CW: This article will discuss the affects of mental illness and well-being.
Mental health is rapidly increasing issue within modern day society, there are many factors that are suggested to be causing this increase. An example of this would be the stigma surrounding mental health that stops people from speaking out about it.
Why mental health is important to talk about
Mental health although talked about very little to others, is extremely important to open up about. Mental health problems can affect multiple areas such as physical health, relationships with people and overall daily living. On the other hand, all the factors just listed can have the opposite affect and be the solution for mental health, thus this why the ability to speak out is highly important and not let it bottle up inside you. By looking after your own mental health, you are able to enjoy life much more and achieve psychological resilience.
What may further contribute to poor mental health are depression, anxiety and high stress levels. The World Health Organisation stress that mental health is:
“more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.”
Here are some ways that may be beneficial in increasing mental well-being.
Increase social connections
It is highly important that when an individual is suffering from poor mental health, that they seek social interactions, including face-to-face contact as this can provide many benefits such as stress relief as well as increasing dopamine and serotonin levels. furthermore, it will take your mind off of things within your life. Being within a social situation also makes it easier to discuss situations and could also help those who you talk to about their own problems.
Some ideas to help with creating more social connections with people could be doing simple activities with your family, such as eating together rather than upstairs alone. You could arrange a social event with friends for a certain day and do something of enjoyment and fulfilling. With technology theses days it's easier than ever to keep in contact with friends too, as long as it's done in a healthy method and doesn't consume your life too much.
Ensuring to keep healthy and fit
Although many believe that going to the gym or doing a form of exercise is primarily for physical health, keeping active can do tremendous things for your mental well-being. There is evidence that shows keeping physically active can boost your self-esteem and therefore make you overall more confident within yourself. Many people hate running and that's understandable as not everyone has the same interests. However, there are plenty of exercises and different forms of workouts you can choose from, do what you enjoy the most.
Try find a new hobby
Individuals may often worry about things and have worse mental health when they are alone in their room doing nothing, this is why you should think about finding a new hobby to put your time to good use and relax your mind. There are a range of hobbies out there to try and choose from.
If you are in school, college or university, see what your friends enjoy doing and ask if you can join them. Universities often have lots of societies you can join which will allow you to discover a new hobby as well as meet new people. Remember to not force yourself to do something if you do not enjoy it, move on and try another hobby or activity elsewhere that you may enjoy and suits you more.
Surround yourself with positive people
Many people these days often find themselves surrounded around the wrong people but don't do anything about even when they know it is making them miserable and in result causing them to feel worse about themselves. In order to be successful in life, it is often said that you should surround yourself with those who obtain the same passion and aspiration to be successful. I believe the same goes for increasing mental well-being, you should surround yourself around people who generally make you feel more happy and better about yourself. Maybe finding friends who have similar hobbies or live healthy lifestyles would aspire you to choose the same path.
Ensure to seek help if needed
Lastly, be sure to seek out for help if everything becomes too much. You shouldn't bottle everything up and think that it's better to keep things inside. It's okay to not be okay. People who get appropriate help is always a step in the right direction. Here are some resources to aid with mental health that contain websites and numbers for services you can use.
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