Things to do for your mental health

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Mental health care is important to yourself and your life. Here are 10 things to do for your mental health. Remember, you need to make the most of your life to make simple changes that don't take a lot of money or time.

Whoever you are, can follow these tips. So why don't you get started today?

1. Talk about your feelings

Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you are feeling tough. Sharing your own feelings doesn't mean you're weak. It's part of taking care of your mental health and you need to do it to stay healthy.
Chat can be a way to deal with an issue that has been on your mind for a while. Just being heard can help you feel supported and less alone. And when you open up more to people, it encourages others to do the same.
However, it's not always easy to describe how you feel. If you can't think of a word, use multiple words. Ask the question, what is the feeling in your head, what makes you feel like doing the most?
Talking about your feelings to take care of your mental health doesn't mean you have to sit down in front of your loved ones to talk big things about happiness. Many people feel more comfortable when these conversations develop spontaneously, possibly when you're doing something together.
If it feels awkward at first, you may need more time.

2. Exercise regularly

Experts believe that exercise releases chemicals in the brain that make you feel better. Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem, your ability to concentrate, help you fall asleep, and feel better all the time. Exercise also keeps your brain and other vital organs healthy. This is considered essential for good mental health.
Exercise does not mean just doing sports or going to the gym. Going for a walk in the park, gardening, or doing housework can also help you stay active.
Experts say most people should exercise for about 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. Trying to do physical activity that you enjoy should also be part of the day.

3. Eat well

There are strong connections between what we eat and how we feel, for example, caffeine and sugar can have an immediate effect. However, food can also have long-term effects on our mental health. Just like other organs in the body, the brain needs a mix of nutrients to stay healthy and function properly.
A diet that is good for physical health is also good for mental health. A healthy and balanced diet that includes: a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains or breads, nuts and seeds, dairy products, oily fish, and too much water.
Eat at least 3 meals a day and drink lots of water. Try to limit your intake of caffeinated or high-sugar beverages and avoid drinking too much alcohol. Note, if you have kidney disease or diabetes, you will need dietary advice from your doctor or dietitian.

4. Choose a reasonable drink

Whenever we want to change our mood, we often turn to alcohol. Some people drink alcohol to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effects of alcohol are only temporary.
After drinking alcohol, you may feel worse because alcohol withdrawal symptoms affect the brain and other organs of the body. So drinking alcohol is not a good way to manage times when you are feeling hard, in other words, alcohol is not part of the products that can help take care of your mental health.
Drinking too much alcohol can be harmful to the body, the more you drink you will feel the need for more alcohol. In fact, there are healthier ways to deal with difficult times, for example, instead of drinking hard alcohol and drinking too much, we can drink light alcohol. Regular light drinking is fine and safe for most people. The recommended amount of alcohol for both men and women is 14 units/week.
In addition to alcohol, many people also smoke or use drugs or other stimulants to alter feelings. But like alcohol, those feelings are only temporary and the more you use them, the more addictive they become. Nicotine in cigarettes and drugs does not address the causes of the unpleasant feeling. For good mental health, we need to soberly acknowledge that they do not help us solve problems, and even create problems.

5. Stay in touch

Relationships with family and friends can help you cope with the stresses of life. Friends and family can make you feel included and cared for. They can offer a different perspective than whatever is going on in your head. Or they can help you stay active, stand your ground, and help you solve real-world problems.
For good mental health, there's nothing better than talking to someone face-to-face, but it's not always possible. Instead, give them a call, send them a note, or chat with them online. Keep up the conversation because it's good for you.

6. Ask for help

None of us are superhuman. We all feel tired or overwhelmed at times when things don't go our way. Ask for help from family, friends and those around you when things get too overwhelming for you and you feel like you can't cope on your own.
Your family or friends can be of practical help or listen to you. Local services are also available to assist you. For example, some mental health activities or services you can participate in are:
Join a support group to help you change your life. Find a counselor or professional to help you work through your feelings, or start over. Go to a debt counseling office for help with it. Ask your GP or family doctor to refer you to a counselor to help when you're having a hard time. Problems that damage your mental health that cause you to ask for help can be:
Problems that prevent you from moving on with your own life. Issues that have a big impact on the people you live or work with. Problems affect your mood for weeks. Issues that prompt you to see a GP to discuss mental health are more than 1⁄3 of the times.

7. Take a break

Changing the scene or changing the tempo is good for your mental health. It could be a 5-minute pause to clean up the kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or the weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to relieve stress.
Rest also means that you have to be very active or do not need to do much. Take a deep breath and relax. Try yoga or meditation, or just put your feet up.
If you are really tired, give yourself time to sleep. Without good sleep, our mental health suffers and our concentration drops. Sometimes the world can wait for you to take a break and then come back.

8. Do something you're good at

What do you like to do? What activities do you seem to forget when you participate in? What did you like to do in the past? Enjoying yourself can help beat stress. Doing an activity that you love or that you are good at can help you achieve something and help boost your self-esteem.
Focusing on a hobby like gardening or doing crossword puzzles can help you forget your worries for a while and change your mood for better mental health.

9. Accept who you are

Some of us are capable of making people laugh, some are good at math, while others can cook amazing meals. Some of us share our way of life with people who live near us, who have very different lifestyles from us.
We are all different. It's much better to accept that you're unique than to wish you were like someone you've met or seen. Feeling good about yourself is a way to good mental health because it gives you the confidence to learn new skills, visit new places, and make new friends.
Good self-esteem helps you cope and adapt when life takes a difficult turn. Be proud of yourself. Realize and accept what you are not good at, but focus on what you can do well.
Find out if there's something about yourself that you still want to change. Are your expectations realistic? If so, work towards the change in small steps. Those are the things you need to do to take care of your mental health.

10. Caring for others

To maintain relationships with close people, caring for them plays a very important role. It can even bring the two of you closer together. So why not share your skills more widely by volunteering for a local charity?
Helping can make us feel needed and valued and boost our self-esteem. It also helps us to see the world from a different perspective than when we put ourselves in the other person's point of view.
Pet care can also help improve your mental health. Just like the human-to-human relationship, taking care of a pet helps strengthen the bond between you and them. Taking care of a pet can be part of your day and act as a bond with others. A lot of people make friends by chatting with dog walkers.
There are actually many ways to take care of your mental health, but to achieve good results you need to look at and listen to your body to make the right choice.

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