Five ways to maintain positive mental health

These days it is trendy to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Instagram pages and youtube videos seem to be constantly churning out media of people drinking bright green smoothies and holding compromising yoga positions. Maintaining positive mental health on the other hand does not seem to be have become as big a part of pop culture. Often the attitude is that maintaining good mental health is only relevant if you suffer from something like depression or anxiety. This would be like saying that maintaining good physical health is only relevant if you suffer from something like diabetes or a heart condition. Maintaining good mental health is crucial for maintaining good overall health. Here are five ways in which you can maintain your own positive mental health.

Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for maintaining both physical and mental health. Sleep helps our brains to process information and consolidate memories and lack of sleep has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety¹. There are simple things that you can do to improve the quantity and quality of the sleep you get at night. Establishing a basic routine of going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday can help prepare your mind and body for sleep. Engaging in activities such as reading, meditating or calming breathing and muscle relaxation² exercises may help you drift off. Avoiding anything to visually engaging such as television, computer games or social media browsing before bedtime may further help.

Talking

The immortal saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ probably best sums this up. Sharing our life experiences, both positive and negative, with the important people in our life is hugely therapeutic. Human beings are social animals; our brains develop as a result of the social constructs around us. The people that have been involved in our lives are fundamental in how we define ourselves (whether we like it or not). Whether it’s a close friend or a professional therapist talking about life’s ups and downs is essential for maintaining positive mental health.

Exercise

It’s been made exceptionally clear that exercise is good for our physical health, however regular exercise also has many benefits for mental health. Exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD and many more³. The establishment of a routine and the release of endorphins contribute towards this. Regular exercise also helps to maintain positive sleep patterns that which further contributes to the maintenance of mental health. It can feel intimidating taking the initial steps to a regular exercise program. It is ok to take small steps and remember to have fun with it!

Manage stress

Stress effects all of us to differing degrees. It has been shown that stress can sometimes be positive⁴ however, this is only if short lived. Prolonged or excessive stress has been linked to many physical and mental health problems, such as heart attack and stroke as well as burn out and emotional break down. It is therefore extremely important to find ways to manage your stress level. Everybody experiences stress in different ways and different stress management techniques work for different people. Ultimately, it is about trying different techniques and seeing what works for you. Some popular advice includes; maintaining a healthy work/life balance, massage, yoga, mindfulness practices and meditation. The points mentioned above (sleep, talking and exercise) are also powerful ways of managing stress.

Avoid excessive alcohol and drug consumption

In this context, I am extended ‘drug consumption’ to include substances such as caffeine and tobacco as well as illegal drugs such as cocaine. In an ideal world this would read avoid alcohol and drugs altogether, and if you can do this then great! However, this is not always a reality in modern society. We all know that alcohol and drugs are bad for us, both physically and mentally. The evidence for this is overwhelming. These substances can be highly addictive and therefore very difficult to give up or even to cut down on. There are many services out there dedicated to helping people manage their alcohol and drug consumption. A good place to start is always to talk with your GP. Even if you don’t feel like you consume an alarming amount of these substances it is always best to have an honest and open conversation with your General Practitioner to gather more information about how they might be effecting you and potential action you can take.

1. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/sleep-report
2. http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/sleep-problems/
3. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/exercise-fitness/emotional-benefits-of-exercise.htm
4. http://stress.lovetoknow.com/about-stress/what-is-positive-stress