Rarely are we able to gauge the wear-and-tear our body and mind go through, as we all are busy building our careers, relationships and lives? In our quest to have perfect professional and personal lives, we face many problems here and there, and most of the time, we are left too tired; physically as well as mentally, to even see how we are not LIVING, but just surviving or more so, just running in the competition.
To be able to live a happy and peaceful life, not only do we need a healthy body, but also a healthy state of mind. Only when we are mentally healthy, can we face all the challenges of life with confidence. On this World Mental Health Day, we are going to give you some easy-to-follow tips, with which you can ensure that you have a healthy state of mind, which in turn will go a long way in making sure that you live a healthy and happy life.
1. Taking care of yourself
Well, this one is a must. We all are responsible for taking care of ourselves, but sometimes, most of us forget about it while dealing with the issues of life or while taking care of others. Think about it, if you yourself are not going to do things to have a happy life, why should anyone else even bother about it? And frankly, it’s not really that difficult a job; you basically need to have an active life and you should have a balanced diet as well. With just these things taken care of, you can have a great start to having a healthy body, and a healthy body is very crucial to having a healthy state of mind. So, take the first steps, and see the difference.
2. Maintaining strong and meaningful relationships
A human being is a social being, and he needs good relations with others to be able to have a happy mind. When we are faced with problems, it is this circle of close relations that help us in coming out of our shell. Recognize the people who love you genuinely for who you are, and invest your time and efforts in keeping these people close to you, because they are the ones who will dance with you when you succeed and also cry with you when you fall down, but they will never let you quit. Is this not what we all need in our lives, something or someone to help us keep going!
3. Enjoyment time
YEAH, this one is needed and that too frequently, if you ever want to have good mental health. Take up anything which takes your mind away from the daily drama of life and give yourself time and permission to enjoy what you love doing. It can be painting a modern art piece (at least you would love and understand that work), or a walk down the park, or watching that latest movie with your favourite actor, just about anything.
4. Dealing with stress
No matter how far we want to run away from stress, we usually find ourselves all tangled up with some of the other stressful situations. One of the best things you can learn in life is to how to deal with stress. Our reaction under stressful circumstances can make or break our life because if you get too hassled with a problem at hand, your body will react accordingly and that is something which can be dangerous as high blood pressure and heart issue can anytime go out of control. Learn to recognize the triggers of stress and try to be prepared to handle them. If you feel distressed and are not able to handle it, then do relaxation breathing, yoga or meditation. And if you feel nothing is working, then take professional help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking the help of an expert, for they will give the correct and exact methods to deal with your stress.
5. Help out others
Being able to help others makes us feel good about ourselves and make us feel that we too have a special place in this world. Volunteering for a cause which you believe can make you win the hearts and smiles of the people involved, and trust me, there is nothing as satisfying as being happy by seeing someone else happy.
6. Have goals in life
Life can be pretty boring if we do not challenge ourselves to learn something new. You can easily take up goals that you want to achieve and this will help in improving your mental fitness. You may want to lose some pounds, try out something creative in your work field or maybe try to cook something new, it can really be just about anything, as long as it challenges you to progress in life.
7. Talk about your feelings
Talking to others about your feelings is something that you should consider doing, especially when you are feeling low in life. Keeping things in your head can wreak havoc on your mental health. Sharing your feelings will not only make you feel light-hearted but will also give the other person the confidence that even he can share his problems with you. One of the easiest ways to talk about your feelings is to talk when you and your loved ones are a little engaged in some activity so that the other person is not scared as soon as you say, “I need to tell you something.”
8. Accept yourself
Sadly, many of us are constantly trying to be something we are not. Not everybody is built the same way, and we all need to understand that we are who we are. Yes, of course, we want to improve ourselves, but that should never mean that we set unrealistic expectations in our minds because if we do, then we will only face disappointment and that can definitely destroy our mental health. To be able to enjoy good mental health, you need to accept yourself as you are, and then strive to improve yourself by setting realistic and achievable goals. Be proud of yourself and you will be surprised to see how a great amount of confidence leads you to achieve a good state of mind.
Being mentally healthy and happy makes your life so much easier and more enjoyable. So, what do you think you want now- bad mental health which only gives you stress or healthy mental health, which will make you happy? Decide and go for what you want from life.