Our mental well-being plays a crucial part in how our day starts and ends. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 18% of adults (1 out of every 5) in the United States suffer from a mental health issue in a given year. 1 out of 25 of adults face a mental issue so severe, it interferes or prevents a major part of life. Treatments for these issues seem so far away yet there are ways to cope that we may not realize.
Here are some must-knows on how you can help improve your mental health:
Go To Church
If you aren’t a church going person, that is ok. What most people who don’t attend church fail to realize is that one single visit to church on a Sunday morning can not only change your day but your entire outlook on life. The atmosphere, the close-knit community and just feeling like you belong: it can be a total rush. Prophet Kofi Danso shares with you the benefits of going to church and it’s a must-read.
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Meditation
When a person meditates, they usually become highly aware of their thoughts. These thoughts are either positive, negative or neutral regarding the impact they have on our daily experience. The big question is, how does meditation help? It helps by creating a buffer of space between the thought and your reaction to it. What meditation does is support your capacity to allow thoughts that create further mental suffering to pass through without creating negative consequences. This mindfulness meditation practice will lessen the grip of thoughts on your daily experience. With practice, you will notice that when unappealing thoughts enter your mind, they will have less impact on your life.
Contributions
Contributions don’t have to be monetary. They can be as simple as giving someone a few minutes of your time. When we give to others it makes us feel good and that is good for our mental wellbeing. You can volunteer or donate to a worthy cause. Research shows that giving to meaningful causes activates parts of your brain responsible for pleasure. The same parts of the brain responsible for inducing dopamine-rich euphoria from food, money, sex or even drugs.
Humor
Yes, laughing is something that we all should do every day and it’s good for the soul. It just feels good especially if you mean it. There are several benefits of laughing. Short-term benefits include stimulation of many organs, activates and relieves your stress response and soothes tension. Long-term benefits of laughing include relieving pain, improves your immune system and improves your mood. Have a good laugh. You’ll thank yourself later.
Exercise
No matter what stress you have going on in your life, I assure you going for a run, a long walk or doing yoga will make you feel better. Research also shows that active people have lower incidences of anxiety and depression compared to inactive people. Be sure to talk with your doctor about what kind of exercise program you should start.
We all want so much to be at our absolute best when it comes to our mental health. Everyday stressors may not allow us to be but just keep these 5 things in mind and you will find yourself on the road to a better mental wellbeing.
Candid Mama
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