10 Habits You Should Adopt to Protect Your Mental Health
Nearly everyone knows that protecting their mental health should be a priority, yet so few take steps to do it. Your health. physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, should always come first. As such, you have to develop some self-care strategies to help protect your mental health.
In a world where so many things that can harm your mental health happen every minute, it is vital to know what to do to keep yourself sane when things get too heavy.
Having better mental health will benefit not only you but also those around you. You will have a happier life and be a better daughter/son, parent, spouse, friend, and colleague if you adopt habits that protect your mental health. Below are some you should consider.
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Habits to Adopt to Protect Your Mental Health
- Eat a healthy diet
Healthy eating habits are often associated with better physical health. What most people don’t realize is that what you eat also affects your mental health.
So, starting today, avoid processed/junk foods and instead, adopt eating habits that are good for your mental health. Include foods such as whole grains, seeds, nuts, berries, fish oil, olive oil, lean proteins, fruits, and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
Some of the healthy eating habits you should adopt to protect your mental health include mindful eating, not eating alone, while distracted, or in the dark, avoiding monotonous diets, buying healthy snacks, and choosing the right dining partners.
Also, quit drinking alcohol because it can lead to mental health issues or worsen existing ones, such as depression and anxiety.
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- Regular physical exercise
Everyone knows the benefits of exercise to their physical health, especially when it comes to weight loss and fitness. However, workouts are not just about helping you get to your ideal body size; they also benefit your mental health.
Have you ever noticed how good your mood becomes if you exercise first thing in the morning? Even if you are not a morning person, working out can raise your spirits. If you are always busy, there are also some simple everyday activities you can include in your day to stay fit.
There are many reasons why exercising regularly is one of the habits to adopt to protect your mental health. Exercise increases serotonin levels in your brain, hence improving your mood and overall sense of well-being.
When you finish a workout, you feel a lot better about yourself, thereby boosting your self-esteem. Furthermore, regular exercise helps to increase alertness and also improves your memory and sleeping habits.
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- Practice mindfulness meditation and yoga
When feeling anxious or nervous, your body is in a state of overdrive with thoughts racing in your mind. Anxiety can affect your ability to do your work, thus reducing your productivity and performance. Staying calm is one way to combat anxiety.
Practicing mindfulness meditation or doing yoga are some habits to adopt to protect your mental health.
Meditation and yoga help calm your mind, hence are good for managing stress and anxiety. The two activities also help to clear your mind, relax, and let go of negativity.
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- Reduce screen time
Today, we live in a digital world where we do almost everything online or are constantly staring at a screen. For instance, we use our phones for social media, laptops for work, and TV for entertainment.
Unfortunately, using these platforms, especially social media, is not always a pleasant experience and can affect your mental health negatively.
They could cause addiction, expose you to triggering or inappropriate content, make you develop body dissatisfaction, allow you to engage in social comparison, and eventually result in feelings of inadequacy, along with many other harmful effects.
One of the habits to adopt to protect your mental health is reducing your screen time by decreasing your consumption of social media and TV. This will lessen your exposure to triggering content and free up a lot of the time you used for doomscrolling.
You can reduce your screen time by timing yourself, tracking time spent on these media, or in the case of social media, deleting the apps and logging out of the websites completely.
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- Get enough sleep
Sleep is vital for your physical and mental well-being because it is through sleep that the body recovers from physical, emotional, and psychological exertion.
When you are sleep-deprived, you may feel tired and irritable, and you could get easily stressed by everything because you don’t have the energy to cope or deal with them.
Insomnia also worsens mental health issues in those already struggling with bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and depression.
As such, ensuring you get enough sleep of 8-10 hours every night is one of the habits you should adopt to protect your mental health.
- Maintain your relationships
Modern-day life is so fast-paced that people forget their priorities.
We are too busy with work or doing other things and spare too little time for ourselves, let alone any for family and friends. This could lead to social isolation, which has been linked to loneliness and depression.
Some of the habits you should adopt to protect your mental health include, keeping in touch with your good friends, finding ways to reduce your workload or time spent on unnecessary things, and spending more time with your family.
If you can’t meet your loved ones physically, stay in touch with them via calls and messages. While you might relate work to stress and anxiety, you associate family and friends with love, happiness, and comfort.
Surrounding yourself with the right kind of people can go a long way in making you healthier. They are your support network and the people with whom you can be your authentic self without fear of judgment.
In most cases, your loved ones will accept you the way you are and bring out the best in you. They don’t body shame you, drag you down, or send you content they know will affect your mental health negatively because they know you well.
Cut off those who make you feel bad about yourself or use you.
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- Take a break when overwhelmed
Even machines need some downtime, otherwise, they will overheat or break down.
You will be in a better place mentally and professionally if you aren’t experiencing burnout, feeling stressed, or fatigued. You need to ensure you always get the 7 types of rest to avoid burnout, reduce stress, and recharge.
Some of the habits you should adopt to protect your mental health include adopting a slow living lifestyle, using your leave days to go on vacation, or taking a mental health day off when you feel overwhelmed by things at work.
On your mental health day, spend time on things that relieve stress, such as; self-reflection, family, hobbies, exercise, sleep, a spa appointment, decluttering your home, dealing with any emotional baggage, doing the things you have been procrastinating, or doing nothing.
- Change your mindset
Society plays a significant role in how people think and behave. It puts pressure on people requiring them to look or act in a particular way, which results in negative body image and self-esteem issues for those who do not fit the mold of what is considered acceptable.
One of the habits you should adopt to protect your mental health is to embrace your true self and be unapologetically yourself instead of trying to conform to societal expectations. Acknowledge that society will always have something to say, and you have no control over that.
However, realize that YOU have control over what YOU feel and think about yourself.
Accept yourself the way you are, have an optimistic attitude, develop an abundance mindset, and do the things that make you happy – no matter what anyone else thinks. Finally, value yourself more by knowing your worth and learning to say no to things you don’t stand for.
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- Find an alternative coping mechanism
We all have emotions, and sometimes these emotions are negative depending on the situation. And that is completely normal! The difference is in how we choose to cope with them.
If you find yourself acting out, overindulging in alcohol and drugs, or eating to cope with your feelings, it is time to find an alternative way to deal with your difficult emotions.
Some habits to adopt to protect your mental health include using coping mechanisms such as tapping into your creative side and making music, drawing, or painting; boxing, journaling, reading, taking a nature walk, hiking, cleaning the house, screaming out your frustrations or doing anything else that helps clear your mind.
- Ask for help
A problem shared is a problem half-solved. So, if you notice you are developing habits that you suspect could be symptoms of a particular mental illness, don’t hesitate to seek help.
For example, you should ask for help if you feel sad all the time, have negative thinking patterns, feel tense and restless, engage in emotional eating, or have an internet addiction.
Admitting that you need help is not a sign of weakness; it is one of the habits you should adopt to protect your mental health.
Asking for help is part of you taking control of your health and protecting it. So be vulnerable and talk about your feelings with a trusted friend or family member, or consult a therapist.
A good therapist will help you understand yourself and your mental health issues better, and then come up with possible treatment options.
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Final Thoughts
We all have mental health. It is only that sometimes it is good and at other times it is poor.
Finding ways to take care of yourself is a MUST if you want to live a healthy life. Above are the 10 habits you should adopt to protect your mental health and improve the quality of your life.
Remember that taking care of yourself is an act of self-preservation.
What activities do you do to protect your mental health?
NOTE: If you are struggling or need someone to talk to, please reach out to a friend or family member, or call these hotlines for help: Suicide prevention hotlines for all countries.
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For me, sleep is a big one. getting good sleep is so underrated yet really important! I have got in a good sleeping pattern lately, which has helped me a lot. Thanks for sharing!
Feel free to read some of my blogs 🙂
Thank you for reading!! And I have also checked out your blog and you make such great posts. You gained a a new follower!
For me personally, I either sleep too much or don’t get enough sleep; there is NO IN-BETWEEN!
That would be SO frustrating!
I’d recommend you try to set and stick to a night time routine so that you have the same sleeping and waking times. Hope that helps😄
Those tips are really helpful!😊
Thank you
Most welcome
very nice