8 Ways to Look After Your Mental Health

Last Updated on December 20, 2023 by Ade Aprilia

Throughout life, it’s important to look after many aspects of your health. You visit the dentist to look after your teeth, opticians for your eyes, exercise for your physical health, eat a balanced diet for your internal health and an area you should be looking after which is also very important is your mental health. 

It’s only recently that we have discovered how important your mental health is and started to find a plethora of ways to look after it. We have learned that getting enough sleep can help, regular exercise is important, drinking plenty of water, and speaking to loved ones will also help look after your mental health on top of many other things. 

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If you are interested in improving your mental health, then here’s a guide below on 8 ways to look after your mental health will help. Keep on reading to learn more. 

Consider a pet 

You may not have put getting a pet and mental health together, however, animals like dogs and cats can have huge benefits. Lab Puppies can help reduce anxiety, help get you outside exercising as well as breathing in fresh air – all of which can help you look after your mental health. You’ll often find when going out on dog walks that you’ll bump into other dog walkers, helping you be more sociable and make new friends. 

Regular exercise 

Regular exercise, whether it’s by yourself, with friends/family members, or a team sport can help. Try to be active a few times a week, by running, cycling, swimming or by playing a sport such as tennis, football or rugby. Whatever sport you choose, as long as your heart rate increases and you put a sweat on, your mental health will benefit. Your physical health will also benefit from regular exercise, helping your cardiovascular system and your muscles. 

Take up a hobby

Try to take up a new hobby or continue doing a hobby you already love doing. A hobby can vary from making cocktails and learning about new things such as the importance of ice in a cocktail to enjoying playing chess or painting. A lot of hobbies will help engage your brain as well as force you to take some time for yourself. They can also help open your world to new things as well as make friends – there may be a local club you can join. 

Get enough sleep 

One of the biggest things you can do to help your mental health is to look after your sleep. The amount of sleep you get can have a big impact on your overall health and by getting enough you can help reduce the chances of getting ill, improve your brain’s functionality as well as help your mental health. We would recommend you aim to get around 8 hours of sleep a day, as recommended by sleep experts. To find out how much sleep you are currently getting, try to use an app on your phone to track your sleep. If you have one, a smartwatch is an easy way to track as long as you wear it when going to bed. If not, take note of the time you go to sleep and wake up and track it in a diary. Once you have tracked your sleep over the week, you can then set a target for the number of hours you get moving forward. 

Speak to loved ones 

Reaching out to loved ones and someone you trust will help! Sharing your worries with another can help relieve the burden and give you a chance to find a solution, instead of suffering in silence. Reaching out also gives your friends and family members a chance to share with you anything they may be struggling with. If you find yourself living a distance away from others, you can always Facetime or give someone you love a phone call for support. Messaging apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram are other methods to reach out to others. 

Allow yourself to take a break 

Life can be full on, so remember you can give yourself a break. Make sure you prioritize yourself and factor this into your daily schedule. Whether it’s a quick cup of tea or half an hour watching something you love on TV, it’s ok to do this.

You don’t need to compare yourself to others and focus on the things you love as this will give you the most satisfaction. If you have a lot of holidays left at work, try to use it as this is important. Whether it’s a few days off work at home, a trip to see your family, or an abroad holiday, using your holiday gives you a chance to reset and help your mental health. 

Increase your water intake

Just like getting enough sleep, your water intake is also a very important factor to your mental health as well as overall health – particularly your physical health when taking part in sports. The amount of serotonin in your brain is important and by having enough serotonin, you’ll find yourself feeling happier and healthier – by drinking enough water and staying hydrated, you can help increase your serotonin levels. How much water should you drink? The recommended amount is around 2-3 liters of water a day, which is around 6 large glasses of water. To keep track of your water intake, there are plenty of apps you can download on your phone. Alternatively, a recommendation we have is to purchase a 1-liter water bottle and aim to drink it and fill it three times. By using a larger bottle, it’s easier to keep track of how much you are drinking. 

Allow yourself to avoid negative substances (alcohol, smoking, drugs) 

Things like alcohol, smoking, and junk food can all have a negative impact on your overall health, particularly your mental health. And if you are overindulging, this could be something to pay attention to when looking after your mental health. As with anything in life, moderation is key. You don’t necessarily need to give up having an alcoholic drink completely, but if you find yourself overindulging, aim to consume slightly less each week. By tracking how much you drink and the type of drinks you are enjoying, you may find a pattern that you can adjust to help improve your overall health.  

Looking after your mental health is extremely important, arguably one of the most important things you should do in your life. When making adjustments for the improvement of your well-being, try to apply a few changes daily and see how they impact you. For example, start by getting more sleep and drinking more water, then once you have got into the habit of doing this, you may want to consider exercising more and concentrating on your diet. Find the methods that work best for you as what works for someone may not be the best thing for you. 

If you find yourself particularly struggling with your mental health, we can’t stress how important it is to reach out to your friends and family members. Without sounding cheesy, a problem shared is a problem halved and this couldn’t be more true. By speaking to others, they can offer advice and help support you during your time of need. The last thing anybody would want is for their friends or family members to suffer in silence. There is still good in the world!

You can also book private coaching with me to let go of your unwanted emotions so you can enjoy life again.

Now you.

Do you have any tips on ways to look after your mental health? Which of the above suggestions did you find most useful and are likely to try? Are there any tips that you think we should be adding to our list? If there is anything you would like to share that will benefit our readers, please let me know in the comment box below. We welcome all positive comments!

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