If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… right? Do not! One of the best methods of mental health recovery is to maintain an environment that is conducive to recovery from mental health and mental illness. Staying mentally healthy is a way of life, not something you do when things start to go wrong. Read on for the top 10 tips to stay mentally healthy! Remember sometimes, the best treatment is prevention.
For some great cutting-edge research in addition to the tips below, check out the publications from the Denver Center for Mental Health’s Research and Evaluation Team.
1) Stay physically active: The human mind evolved in an environment that requires one to travel the equivalent of 12 miles a day to survive (and no, that doesn’t mean getting in the car and crushing it!). Recent research has shown that increased physical activity can actually create new brain cells (once considered a static number), which explains why it is strongly recommended to almost all mental health care consumers at facilities like MHCD start an exercise regiment immediately.
2) Stay socially active: We are social creatures, so one’s support network, be it family or friends, is of immense importance to one’s overall well-being. Of course, it’s okay to spend a few nights alone, but don’t stay cooped up. Go out, keep your social relationships strong.
3) Get a hobby – Find something creative that you want to do just for yourself. Depending on what you choose, a hobby can be a great avenue to sports clubs, night classes at a local college, or staying physically active; Plus, if it’s something you enjoy, it’ll be a lot easier to stick with!
4) Reflect on yourself: You know those few nights a week where I said it was okay to just have one night to yourself? Should! Read a good book, walk your dog, just think things through. Examine where you are in life, where you want to be, and where you came from. Be honest and complimentary with yourself. You are a brave and amazing person, so act like it 🙂
5) Play – Play is tremendously important to staying mentally healthy. Taking time to just have fun can recharge your battery, reinvigorate your social networks, and reduce stress/anxiety.
6) Maintain a healthy diet: This goes hand in hand with staying active. Stay healthy, both in terms of exercise and diet. Now don’t go crazy here, you don’t want to feel miserable being the food police, just be aware of what’s going on in your body. And give yourself some leg room to cheat once a week or so!
7) Set goals: When people feel down, aimless, or like they’re just going through the motions, it’s often because they lack an overall direction. Set realistic goals for yourself so that you are continually aiming for something, this is a practice known as positive dissonance (you are constantly reaching for a new goal you set, therefore always pushing yourself harder and harder, even if you achieve a goal in the path ). However, it is important not to push this too far and find no joy in exceeding a given sub-target; this will prove to demoralize the individual. You should celebrate your successes! Each and every one of them, and then strive to be even better. Once you reach your goal, set another one to go even further! This will constantly push you forward, give you something to celebrate as you reach your goals, and increase your overall level of content and mental health.
8) Balance free time: this is very important! Don’t let yourself lie in front of the TV. That is actually conducive to depressive environments. Relax, watch TV, read a book, go for a walk, spend time on your hobby. Do it all, not just one of them.
9) Examine your locus of control: In the midst of your self-reflections, it’s important to examine where your locus of control is. Are you blaming everyone else for things? Or are you taking all the blame? Nothing is one-sided, remember that. Especially if your depression is centered around relationship problems. Think about what you really did, what others really did, accept that that was in the past and that the best thing you can do now is learn from it and live to never make that mistake again!
10) Don’t be afraid to seek help: It’s a huge shame that seeking mental health professionals in the United States has become a taboo or secret endeavor! If you are concerned about your mental health, you should be proud of yourself for working to improve yourself. If you are in the general area, I would recommend a recovery based treatment facility such as Denver Mental Health Center or MHCD. The only shame in finding help is not getting help when you can benefit from it!