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These days, everyone is well aware that taking good care of our bodies can prevent many medical problems from occurring later. We all know we need to brush and floss our teeth every day, eat healthily, get some exercise and get enough sleep. While we may be more diligent or less diligent in our efforts from time to time, we all understand the importance of these things.
We often have less awareness of preventative actions we should take to help with mental health problems; however, good mental health maintenance is just as important. While our mental health may be fine right now, many of us will struggle at some point. Stressors, disappointments and disasters happen. We even experience the loss of important people in our lives passing away. It is impossible to get through life without some traumas and challenges, but our mental health prevention habits can help us to get through difficult times.
There are three practical steps we can take to promote good mental health maintenance:
Be Active
The more active you are physically, mentally, spiritually and socially, the higher your level of mental wellness is likely to be. Being sedentary and uninvolved makes it far more difficult to overcome life’s challenges. Being active helps reduce stress and improves overall happiness and satisfaction with life. Go for walks, learn something new and practice mindfulness. There are many ways to be active and engaged with life. The key is to find what keeps you motivated and interested.
Be Connected
Social isolation is associated with problems like cardiovascular, inflammation, hormonal changes and emotional problems like anxiety and depression. Regular involvement in social activities with supportive friends and family improves our resilience and ability to cope with disappointments, trauma and everything else life throws at us. This can be difficult when we move to a new town or as we get older. Being involved in any manner, even volunteering at a club or organization, can help you be more social, and online groups can also help with this.
Be Committed
Engaging in activities that give life meaning and purpose increases our sense of confidence and satisfaction with life. The nature of these activities varies widely from person to person. The key is to identify what gives your life meaning. Volunteering, working on community projects, coaching, teaching, taking on challenges, all can contribute to feeling good about ourselves and our lives.
Many activities can address more than one, or even all three areas at once. Finding a couple of friends to walk with in the morning can help with being active and being connected. Helping with a weekly dinner for homeless people at a local church or community center can address all three areas. The key is to make a plan and stick with it before you find yourself dealing with mental health problems. If you are already struggling, begin to practice being active, being connected and being committed to helping your recovery.
