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Therapy and medication are some of the best ways to keep your mental health issues in check. When you're dealing with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or some other disorder, it helps to consult a licensed psychiatrist or counselor, talk about your issues, and stay on prescriptions. But that's not all you can do.
There are simple ways to care for your mental health -- practical things you can incorporate into your lifestyle.
Let's highlight them.
The truth is, talking isn't only effective when you're speaking with a therapist. Talking about your problems can help you relieve pent-up pressure, regardless of who you tell it to. It's why experts developed talk therapy.
Whether you're angry, sad, or troubled, expressing how you feel to someone almost immediately reduces such feelings. It's how you feel less mad after discussing it. Even when you consider suicide, talking can help you change your mind.
Exercising is good not only for physical health but your mental health as well. It promotes the release of happy hormones. But it's not all about lifting weights.
Going out for a walk and catching up with friends are great ways to stay active. Whenever you feel lonely, sad, and hopeless, it would help if you break through it and make a bold move to step outside. The brightness of the day can help brighten your mood; seeing nature can even change your outlook on life.
All of these can help you manage stress, anxiety, and depression.
There's a relationship between your digestive tract and the brain. This pathway is known as the gut-brain axis. When you eat certain foods that promote healthy microbiomes in your gut, they send signals to the brain to release serotonin, the calming hormone. As a result, such foods can help you deal with stress and anxiety.
Foods containing high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C are good for your mental health.
We all need help, don't we? One of the foremost thoughts you'll have when battling a mental disorder is that you're alone and no one can understand you. But none of us is Superman, and we can't fight it alone. We only sink deeper.
Call out for help when you feel the walls closing in on you. It could be a family member, friend, or relative. It could even be a mere colleague at work. Also, remember that local social services are there to help you.
Is it singing? Is it journaling? What about embroidery and painting? Doing something you're good at can help you feel a sense of worth, thereby countering depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety.
Enjoy yourself. Get out of your daily corporate routine and do something you enjoy, not what you're told to do. This will boost your self-esteem and lower stress.
Accepting that you're different is a healthy way to look after your mental health. This knowledge is crucial because it prevents you from wishing you were someone else. We're all different, and even the most mentally healthy person battles his own demons daily.
Even as you know your weaknesses, find your strengths; this will help you cope through life no matter what it throws at you.
Again, no one is Superman, and no one is too inadequate to help. No matter your mental condition, you can also be there for someone. It's a cycle. Uplifting someone else will also uplift you.
