Did you spend 2018 feeling stressed out, tired, or blue? Seize the coming of the New Year to commit to shifting focus to better mental wellness. Times have changed. We are connected to work via our phones 24/7, barraged with bad news when every time we turn on the tv, and juggling hectic lives. Quite frankly, this fast pace overwhelms even the calmest of people.
Add to that traumatic events, deaths in the family, break-ups, or even injuries and life starts to feel almost unmanageable. Well-intentioned friends offer advice to “don’t be so hard on yourself,” “take a deep breath,” or “calm down.” They mean well, but their words of wisdom leave you feeling even worse about your ability to deal with everything going on.
Put that in the past! Turn over to this new chapter. Instead of sharing the same general advice that your friends and family share, we are giving you some actionable tips that can pull you out of this tailspin and find better mental wellness this year.
1 – Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Remember that there is no shame in asking for help. If you feel genuinely hopeless or overwhelmed, seek counseling. Talking with an impartial person who’s specially trained to help you manage your feelings offers therapeutic benefits.
Check at work to see if you have an employee helpline, which is often free. If you don’t, most healthcare providers offer mental wellness coverage. Check with them, and they can help you find the necessary resources to get those overwhelming emotions in check.
2 – Try nutritional supplements that “feed” your brain
When your body is nutritionally unbalanced, the brain experiences difficulty in processing thoughts and emotions. A nutritional imbalance can lead to your feeling anxious, stressed, depressed, or overwhelmed.
In particular, a lack of Vitamin B Complex vitamins can cause a downward shift in brain function. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to consume a diet which meets your daily needs for the B complex vitamins.
Worse yet, this deficiency frequently remains undetected even when you mention your feelings of depression or anxiety to your doctor. Therefore, consider investing in a drug-free supplemental product like ReCalm, which restores your Vitamin B levels and can stabilize your mood, boost your energy level, and restore general peace of mind.
In addition to feeling well emotionally, the B vitamins (especially B9—better known as folic acid) contributes to battling heart attacks, strokes, and some types of cancers.
3 – Aim for eight
Aim for eight hours of nightly sleep. While you’re sleeping, a couple of crucial things happen inside your body.
First, your respiration and heart rate slow down. This period gives your entire circulatory and respiratory systems the opportunity to slow down for a short time. Your sleeping hours are the only chance these systems get to work at a relaxed pace. This allows these functions peak operation during your waking hours, and efficient delivery of blood is essential to a healthy brain.
Second, while you are asleep, your brain is very busy “making repairs.” Your brain sends neurotransmitters out to begin cellular repair to restore your body to its best physical wellness. Optimizations occur in your circulatory system, immune system, respiratory system, nervous system, muscles and tissue, and skin. When you feel better rested physically, you will perform better mentally. So, now you know why it is that you feel so great after you’ve awakened from an extra-long, cozy night of slumber. It’s an essential key to mental wellness.
4 – Schedule time for yourself
Do you ever feel like a hamster who’s spinning on an endless wheel to nowhere? It’s time to slow down, hop off the wheel, and enjoy some time doing whatever it is that relaxes you.
Many of us struggle with finding quiet time for ourselves. We feel we’re depriving the kids, our spouse, or even our boss of time that should be devoted to them.
However important all those other people are to you, you should also make yourself a priority. Block fifteen to thirty minutes each day to indulge in your own relaxation. It can be an extra-long shower or bubble bath, reading a non-work-related book, spending time walking in the woods, or whatever other quiet, solitary activity you love. No kids. No partner. No boss. No cell phone. You will be delighted once you experience how great it feels to treat yourself as well as you treat everyone else!
5 – Join the gym
If you struggle with feeling blue, joining a gym or exercise class can boost your emotions. Many of you may feel that gyms are scary. The equipment is unfamiliar and regulars there are buff and can outperform you in athletic activities. Well, that might all be true. But remember that they started just like you, and many of them are glad to “coach” you and share stories of their path to fitness.
You know that exercise is essential to physical wellness. It turns out, it’s vital for your mental wellness, as well. As you work out, the physical strain causes your body to produce and release endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s way of coping with pain and allow you to continue a workout even once it becomes uncomfortable. Once endorphins are released into your body, you will experience an emotional peak. In turn, you will feel diminished stress and depression, you’ll sleep better, and you will feel ready to tackle the next challenge.
Don’t let the fear of the gym keep you from engaging in regular exercise. It really does help you get and stay fit—body, mind, and soul.
Better mental wellness and physical wellness truly go hand in hand. Most of the tips we shared today involve actions that you have control of and can take to bring about the positive changes that you are striving to achieve.
The choice is yours. Do you want to try one or two of these tips or all of them? The combination that works best for you is yet to be determined. Remember that you “own” the responsibility for your ultimate mental wellness.