With so many rife and strife going on in the world today, it’s understandably easy for people to break down with the inability to cope with what’s going on in their lives. It’s indeed worrying to discover that one in five people are using medication to deal with their anxiety, depression and other states of mental illness. Here are some natural steps you can take to ensure optimal mental health instead of resorting to drugs.
Love yourself first
How many times have you been given compliments such as: “You look great today!” only to respond hastily: “Oh, it’s nothing really”? Studies showed that two out of three people tend to respond in a self-deflecting manner every time they have been complimented. This does not show any self-love at all, so instead of denying it, why not thank the complimenter and take it as a genuine remark?
Loving yourself means treating yourself with kindness and respect, and avoiding all forms of self-criticism. Widen your horizons. And whether it’s an ice cream cone or a holiday in an exotic locale, don’t be afraid to treat yourself once in a while.
Discover your life purpose
Being unmotivated and living life aimlessly can affect your mental wellbeing. Research shows that those who are passionate about life and go about each day with a purpose record less instances of depression and psychosis. You may not need a psychic character reading to tell you what your life’s purpose is, but one of the best and most natural ways to do so is by stepping outside your personal bubble.
This personal bubble can be likened to our comfort zone. In our personal bubble, we create and define the boundaries of a seemingly perfect and comfortable world. Most of us are afraid to step outside and explore because we fear the discomfort that comes with it, but if we look at the big picture and see that our personal desires are pretty trivial at times, we’ll be able to our true purpose in life, and that is to not only serve our personal desires.
In other words, once we get rid of discomfort and fears that tie us down, we would be able to tie ourselves to a bigger purpose.
Take care of your body
There is a famous saying: “The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.” In order to have optimal mental health, we should constantly be taking care of our body. To start of, we should:
- Have nutritious, well–balanced meals. Eat at regular intervals and try not to indulge in heavy meals before bedtime. Drink plenty of water – if you find it difficult, add a couple slices of lemon and cucumber to a glass of cool water for a big difference in taste.
- Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke
- Exercise regularly, even if you’re busy. Brisk walking for 15 minutes a day will do wonders.
- Sleep well. Keep all aspects of your working life outside your bedroom and “switch off” completely before sleeping, and that means no twiddling with your electronic devices.
Surround yourself with positive aspects in life
Surround yourself with positive people so that you’ll get plenty of support. Your family should be your primary source of support, but you may also want to network with like-minded people so do take the time to join support or hobby groups.
Meditate
Allocate a specific time for this. Once you’ve gotten down the basics of meditation, you’ll most likely find self-doubt creeping up on you. Don’t dwell too much on the results, but focus on the experience and learn to let go.
Forgive others
For some, showing forgiveness may mean showing power. For others, forgiveness may be seen as a means to shirk one’s responsibility. But what many do not know is that forgiveness brings about a force of good in the world. When you learn to let go of the destructive feelings of vengeance, you’ll be at peace, both mentally and physically.
