As we all know, just like physical health, mental health also plays a crucial role in determining the quality of the life we lead. Therefore, it is vitally important that we pay attention to improving our mental well-being as well while trying to get out of our unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. Today while commemorating the World Mental Health Day -2021, we thought of discussing a few strategies and skills we can develop in ourselves to improve our mental well-being.
Mental health, defined as emotional, psychological, and social well-being, is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. A person with good mental health is able to realize his or her own strengths, cope with everyday stressors, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to his or her own community.
According to Mental Health America, the following are some of the strategies we can use to take care of our mental health,
· Connecting with others
· Staying positive
· Getting physically active
· Helping others
· Getting enough sleep
· Dealing better with hard times
· Creating joy and satisfaction
· Getting professional help when needed
Throughout the rest of this article, we will be discussing the above and finally, we will be touching on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our mental well-being.
Connecting with others
As social creatures, we crave being valued, supported, and connected. Research has shown that having good social connections increases the overall health of an individual and leads to a longer, more fulfilling life.
Having people who,
· you feel comfortable to be with,
· give you a sense you could tell them anything,
· can help you solve problems and take your concerns seriously,
· make you feel valued,
· would help you cope with the curveballs life throws at you, sure would make your life easier to navigate.
If you already don’t have at least a few friends or family members who you feel close to, it’s never too late to make new friends.
You could take up a class that intrigues you, join a club or two, or even volunteer at a shelter — your like-minded partners in crime might be just around the corner.
If meeting people makes you anxious or you are a shy person, working with a therapist could help you out.
Staying Positive
Although as a species we survived through the ages by constantly being on alert, to see the dangers lurking around, it is equally important nowadays to stay away from the constant negative spiral our mind can go into, if unchecked. Experts say being pessimistic can drag down our moods and even our affect our health!
When you notice you’ve been having negative thoughts:
· Take some time and envision your dreams and goals coming true. Write about a positive future you could look forward to having.
· However hard, try to find something positive regarding the situation — have you grown because of it? Are your relationships stronger now than before? Are you proud of the way you handled the situation?
· Increase your gratefulness; write a gratitude letter to someone who had been kind to you recently, and deliver in person. Keep a gratitude journal. Share your good news! Remind yourself to savour the small moments in your life.
· Ask yourself: are your negative thoughts true? Remind yourself of your achievements that would disprove your insecurities, imagine what you would tell a friend who is having the same negative thoughts, and tell yourself the same.
· Consider alternative explanations: it may be just you overthinking the situation and not really what happened.
Getting Physically Active
Exercise not only helps us to stay physically fit but also affects our moods, decreasing stress, anger, tension, anxiety, and depression. The greater sense of well-being it offers also works to brighten up our day.
If you find it difficult to commit to exercising daily, make it fun, find a friend to be your partner. You’re more likely to stick with something you enjoy. Exercising need not only be running for 30 minutes straight and doing fifty push-ups afterwards; turning on the stereo and following a dance routine will also give you that much-needed physical activity.
And of course, don’t forget to reward yourself!
Helping Others
Research shows that people who consistently help others, experience less depression, greater calm, and better health.
Doing good can make you feel good by,
· reminding you that you’re capable,
· making you feel connected to others,
· taking your mind off your worries for a while,
· making you feel generous, and
· adding a sense of purpose and meaning to your life.
Tip: You can set yourself a goal of performing 5 acts of kindness (small/big) a day and see the change for yourself.
Getting enough sleep
Poor sleep has been linked to problems such as the greater risk of depression, anxiety, increased risk of heart disease and cancer, reduced immune system functioning, etc.
If you notice the following signs, it could be that you’re not getting enough sleep.
· You are often tired
· Might have to use caffeine to get through the day
· You do not sleep well
· Even after sleeping, you wake to feel tired
· Get drowsy while driving or watching TV
If you’re finding it difficult to fall asleep, here are some of the tricks you could try:
· Setting a regular bedtime and sticking to it.
· Not taking coffee or caffeinated drinks starting six to eight hours before bed.
· Relaxing yourself by taking a hot bath, meditating, or envisioning a soothing scene while lying in bed. Finishing off your work about an hour before bedtime would also help.
· Working out also helps by relieving muscle tension. However, don’t work out right before bed as it’ll make you more alert. If you like, you could try gentle stretches to help transition to sleep.
· Making your bed a sleep haven. Don’t take work to bed. If you can’t fall asleep after 15 minutes, try playing some soothing music. However, if you continue to remain alert, getting up until you feel more tired is recommended.
Nevertheless, if you’re having sleep problems despite trying the above, it might be time to seek help from your doctor (mental health professional or medical doctor).
Developing coping skills
Having good coping skills is essential when facing the extra stressful times that are part and parcel of life.
The following are some methods you could try out, which will help you out when dealing with particularly difficult situations.
Writing it out
Writing about an upsetting event has been shown to help with feeling better. Writing organizes your thoughts and that helps to make the experience feel less chaotic. Writing also offers an emotional release and an insight into yourself.
To get into the habit of writing, you can set aside 15 minutes every day and write about your day and how you felt about the highlights of it. There’s no need to worry about the grammar nor the proper spelling as only you would be reading it.
While writing about a problem, focus on the problems involved. List as many solutions as you can think of. Do not edit at this point. Afterwards, assess your list, asking yourself how you’d like the situation to end. You can weigh the pros and the cons and see which option is likely to get you there.
Once you pick a solution, make a concrete plan to execute it. You could set yourself some specific deadlines as well. However, be mindful not to get discouraged if the first solution doesn’t give you the result you wanted. Move on to the next one.
Shifting your thinking
How much a problem upsets you and how well you tackle it depends on the way you think about it. It would help to shift your thinking away from negative thoughts and worries.
Try to become more aware of how realistic your worries are; our imaginations can sometimes run wild, imagining scenarios that will never occur. Set a time in your day to deal with negative thoughts and worries. Whenever a negative thought comes, set it aside to be dealt with at that set time. You could feel better by then. Try focusing on the good aspects of your life.
Look at tough times as opportunities to learn, grow and improve yourself.
Getting support
Sometimes some basic help can make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. Be mindful of getting emotional support as well. Expressing emotions can sometimes be healing. Consider getting professional help if you need it.
TIP: It is impossible to become skilled in all of this overnight. Being in practice is the first step to making new habits. Start small.
Creating Joy and Satisfaction
Did you know that you do not have to wait for life to bring you happiness while you passively walk through it?
In fact, you can take matters into your own hands and create joy for yourself.
You can set aside some time in your to-do-list to do something you enjoy:
· Something you loved as a kid / you’ve always wanted to do
· Pursuing a creative interest — writing, singing, etc
· Taking a walk in the nature
· Meditating or engaging in a meditative form of exercise
· Having a therapeutic massage
However, be careful not to depend on passive pursuits like watching TV for joy, as they wouldn’t offer the challenge that would spark satisfaction. If you find it really difficult to set some time aside, you can always try savouring your daily tasks more. It just might offer you the sense of pleasure you always craved.
Reaching out for help!
Mental illnesses are common but treatable; they do not discriminate: can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, financial status, sexual orientation, etc, and are nothing to be ashamed of. They are medical conditions just like diabetes and heart diseases.
Something worth noting here is that a person can experience poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness. Likewise, a person diagnosed with a mental illness can experience periods of physical, mental, and social well-being.
Either way, it is important to reach out for help when it gets overwhelming. Simultaneously, to seek help, you need not necessarily have to have a mental illness. People reach out even when they are going through a tough time and need a listening ear or just want to develop better skills to cope with their lives.
Following are some early warning signs that your mental health may be deteriorating:
· Eating or sleeping too much or too little than usual
· Pulling away from people and usual activities
· Feeling as if nothing matters / numb
· Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head
· Thinking of harming yourself or others
More often, your loved ones will notice the changes in you, as you would notice in your loved ones. If someone says so and you start noticing as well, take a moment to take care of yourself.
Following are hotlines you can use, in times of need:
Sri Lanka National Mental Health Hotline — 1926
CCC Foundation — 1333
Sumithrayo — 0112682535
Shanthi Maargam — 0717639898
Child, Adolescent & Family Services (CAFS) — 0764067004
In addition to the inequalities of employment, financial insecurity, education, and discrimination that add to our day-to-day stress, with the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, we’ve been bombarded with additional stressors as well.
Currently, many people are facing increased levels of alcohol and substance use, insomnia, and anxiety due to these.
Coping with bereavement, isolation, loss of income, fear, feeling of hopelessness, and the constant uncertainty have become a trial for all of us.
Therefore, it is important to be on the lookout for signs that you might be reaching your maximum capacity and surpassing it as it could tip you down the road of needing psychological support.
It’s always important to take a step back, take deep breaths and focus on yourself for a while when things get overwhelming.
However, make sure to reach out for help, if you need it. No one has to struggle with mental health alone.
Finally, check up on your family and friends. Be kind to yourself as well as to others. This is a time we can all use some kindness in our lives!
Article Author — Buddhima Premaratne
Editor — Janith Ittapana
References:
Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from About Mental Health: https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
Mental Health America . (n.d.). Retrieved from Why Mental Health Matters : https://www.mhanational.org/live-your-life-well
