Maintaining Positive Mental Health

It’s not easy to stay happy all the time; life can really drag us down sometimes. Negative mental health is something we all may struggle with and oftentimes, when this happens, it’s difficult to look at the bright side. Additionally, the stigma associated with mental health leads people to take mental issues less seriously. As a result, this topic is often overlooked and disregarded. That is why we are here today to bring greater awareness and education about mental health and ways to maintain positivity!

Before we begin, we need to understand what causes poor mental health. Well, there are many factors that can contribute to this…

1. Stress

One of the most common factors is stress. Oftentimes people may feel stressed or burnt out from school, work, or other responsibilities. As a result, all of this pressure may lead their mental state to worsen. Especially since with such a large amount of pressure, people may find it difficult to relax and thereby difficult to improve their mental health.

2. Trauma

Furthermore, another factor that may contribute to poor mental health is experiencing trauma in the past. Whether it’s losing a loved one, experiencing abuse, or having other bad experiences, it’s not easy to get over them. Depending on what happened, sometimes these thoughts can stick with us for many years or even the rest of our lives. Because of this, traumatic experiences can really bring down our mental health and getting over them is not as easy as it sounds.

3. Societal Expectations

Believe it or not, but expectations from society may also lead to mental illness. What do we mean by that? Well, ever worry about your weight? What if you are not smart enough compared to your peers? Do you have a feeling that society is constantly judging you? These intrusive thoughts can really take a toll on one’s mental health and sometimes they can be too much to handle. It’s difficult to get rid of these thoughts and they can really bring us down. Constant thoughts like these can result in a very poor mental state as most of your thoughts will consist primarily of the fear of judgment.

Now that we know what causes negative mental health, here are 5 ways to ensure a thriving mental state:

1. Spend more time with your loved ones

You don’t have to be alone! There are people out there who care a lot for you! Sometimes, spending time with those around you can help you a lot with your mental state. Going out with friends, spending time with family, and even having a fun conversation with another individual can do wonders. Also, staying solitary can greatly damage your mental health, so it’s best to surround yourself with people that love and support you!

2. Stay physically active

Maintaining your physical health and fitness contributes a lot to your mental health! According to the NHS, physical activity causes chemical changes in your brain, causing a positive mood change. In addition, long term physical activity helps increase self-esteem as well. However, keep in mind that you don’t need to spend hours in a gym in order to feel happy! Choose the exercises you enjoy doing. It can be as simple as talking a walk with your loved ones, jogging, or lifting weights, all of these activities can improve your mental health greatly. To conclude, exercising is not just important for our physical health, but it is also highly beneficial for our mental health!

3. Express/share your feelings

Sometimes letting it all out is an amazing feeling. It’s not healthy to keep all your negative thoughts and emotions bottled up inside of you. Sharing your feelings with a therapist or a loved one can help your mental health a lot. Or, if you are not yet comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings with another individual, you can talk to yourself. Talk to yourself in the mirror, vent your feelings, and practice saying at least one positive thing about yourself everyday to build up self-esteem. You could also keep a diary or a journal if you prefer and vent your feelings through your writing. Suppressing your negative thoughts will only make you feel worse, but some healthy venting can help release that weight off of your chest!

4. Practice gratitude and give back if you can

Sometimes, we worry about the little things in life. But, that also means we can be grateful about little things as well! Sometimes, it’s the small things that can bring happiness. Try focusing on different aspects in your life, even if they may seem insignificant. For example, enjoying a nice meal with friends or family can bring happiness, even if it is something you do often. By expressing gratitude towards these everyday things, you will end up focusing on the positive and forget about the negative. And in the long-term, you will live a much higher quality of life. Additionally, while being grateful towards the things around you, try to give back when and if you can. You don’t have to do something grand, you can buy a gift for your parents, give some money to a charity or organization, or you could simply give a compliment to someone. By doing so, you are spreading positivity to those around you and in turn, they will spread that positivity to others as well. After all, we can guarantee that making others happy will make you happy!

5. Just relax!

Simple! If you are feeling stressed, tired, or burnt out, stop what you’re doing, and just relax for a couple minutes. Relaxation helps with slowing your breathing, lowering blood pressure, and reducing muscle tension and stress. One way to relax is through meditation. By meditating, you are able to shift your focus on something else and there are little to no distractions. Meditation helps substantially in relaxation and it is definitely something to try! There are many different types of meditation so try to find one that suits you. If meditation is not your thing, there are other relaxation techniques to try. For instance, there are many deep breathing exercises where taking slow, deep, and even breaths can help calm you down. You could also try guided imagery, where you simply think of positive images in your mind. There are endless methods of relaxation so there is guaranteed a method for you!

That is all the tips we have! However, keep in mind that all of these are not definitive solutions that will completely cure negative mental health. Rather, these are healthy coping mechanisms for you to use to feel better on days when you feel down. For more professional help, it is best to seek a therapist or other professional that can help you when you need it. Just know that you are not alone and there are people who are there for you! Here are some resources that can help you on the days you feel down:

Suicide Prevention Hotline: call or text 988

Betterhelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/

SAMHSA National Helpline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Crisis Text Line: text RENEW to 741741

SCC Suicide & Crisis Line: 1-855-278-4204

National Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Work Cited:

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-causes-mental-illness

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing/

https://medlineplus.gov/howtoimprovementalhealth.html