Boost Your Mental Health
This Mental Health Awareness Month marks a critical and sobering moment for our nation. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than a million lives and just recently we witnessed (yet again) another mass shooting of innocent people. The 10 people killed, and an additional three injured, make this attack at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket the deadliest mass shooting of the year in the United States.
It is also the 198th mass shooting in 2022. With just over 19 weeks into the year, this averages out to about 10 such attacks a week. The tally comes from the Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection organization. To further illustrate the mental health crisis we learned of the death of Country and Western superstar, Naomi Judd who shot herself just one day before being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Globally, mental health experts warned that the pandemic would become a tsunami for mental health and contribute to rising rates of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety, substance misuse, and serious thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts—particularly among youth and marginalized communities. And, the rise in mass shootings leave a wound on our souls.
So how are we managing our mental health? Are you or a friend in need of mental health support? If you or someone you know needs help Mental Health America offers a toolkit. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800.273.8255 and the North Texas Suicide and Crisis Center is 214.828.1000.
31 Tips To Boost Your Mental Health
Courtesy of Mental Health of America
1. Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Include 3 things you were grateful for and 3 things you were able to accomplish each day.
2. Start your day with a cup of coffee. Coffee consumption is linked to lower rates of depression. If you can’t drink coffee because of the caffeine, try another good-for-you drink like green tea.
3. Set up a getaway. It could be camping with friends or a trip to the tropics. The act of planning a vacation and having something to look forward to can boost your overall happiness for up to 8 weeks!
4. Work your strengths. Do something you’re good at to build self-confidence, then tackle a tougher task.
5. Keep it cool for a good night’s sleep. The optimal temperature for sleep is between 60- and 67-degrees Fahrenheit.
6. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Think of something in your life you want to improve and figure out what you can do to take a step in the right direction.
7. Experiment with a new recipe, write a poem, paint, or try a Pinterest project. Creative expression and overall well-being are linked.
8. Show some love to someone in your life. Close, quality, relationships are key for a happy, healthy life.
9. Boost brainpower by treating yourself to a couple pieces of dark chocolate every few days. The flavonoids, caffeine, and theobromine in chocolate are thought to work together to improve alertness and mental skills.
10. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” -Maya Angelou. If you have personal experience with mental illness or recovery, share on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr with #mentalillnessfeelslike. Check out what other people are saying here.
11. Sometimes, we don’t need to add new activities to get more pleasure. We just need to soak up the joy in the ones we’ve already got. Trying to be optimistic doesn’t mean ignoring the uglier sides of life. It just means focusing on the positive as much as possible.
12. Feeling anxious? Take a trip down memory lane and do some coloring for about 20 minutes to help you clear your mind. Pick a design that’s geometric and a little complicated for the best effect.
13. Take time to laugh. Hang out with a funny friend, watch a comedy, or check out cute videos online. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.
14. Go off the grid. Leave your smart phone at home for a day and disconnect from constant emails, alerts, and other interruptions. Spend time doing something fun with someone face-to-face.
15. Dance around while you do your housework. Not only will you get chores done, but dancing reduces levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases endorphins (the body’s “feel-good” chemicals).
16. Go ahead and yawn. Studies suggest that yawning helps cool the brain and improves alertness and mental efficiency.
17. Relax in a warm bath once a week. Try adding Epsom salts to soothe aches and pains and help boost magnesium levels, which can be depleted by stress.
18. Has something been bothering you? Let it all out…on paper. Writing about upsetting experiences can reduce symptoms of depression.
19. Spend some time with a furry friend. Time with animals lowers the stress hormone – cortisol, and boosts oxytocin – which stimulates feelings of happiness. If you don’t have a pet, hang out with a friend who does or volunteer at a shelter.
20. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when you bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen.” – Henry David Thoreau. Practice mindfulness by staying “in the present.”
21. Be a tourist in your own town. Often people only explore attractions on trips, but you may be surprised what cool things are in your own backyard.
22. Try prepping your lunches or picking out your clothes for the work week. You’ll save some time in the mornings and have a sense of control about the week ahead.
23. Work some omega-3 fatty acids into your diet–they are linked to decreased rates of depression and schizophrenia among their many benefits. Fish oil supplements work but eating omega-3s in foods like wild salmon, flaxseeds or walnuts also helps build healthy gut bacteria.
24. Practice forgiveness – even if it’s just forgiving that person who cut you off during your commute. People who forgive have better mental health and report being more satisfied with their lives.
25. “What appears to be calamities are often the sources of fortune.” – Disraeli. Try to find the silver lining in something kind of cruddy that happened recently.
26. Feeling stressed? Smile. It may not be the easiest thing to do but smiling can help to lower your heart rate and calm you down.
27. Send a thank you note – not for a material item, but to let someone know why you appreciate them. Written expressions of gratitude are linked to increased happiness.
28. Do something with friends and family – have a cookout, go to a park, or play a game. People are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days that they spend 6-7 hours with friends and family.
29. Take 30 minutes to go for a walk – it could be a stroll through a park, or a hike in the woods. Research shows that being in nature can increase energy levels, reduce depression, and boost well-being.
30. Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine –and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.
31. “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein. Try something outside of your comfort zone to make room for adventure and excitement in your life.