Life is a series of events, whether bad or not. But nobody said it was easy because it is not. Let’s find some healthy practices that boost your mental health and well-being.
Life never gets easier, but you get stronger, and that’s how we deal with it. Anxiety, stress, and other mental health conditions are becoming common among all due to the changing lifestyle and global situation that constantly affects our mental health and well-being. Fortunately, there are psychologists and mental health experts who are uncovering new ways to address these issues and overcome them through daily and manageable habits. If you are also struggling with life, here are some practices that can help you out. Let’s find more details on each aspect based on what we know and what can help.
SELF TALK
Self-talk is more like self-reflection, where we talk to ourselves and question the deep thoughts that we answer from our conscience. Ask yourself whether you are being too critical of yourself. Do you think about your past mistakes too much? Are you able to move on from the traumatic past events?
What We Know
We are constantly talking to ourselves, and there is a conversation going on inside your mind that nobody can listen to. Sometimes we are narrating, something we are planning, guessing, or simply just panicking through overthinking. The internal monologue we have with ourselves can be a part of both resilience and anxiety. And that is why you should know how to channel it effectively.
A majority of people in this world are fixated on perceived mistakes or negative thoughts, which makes rumination a common thing among most people. According to recent research, even making simple interventions can help to break the cycle. Diversions like music, films, books, word games, and movements can be helpful in this case. You should also allow yourself to ruminate once a day, but for a limited time of 15 to 20 minutes, and after that, you should get engaged in other work.
What Can Help
- Healthy Distance
When we are high on emotions and anxious thoughts kick in, self-talk can make it worse if you have a tendency to overthink. A powerful yet deceptively simple strategy to counter this situation would be addressing yourself in third person during self-talk. Instead of thinking ‘I can’t do this’, think of the idea ‘You can do it all’. This simple change in language and approach helps to create psychological distance that is healthy for your mental health. It helps to promote deliberate thinking and reasoning under pressure.
- Feelings are Not Facts
Self-talk is not always a calm conversation, but it can be overreacting as well. It sets the alarms for failure and disasters in the future. Every thought that arrives in your mind is not always the right thought, and that is why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy encourages everyone to question themselves whether that thought is really important or relevant at the moment. Your thought process can create many emotional spirals, and that can make it worse. Always remember that feelings are not facts cognitive activities can help reshape their thought interpretations.
- Kinder not Softer
In this harsh world, having a kind heart makes you stronger. Having a kind heart does not necessarily mean being softer. Just like you need to be kind towards others, humans, and animals, you need to be kind to yourself, too. It means holding yourself accountable in ways that actually help you move forward. Instead of thinking that you messed up, try to think of what you are going to do next. Research shows that compassionate self-talk can greatly reduce anxiety and stress.
- Recognize Your Wins
When you are constantly ruminating and thinking of the mistakes you made, you constantly forget about the wins of your life that define you. While anxiety can help to prepare early and plan for the future, it can also be problematic. Try to recognize your wins at every chapter of your life, even if they are small. Even the self-affirmations and validations can be considered as winning. It is a practice of mindfulness where you dwell in the present only with the awareness of everything that you have achieved in life.
CONNECTION & SUPPORT
Connections and support are something that every person needs in life. However, many can find it difficult, especially introverts and socially awkward people. Ask yourself, do you feel lonely? Do you want to keep a strong relationship with the people you love and care for? Are your friends supporting enough?
What We Know
It has been scientifically proven that spending time with your friends or partner can greatly boost your mental health and reduce a significant amount of stress. Now it makes sense why we want to meet our friends and talk to them even after a long day of work. Since it is good for your health and well-being, it is safe to say that friendship and other human connections can increase longevity. If you spend time with people who are judgmental and fail to offer support, it will do you no good.
You should know for a fact that no romantic partner is perfect, and there can be many ups and downs in a relationship. Instead of trying to change your partner or yourself, try to embrace your authentic self and do the same for your partner. Help them become the person they want, and supporting them will make you happy as well.
What Can Help
- Help Others to Help Yourself
As mentioned already, helping and supporting others can make you happy as well. It is an act of kindness and goes a long way, and people who purposefully help others without asking for anything in return are more likely to get an energizing emotional lift all by themselves. Helping others can help to lower stress response. This human condition is also referred to as “helper’s high.” It is not a savior complex but a sheer feeling of humanity and kindness. Honestly, it feels good to be helpful and needed, and that is how positive emotions can be reinforced even if you are having a tough time.
- Find Your Friends
We all need friends, but it is not that easy or natural to make friends whom you can consider close, especially in your adult life. However, you can ease the awkwardness by incorporating some healthy practices that allow us to socialize. First of all, understand the fact that it takes effort, as no one is going to walk up to you just to become your friend. You are never too lucky or too lonely to have friends; you can have friends when you are friendly and actively willing to make friends. You can show up where people meet or find some grounds where you can find like-minded people with similar tastes. For example, you can go to art workshops, book cafes, movie theaters, or even sports matches where you will find many others with similar interests.
STRESS & CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Stress and conflicts in life are considered to be common in this modern life of constant rush, business, and anxiety. There are symptoms that let you know whether you are able to manage your stress well, or if it is slowly making you tired and cranky all the time. Do you easily get upset or angry? Do you often feel overwhelmed or mentally exhausted? Do you tend to procrastinate important tasks? These are the symptoms that show you have reached the edge.
What We Know
A strong belief or having faith in yourself can help you stay true to your path. You should believe that only your actions matter, and no forces from the outside can decide what you are going to do with your future. The more you believe in yourself, the more you can proceed with healthy behaviors through academics, professional, and personal life.
Anxiety and stress create a situation where our mind and body get fixated on taking actions that allow us to avoid threats. While it can be a little uncomfortable with the signals like increased pulse and sweating, it is actually good for your body and mind, as this response helps to prepare for a challenge. This mainly happens due to the secretion of the adrenaline hormone.
What Can Help
- Whom to Blame
The blame game is really bad for your mental health, even if you are right. You will notice that when you blame others or yourself for some mistake, it does not relieve you from the mistake, but rather obstructs you from moving on. Wallowing in self-pity is never good since it blurs your vision. The right thing to do would be to focus on what is in your control and let go of the rest. What is in your control is you, not other people’s reactions.
- Focus on the Wins in Conflicts
Our human brains hate conflicts, and it can be really exhausting to deal with an ongoing conflict. When you clash with someone about a divisive topic, it can be shame-inducing as well, since it feels like a failure to convert your conversation partner to your point of view. You can try to regulate your physical stress response when the symptoms occur, such as getting your jaw tight or your chest buzzing during a conversation. Deep breaths can instantly release your stress and help in the most difficult situations.
- Reflect More Than Your React
It is not always necessary to react, but reflecting is important in every situation. Try to practice active listening, where you do not create counter-punches in a conversation, but really listen to someone and their problems, which helps to ease their stress. The same goes for you, and this is the situation when our brain shifts from survival mode to meaning-making mode. You are not required to agree to someone to listen to them since active listening does not need your values to collapse. Stop leaving conversations and try to just listen to them to reflect rather than make an immediate response.
- Explore the ROOTS
ROOTS stand for Relationships; Occupation, Ongoing growth, Tasks, and Self-care. According to experts, people who are more focused on their ROOTS are more likely to prosper in life without severe mental health conditions. This practice is also considered to be a depression prevention strategy that works for all kinds of individuals. You should check each avenue based on particular goals that are aligned with your purpose.
PURPOSE
Humans tend to live a typical systematic life where they learn, earn, and die. Every human is required to learn something in order to earn, and the rest of their life goes behind earning enough that can sustain their later life, and when they finally quit, they are already too old to do anything. Being part of this competitive rat race, we all get lost in the purpose of our lives. Now, the biggest question is, what is the purpose of our lives?
Do you believe that life has meaning? Do you think all of us have a greater purpose in life that goes beyond doing a job and earning? Do you think everything you do in a day is worthwhile? Find the answers to have a better idea of life’s true purpose.
What We Know
When we try to derive meaning out of work, hobbies, social engagement, or life in a nutshell, we tend to be more productive, happier, and satisfied with ourselves. Instead of focusing on everything altogether, try to focus on the two or three values that matter most to you. You can identify them by making a list of things or values that matter to you the most. This list can help you find out what beliefs give you a sense of purpose in life. Then you can decide whether your regular routine is aligned with them or not.
The sense of purpose can be derived from daily activities, whether it is taking care of your children or spending time in nature. We tend to underestimate the regular activities or home chores and mostly consider them as taken for granted. Becoming more mindful, or conscious, of the values inherent in those activities, though, can enhance your overall life satisfaction. Take time to observe things and make sure to take meaningful actions that add more value to life than making it complicated.
What Can Help
- Purpose is Process, Not the Product
Whenever it comes to the purpose of life, people will mainly associate it with materialistic gains or big ambitions of becoming rich and successful. According to the psychology and mental health experts, purpose is more like a paradox. While a sense of purpose is strongly linked with greater happiness, better health outcomes, and even increased longevity, recent research finds that up to 90% of people experience purpose through anxiety, stress, and depression as they constantly feel the pressure of figuring it all out. In this singular life, everyone wants to achieve big dreams, but the real purpose of life is not about sweeping goals or fixed destinies. It is more about engaging in activities that make you feel good and meaningful at that very moment.
- Look for Anchors
The secret to thriving isn’t all about finding purpose. It’s also about building it. Therefore, do not just question yourself What is my purpose?. Instead, you should think of what your purpose in life anchors to. It can be anything, starting from people, activities, and ideas; everything that influences you and energizes you can be a part of it. Think of every small moment in life that gave you joy and meaningful memories that you cherish. Finding these anchors will help you live a more meaningful life with a strong momentum.
EVERYDAY HABITS
You can have a better idea of your mental health through the daily habits and changes in it. Have you noticed any differences in your appetite or sleep habits compared to when you were at your best? Do you feel like most of your days are under control? Do you have any habit that gets in the way of your daily activities? Well, bringing a healthy change to your daily routine can be quite helpful in this case.
What We Know
You might be surprised to know that around 7-8 out of 10 people are sleep deprived these days, and this is valid for most countries, as people are working double shifts just to earn an ample amount to sustain in this volatile economy and war situation in multiple countries. The world is only going to get tougher in the coming days, and survival will become more difficult and gruesome. In such a situation, better sleep hygiene is not just important but absolutely necessary for your health. It is one of the simplest, most effective ways to improve mental and physical health. A healthy adult needs at least 8 hours of sleep a day to regain the energy they burn throughout the day. Sleep helps to rejuvenate your mind and body, which allows you to get ready for the next day with 100% energy.
There is a significant amount of research and proof to showcase that regular physical exercise can be greatly beneficial for your mental health as well as your physical health. Working out can help to deal with depression, anxiety, and distress, and therefore, you should aim to exercise at home or in the gym for at least 3 to 5 days a week. You can combine aerobic and resistance exercises, and in order to focus on movements you actually enjoy, as doing so increases the odds that you’ll make working out a habit.
Other than just exercise, diet also plays a huge role here, as your brain constantly relies on a thoughtful diet, just like your body. According to proven medical researchers, sugary beverages, highly processed foods, and alcohol can accelerate biological aging and cognitive decline. On the other hand, polyphenols, healthy fats, and whole grains can help to ward off cognitive decline and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. You can get polyphenols by eating more colorful fruits and vegetables, coffee, tea, red wine, and spices, while healthy fats can be found in fatty fish, extra-virgin olive oil, and nuts. Experts also suggest that consuming magnesium-rich foods such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, and legumes can help to offer greater brain volume and a larger hippocampus, which is also the memory center of the brain. Therefore, healthy eating is also highly important for well-being and mental health.
What Can Help
- Expose Yourself in Morning Light
Sunlight can actually be good for your health only if you expose yourself to the morning light. The morning sunlight is not blazing hot, and you can stand in it to energize your body. Yes, we do not do photosynthesis, but we definitely need vitamin D for healthy living. Get a minimum of 15 minutes of light within an hour of waking, or 30 minutes of outdoor exposure on cloudy days. Exposure in this window triggers a hormonal cascade that results in immediate alertness and primes you to sleep some 16 hours hence. It is also recommended to go for outdoor meditation or yoga sessions when you can soak in sunlight and exercise together, and it becomes a win-win situation.
- Stop Switching Tasks
People love to flex their multitasking abilities, and those who can seamlessly engage in work and non-work activities at the same time tend to consider themselves superior to the rest. But in reality, multitasking leads to inefficiency and cognitive exhaustion. According to the experts, rapidly switching our attention between work and non-work incurs “domain switch costs,” and it further causes a delay in focus, which is referred to as ‘attention residue. This can greatly hamper productivity both in personal and professional life and further lead to frustration, stress, and major burnout.
- No Need to Brag about Sleep Deprivation
A lot of people among us consider sleep as expendable, and in modern days, you will find plenty of people boasting about getting minimal rest as a signal to others of our stamina for socializing or our commitment to work. It is an absolutely ridiculous idea that people believe sleeping less makes you appear superior when you are just tired, sleepy, dizzy, and at your lowest energy. Modest sleep loss significantly impairs performance, decision-making, and emotional stability. Therefore, try to stay up at night if it is not too important, and every day, try to get at least 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Additional Practices for Better Mental Health (Additional Tips)
- Take a Joy Break
Try to spend more moments of joy in life that we often do not get in our busy and monotonous lives. Positive psychology research finds that when we experience moments of happiness, even the small, fleeting ones can keep us grounded and humble. Taking a break once in a while is not just important, but also mandatory for your mental well-being. It can also help to strengthen our social connections while preserving more positive emotions. Too many of us feel that when we’re stressed about our lives or the state of the world, seeking or experiencing joy is a selfish waste of time. However, it is quite the opposite in reality, as those moments of joy are essential to survive through the tough moments.
- Enhance Enthusiasm
You should actively work on improving your zest, as that’s what drives you in life and helps you pursue the things you really like. Your confidence and enthusiasm to manage life despite pain are increased by the zest you have, and this psychological attribute is also a significant part of our daily lives. Even the simple pleasures or a positive gesture can improve zest in your life. While there is pain, there is also much beauty and happiness that you can achieve in life, and you just need to stay consistent on your path.
- Novelty > Intimacy
This latest practice is applicable to people in love or who have a partner to share their love with. When it comes to couples, most people think intimacy can cure everything. But only intimacy is not enough to spice up your relationship since it can only stimulate the body and not the brain. The idea of novelty is much more interesting, and when partners try something for the first time, whether it is preparing a new cuisine or exploring a local art gallery, they are more likely to make love afterwards. So, do not just try new positions; rather, find new adventures and experiences that make both of you happy.
