Over the last few years, the need to take care of our mental health has become more and more apparent. But what exactly does caring for your mental well-being mean, why is it so important, and how do you do it?
Our mindsets reflect our lives, so if we want to live a beautiful life filled with joy, purpose, and meaning, we must work to cultivate a robust, healthy mind.
In this article, I'm sharing the top do's and don'ts of protecting your mental health.
Why Is It Important To Nurture Our Mental Health?
Our mental health consists of our behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. To sustain a good mindset where we can enjoy life and move towards our goals, we must protect ourselves from negative influences (external or internal) that lead to self-criticism and self-sabotaging behaviors.
Moreover, as our minds and bodies are interlinked, mental health issues can lead to physical illness. For example, it is well known that chronic high stress causes high blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Thus, protecting our mental health is not just about increasing our energy and mood (which is crucial in itself). It's also about protecting ourselves from life-threatening health conditions further down the line.
Mental Health Do’s
1. Start A New Hobby
Pursuing hobbies and interests has many incredible mental health benefits;
- It keeps our stress levels in check
- It brings healthy challenges that stretch our minds
- It opens us up to new perspectives
- It increases social interaction.
So if you feel like life isn't moving forwards, add some more joy and purpose to your day by doing something you've always wanted to do. It could be learning a new language, starting cooking classes, dancing, joining a meditation group, or anything else.
2. Declutter your home
Have you ever heard the phrase "cluttered home, cluttered mind"? Studies have shown that living in a messy, disorderly space negatively impacts mental health, increasing stress levels and reducing focus, among other things.
Aside from making things cleaner and tidier, throw out anything you don't need. We all hold onto things we have no use for, such as clothes we haven't worn for years but don't want to throw away in case "someday" we decide to wear them!
Letting go of possessions doesn't just free up space in your home but also in your mind! This is because each physical possession is another attachment, and as Buddhism teaches, the more attachments we have, the more suffering we create for ourselves.
3. Prioritize your sleep
Sleep is essential for many things; having enough energy to get through the day, maintaining cognitive skills like memory and attention, and allowing our bodies to carry out their natural functions like digestion and healing.
Numerous studies have also found that lack of sleep often leads to:
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- And other mental health disorders
So one of the simplest steps you can take to protect your mental health is to go to bed one hour earlier each night.
Mental Health Don'ts
1. Don’t spend all day on the couch
When you're feeling low, it's so easy to waste all weekend horizontal on the couch watching an entire Netflix series (or two!) While this may make you feel slighter better at that moment, it does nothing to improve your mental health.
So even if you don't feel like it, force yourself to get up and go out. Go for a walk, meet a friend for coffee, or read a book in the park. It doesn't matter what you do; just don't remain a couch potato!
2. Don’t binge eat
One self-sabotaging behavior many people battle with is binge eating. When we're feeling stressed or anxious, it's so tempting to comfort eat. And our minds are always there, ready to give 100 reasons why we should order that pizza, burger, and ice cream - it's been a long week, we've been through a lot, etc.
However, while fatty, sugary foods feel comforting for those few minutes we consume them, it doesn't take long for that feeling to wear off. After which, we're left feeling much worse (cue the self-loathing).
However, eating healthy even when you feel down will increase your feelings of self-worth, one of the key components to developing a strong and healthy mindset.
Final Thoughts On How To Protect Your Mental Health
Decluttering our living and working space, getting extra sleep, eating well, and staying busy with hobbies are just a few self-care activities vital to protecting our mental health. They help us manage our stress and anxiety and take time for ourselves, which nourishes and strengthens our minds.