Make Mental Health a Priority

There are nearly one billion people worldwide who suffer from mental disorders. There is a stigma surrounding mental health making it difficult to speak up and seek help.

Covid 19 has been a huge impact on people's mental health all around the world. Within the first year of Covid-19, there has been a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide.

Not being able to leave the house to socialise with friends, working from home, and being unable to interact face-to-face with extended family has created an environment that allowed mental health issues to enter people’s lives. During this period, health services have been disrupted, resulting in a widening treatment gap for mental health conditions.

Ways To Promote Positive Mental Health

Many factors can influence our mental health, such as genetics, relationships, housing and education. It is an illness that is impossible to prevent however, there are things that you can do that promote positive mental health such as:

Get enough sleep

Sleep and mental health disorders go hand in hand, a lack of sleep has negative psychological effects on us such as increased stress, anxiety and depression. Therefore, it's important to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Take time for yourself

We all live busy lives; sometimes we get caught up in it and don’t put aside time to reflect on how we are feeling. Not taking breaks can lead to a build-up of stress it's important to take time to do the things you enjoy with your friends and family.

Exercise

Physical activity is known to improve mental health. Some antidepressant medications can take time to start working however with exercise it works instantly by improving your mood. Even a short burst of 10 minutes of brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood.

Avoid drug and alcohol abuse

Drugs and alcohol are sometimes used to help deal with tough times. The problem is that they are only a temporary fix and may even make things worse. Therefore, it's important to avoid these at all costs.

Eat healthy food

The foods that we eat affect our brain's mood. Having a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables will help regulate mood. Eating a lot of sugary snacks throughout the day will give us a high but shortly after leaves us feeling exhausted.

How To Help Improve Your Mental Health

Talk to loved ones

Speaking with someone you trust and can open up to can be helpful for releasing thoughts.  Don’t expect your loved ones to understand right away, as they may not know how to react. However, opening up takes courage and you should be commended for speaking up about your struggles and making your health a priority.

See a therapist

Seeing a medical professional about your illness can help you gain more information on what type of illness you have and its severity of it. Once it is identified they can then show you strategies on how to cope in your daily life. Therapists are happy to listen to you while you get things off your chest and give you their professional opinion.

Don’t listen to the stigma

There is a stigma that mental health is a sign of weakness, and the person suffering should be able to control it without anyone's help. This stigma makes it even harder to speak up about mental health however it’s important not to listen to this. Seeking help from people with positive attitudes towards mental illness will help you overcome judgement and better your mental health.

Finishing Note

You should visit a doctor or speak to someone you trust if your mental health is deteriorating daily. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.