit or turn on some relaxing music. Other options are the sound of birds chirping or water trickling. Just enter your preferences to find a wide range of options across numerous platforms.
Observe how you are feeling while taking regular breaths. This aids in monitoring what is happening within. After spending some time with those ideas, exhale deeply and let them go.
Bringing breathing back to normal Observe how you feel right now, then dig further into that idea to see if there is any confusion, insecurity, envy, hurt, disappointment, grief, an unresolved question, or anything else that is causing you to overthink and feel a certain way.
The key is to be completely honest with yourself and not feel bad about it. We don’t have to be perfect; nobody is. Deepen your breathing, then release that emotion. If the thought lingers, continue inhaling and exhaling until the memory begins to fade.
Now, just be. Feel the wind, listen to the music, and take note of how you’re seated. If your mind is still racing, pay attention to it. Give that thought your full attention if you find yourself thinking about it repeatedly. Examine whether it makes sense or offers some kind of theory or logic; if so, great, you have an idea; if not, take a big breath and let it go.
Meditation is more than merely pausing a thought for 10 minutes and inhaling and expelling a deep breath. When you meditate, you can examine your inner self, mend any wounds there, and find serenity. If you’re just starting, watch some guided meditation videos first. It will help you get the hang of how to do it. Keep your schedule steady; if its 10 minutes each day, do it every day. If your strategy is solid, you’ll see the change right away.
Build a Routine and stick to it!
Most people who struggle with mental health difficulties have disrupted routines. Indulging in poor eating habits, staying up late, lounging around, increased screen time, and numerous other factors.
A person who has even one or two unhealthy habits has a higher possibility of having all of the above since one habit might lead to another. A person with a routine can experience depression, but they cannot remain in it for very long, according to a medical study.
Several studies have shown that developing and sticking to a routine not only improves your mental health but also helps you manage stress, reduce substance abuse, alleviate bipolar disorder, and anxiety, promote healthy habits, and combat burnout.
How do you establish a routine?
Building a routine all at once is neither practical nor permanent. For example, say you want to make specific adjustments in your lifestyle, such as getting up in the morning, eating well, spending time with family, and so on, all at once. It’s possible, but only for a day or at the most for a week, and that too is a responsibility.
A stronger routine isn’t built that way. Add one change at a time. For example, if your priority is to get up on time, focus on that for a week or two, and then, if your body is comfortable with staying consistent, introduce the next step.
Additionally, you don’t need to be flawless every day because maintaining a schedule can be challenging on some days.
If that happens, you can always take a break and try again the following day. If you acquire this attitude, it’s guaranteed that every day will bring something new and interesting, and you’ll have plenty of time to get things done.
Weight training: Look Good Feel Good
Weightlifting, commonly referred to as strength or resistance exercise, aids in muscle growth but more importantly, it releases feel-good hormones.
According to a study, lifting heavy weights releases the body’s natural levels of the feel-good hormones dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, as well as dopamine, which is also linked to learning, memory, and motor system function (a component of the nervous system that controls voluntary movement). Endorphins are the body’s natural painkiller.
Let’s explore some of the many advantages of weight training:
Boosts creativity, memory, productivity, attention, self-confidence (when you change the appearance of your body, you know it’s due to your hard work, which boosts self-confidence and a lot of mental strength), positive self-talk, better body image, boost mind and body connection, and brain capacity regardless of where your mental health journey began. According to professional research.
It removes mental fog, enhances concentration, reduces stress, and teaches the brain (when you hold a posture until your muscles give out, you know you can do anything! which reflects in your regular activities.) If you conduct the training among others, you will develop social connections too.
Eat clean 4 Days a week
Eat healthy at least four days a week; there is a difference between eating healthy and dieting. By “clean eating,” we mean eating nutritious, home-cooked food that is well-balanced and contains the recommended amounts of carbs, protein, fiber, and vitamins. The ideal diet includes the right amounts of micro and macronutrients for your body and mind to grow.
Pre Breakfast – 2 glasses of water, Coconut water, Amla aloe vera juice, soaked nuts
Breakfast – Vermicelli, Oats, Poha, Besan chilla, Eggs
Lunch – 2 wheat Roti, any vegetable (rajma, chole, paneer, spinach, tofu), lassi, salad
Evening snack – Chana chat, Roasted makhana with tea or coffee
Dinner – 2 roti, paneer, sauteed mixed veggies, dal
Post dinner – Haldi milk
The meal plan above is simply an example; there is no requirement that you follow it exactly. You should always experiment with your diet to see whether it improves your day-to-day mood and activities or has a negative impact. Keep in mind that because our bodies are so varied from one another, something that may be beneficial to you may be harmful to my body. As a result, always pay attention to what you are eating and how it affects your body.
Since our bodies are formed of protein, it is advised to consume a high-protein diet. However, in actual human experience, each body reacts differently to protein, and for some people, it might cause bloating or gastric discomfort.
Nutritionists recommend including some protein in your meals since it helps your body’s muscles grow and stay healthy. However, bodybuilders need more protein than an average person who engages in typical activities. If your daily routine involves high-intensity work, your body may respond differently than someone who engages in low to moderate-intensity activities.
The easiest approach to determine how much protein your body needs is to speak with a nutritionist and follow their advice rather than relying just on what you read or see online.
Nature – Your Best therapist
When nothing makes sense, take a walk in nature. You have no idea how everything changes the instant you step out of your house, if not! Simply be present where you are and look around, notice people, plants, animals, and whatever else is there, and leave your phone at home.
Why? Since you might receive a crucial call and pick up despite your best efforts to avoid doing so. Although you are in nature, because you are not present in the moment, you will not enjoy the soothing sense that generally follows time spent in nature.
Be honest about how much time you or your child spends in front of screens each day. Today’s generation experiences mental health issues more frequently than folks from the 1980s and the early 1990s.
Modern technology could promise to make your life simpler, but in reality, it leads to a paralyzed style of living, as this global trend of urban living forces us to spend more time indoors than outdoors. Humans frequently forget that we are a byproduct of nature, and hence exposure to nature has numerous benefits such as enhanced mood, improved focus, reduced stress, and a lower chance of mental disorders. So, when things get tough, call on Mother Nature’s healing power.
Even spending time with animals might help you feel calmer. Nature can be your finest therapist or companion. To make your life worth living, make a conscious effort to spend at least 30 minutes outside.
Research shows, those who are more in tune with nature feel positive emotions like joy, relaxation, creativity, and concentration and have incredibly low risks of suffering from poor mental health, depression, or anxiety.
