Maintaining positive mental health is important for your mind. The summer season is quickly approaching and, even though the Sun is out, mental health issues can still occur. Fortunately, there are a number of proven tips that can help anybody begin to adjust their mental health in a more positive way.
Use some of the following tips to transform your mental health and overall mindset to a more positive state:
- Sleep a Full Eight Hours
Sleep is one of the most important tools for keeping your mind healthy. Getting eight hours of complete rest each night can go a long way towards improving your mental well-being. Ideally, eight hours is the goal but six is the lower end of what you should be getting each night. If this is something that you struggle with on a regular basis, you may wish to discover a solution that could be helpful to you when it comes to relaxing and getting ready to sleep at night.
With this in mind, aim to reset your circadian rhythm and improve your sleep by moving electronics out of your bedroom to improve melatonin production. The benefits of sleep extend into stress and anxiety as these chemicals are important factors in mood and stress management.
- Exercise Consistently
Solid activity and exercise are two of the most important tools in maintaining good mental health. Being active can produce more serotonin in your body which can have a beneficial impact on your mood. This can result in lower stress, anxiety, and general feelings of laziness or tiredness.
Simply aiming to exercise 20 minutes a day, even something as simple as an extended walk, can have countless benefits on your mental health this summer.
- Get Outside
On the same line of thinking as exercise, getting outside into the sun for some Vitamin D is a great way of improving your mental state as well as your overall well being. This can help your brain release chemicals and endorphins, which are important when it comes to your mental state.
In the wintertime, Seasonal Affective Disorder due to a lack of sunlight can become a problem, so take advantage of the sunny days while we have them! Alternatively, if you need more light, there are therapy lamps available that can act as short term substitutes.
- Practice Stress Management
Above all, stress management is one of the key ways to maintain good mental health. Take part in activities such as journaling that can help you identify your emotions and manage any events in your life that may have an impact on your overall mental health.
Stress management can be done in a number of ways but writing down all of your thoughts and feelings in regard to a situation is one of the most common methods. Take part in cathartic activities that take your mind off of stress or step up your exercise goals as a form of stress release.
- Avoid Substances
Substance abuse is a common symptom of mental health challenges, but it can also be a potential cause for negative mental health. Avoiding alcohol and other similar substances is a smart strategy for improving your mental health this summer.
Along that same line of thinking, aim to avoid highly caffeinated beverages, as caffeine can sometimes react negatively. As a whole, avoiding substances that can potentially increase your anxiousness, irritability, or other mental health related symptoms should be done at all costs. Again, if you believe you have serious mental health issues affecting your life, don’t hesitate to reach out to a licensed professional.
Keeping your mental health in peak condition is just as important as staying physically healthy. Serious mental health issues should be addressed by a licensed therapist, counselor, or physician if they are beyond your control. Take summer by storm this year and tackle the journey of improving your mental health.