Maintaining great mental health can often seem like a pretty laborious task, as there are so many different stresses, challenges, and obstacles that stand between you and real happiness. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially expect, as there are lots of simple steps that you can follow to ensure you can stay as positive and confident as you can be!
In fact, this handy guide contains some of the most effective ideas that you can utilize to start working towards great mental health today. So, what are you waiting for? Read on to discover more so that you can start to feel the difference sooner rather than later!
Rest Well: Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep
One of the most effective steps that you must follow if you want to stand any chance of achieving good mental health is to rest well. Regularly missing out on quality sleep can trigger a whole host of different problems, both physical and mental. Losing sleep can leave you feeling exhausted, run-down, dazed, and confused, and it’s more than likely you’ll feel a little more on edge than usual too. A bad night’s rest can cause you to develop a shorter fuse, meaning arguments and other uncomfortable or unpleasant situations can occur with those around you!
Rather than allowing a lack of sleep to affect you in such a severe way, it’s vital that you can take the time to get a good night’s rest each and every night. This way, your body and mind will be able to relax, repair and recover, and you’ll wake up feeling totally refreshed and revitalized both physically and mentally! You’ll be able to leap out of bed raring to go, with mountains more motivation in comparison to someone who’s suffered through a bad night’s sleep riddled with tossing and turning. Everyone needs a good night’s sleep, from newborns to retirees – you’d likely be surprised at the sleep schedule for 6-month-olds, as they generally need up to 16 hours of rest a day!
There are lots of easy hacks that can improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. First off, it’s a good idea to leave your smartphone and any other tech devices out of sight for at least one hour before you intend to go to sleep. The artificial blue light that is emitted from such screens can wreak havoc with your body’s natural circadian rhythm, tricking you into thinking it’s still the middle of the day (even if it’s actually the middle of the night!). It can also be helpful to install some good quality blackout curtains that can ensure no sunlight can enter your room during the early morning hours.
Eat Well: Consume A Healthy, Balanced Diet
Another key step that you must take if you want to maintain great mental health is to eat well. Consuming a balanced diet that’s rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and complex carbohydrates is absolutely essential for both your physical and mental well-being, as the food that you eat directly converts into the fuel that you use to perform your daily tasks! A poor quality diet filled with ultra-processed food will certainly make you feel like rubbish, as unhealthy ingredients such as artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, fillers and more can send your mind on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. Not eating enough can also lead to mental distress, as failing to consume the calories that you need will leave you deflated, depressed and run down.
The average man should be aiming for around 2500 calories per day, while the average woman should be looking to consume around 2000. Simply reaching this calorie goal isn’t enough, as you need to make sure the food you eat has more than just calories – nutrients are what matter the most! Take fruits for example they’re filled to the brim with vitamins and minerals, but they’re a super low calories treat. An unhealthy alternative like a bag of processed candy will have none of the aforementioned nutrients, but it will be riddled with empty calories and harmful chemicals that mess with your appetite and your mind! So, stick with natural whole foods and make your own meals from scratch; this way you can monitor what ingredients go into the food that you eat.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining great mental health has never been such a simple task when you can utilize some of the brilliant recommendations that have been carefully detailed above.