Tips to protect
Mental Health
Protecting mental health is essential for overall well-being, particularly during challenging times. Tips to protect mental health include practicing self-care, staying connected with loved ones, and seeking professional help when needed. This section offers practical advice for managing stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, including tips for establishing healthy habits, setting boundaries, and coping with change. By prioritizing mental health and implementing these tips, individuals can improve their resilience, maintain their well-being, and thrive in their daily lives.
Focus on the
positive in your life
Focusing on the positive sounds cliche and meaningless, yet it is a powerful tool that triggers mood balance. While some will only see the negative in a situation, others will see the positive.
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Is the glass half-empty or half-full? The answer is a representation of the possibilities we have to analyze situations.
Positive thinking is a daily exercise, made of inner work, and persistence, that truly empowers our mental and emotional well-being.
Here are some tips that will help you focus on the positive:
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1. Practice Gratitude
Research has shown that practicing gratitude can have a range of benefits, including improved mood, reduced stress, increased resilience, and better overall well-being. So if you're looking for a simple way to boost your mental and emotional health, incorporating gratitude into your daily routine may be a great place to start. Make a habit of reflecting on the good things in your life. There are several ways to practice gratitude, and different techniques may work better for different people.
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Set aside a few minutes each day to write down things you're grateful for. This can be as simple as a short list of three things, or a more detailed journal entry reflecting on the positive aspects of your day.
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Set aside a few minutes each day to sit in silence and focus on things you're grateful for. This can involve silently repeating a gratitude mantra, or simply visualizing positive aspects of your life.
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Express gratitude to others: Take time to thank others for the positive things they bring into your life. This might involve writing a thank-you note, sending an email or text message, or expressing gratitude in person.
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2. Reframe negative thoughts
The human mind is a complex and multifaceted system that involves various cognitive processes. While there is still much that is not fully understood about the mind, there is evidence to suggest that the messages we send to our minds can have a significant impact on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When you find yourself having negative thoughts, try to reframe them in a more positive light. For example, if you consistently send negative messages to our minds, such as « I am not good enough » or « this is so hard, I can’t make it ». You may begin to believe these messages and develop negative self-Talk, which can lead to low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness. On the other hand, a message like «I can do this » develop a more optimistic outlook and greater self-confidence.
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3. Surround yourself with positivity
Seek out friends and colleagues who have a positive outlook on life and who support you and encourage you, and stay away from those who always make things feel hard to do, and constantly have a pessimistic view about the future. Engage in activities that bring you joy, and make time for hobbies, they have a powerful effect on triggering a good mood.
Acts of
Kindness
Performing acts of kindness can increase feelings of happiness, improve self-esteem, reduce symptoms of depression, and decrease stress.
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When we perform acts of kindness, such as helping someone in need, volunteering, or simply being kind to others, it activates the reward centers in our brain and releases the “feeling-good” hormones.
Moreover, acts of kindness can also increase our social connections and sense of community, which can help to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. This social support can be especially important in times of stress or difficulty.
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In addition, practicing kindness can lead to a positive feedback loop, where the recipient of the kindness may feel inspired to pay it forward and perform their own acts of kindness, which can create a ripple effect of positive energy and promote greater well-being for everyone involved.
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Overall, incorporating acts of kindness into our daily lives can be a simple yet powerful way to promote our own mental health and well-being, as well as the well-being of those around us.​
Connect
to Nature
Nature is for everyone. A professor of psychology and environmental studies at Oberlin College in Ohio notes “Spending time in nature has cognitive benefits, but it also has emotional and existential benefits that go beyond just being able to solve arithmetic problems more quickly”.
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In a review of the research, Gregory Bratman, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, and colleagues shared evidence that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress (Science Advances, Vol. 5, No. 7, 2019).
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More researches show that images of nature are beneficial , and provide calming effects ...
Go to near green places , go hiking with friends , walk in forests…This guide was produced by WWF-UK and the Mental Health Foundation in collaboration. Thriving-With-Nature.pdf It is a very interesting guide that helps you connect with nature through seasons , where you can find for each season : Seasonal activities , Personal story, and a Space for you.
Doing What Matters
in Times of Stress
(Who.int)
Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide is a stress management guide for coping with adversity created by the world health organization. The guide aims to equip people with practical skills to help cope with stress. A few minutes each day are enough to practice self-help techniques. The guide can be used alone or with the accompanying audio exercises.
Informed by evidence and extensive field testing, the guide is for anyone who experiences stress, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.
Don’t hesitate to try it , it is free and available for everyone .
Practice
Self-Care
By making self-care a priority, you can cultivate a sense of well-being and resilience that can help you navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and grace. Here are some ways that will help you take good care of yourself
1. Get enough sleep
Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night with a regular ‘Time to sleep’ schedule. Research has shown that sleep and mental health are closely interconnected. Improving sleep quality by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and practicing relaxation techniques, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing meditation or deep breathing exercises, reduces the risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Good quality of sleep helps also regulate emotions by reducing the intensity of negative emotions associated with a bad memory, for example, and contextualizing it by integrating it with existing knowledge and experiences. To promote sleep quality, It’s best to avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bedtime. This can help reduce exposure to blue light, which can interfere with the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep, and therefore increases feelings of alertness and wakefulness.
Follow these tips over the next 30 days to help improve your sleep and feel more energized !
30 Days to a Well-Rested You (albertahealthservices.ca)
2. Exercise regularly
Physical activity can help release positive chemicals in the brain, such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, which can improve mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. It also reduces levels of Stress hormones such as Cortisol, which helps individuals cope with stressful situations more effectively. You can practice whatever sport you like: jogging, walking or basketball… Most important is to stay active, exercise can improve self-esteem and confidence, as individuals often feel better about themselves and their bodies. A very helpful point about sports is that it helps getting a better sleep. Joining a fitness class or sports team can provide opportunities for social interaction and connections.
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3. Eat healthy
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that there is a link between healthy food and mental health. Here are a few ways in which healthy food can support mental health.
It provides key nutrients: A balanced and varied diet that includes nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, can provide the vitamins and minerals needed to support brain function and improve mental health.
It reduces inflammation: Chronic inflammation has been linked to a range of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. Eating a diet that is rich in anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, can help to reduce inflammation in the body and support mental health.
It promotes gut health: The gut and brain are connected through the gut-brain axis, which means that what we eat can affect our mood and mental health. Eating a diet that is high in fiber and fermented foods, such as yogurt and kimchi, can promote a healthy gut microbiome, which has been linked to improved mental health.
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It improves blood sugar control: Fluctuations in blood sugar can affect mood and energy levels, and have been linked to an increased risk of depression and anxiety. Eating a diet that is low in processed sugars and refined carbohydrates, and high in fiber and protein, can help to regulate blood sugar levels and improve mental health.
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4. Practice self-compassion
Be kind to yourself, talk to yourself gently, like a mom would comfort her baby, and reward yourself with every baby step you make, as small as it may be. Be proud of yourself, say it out loud, take 5 minutes each day and look at the mirror, and say it out loud: « I am proud of what I made, I can still do more and better ». Allow yourself to feel tired, take breaks, they help more than you can think.
Avoid Drugs
and Alcohol
Drugs and Alcohol give a temporary feeling of relief , they help feeling good , and most of the time , the users consume it to avoid thinking of their own problems . But they forget that drugs can be highly addictive , and people with substance use disorders may experience mood swings, and other mental health problems , such as anxiety and depression , as a result of their addiction.
Drugs lead to impaired judgment and decision-making , and suffer from physical health problems … All these reasons show that Drugs are NOT the solution.
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Instead , try to connect with people you trust , with friends , share your worries with closed ones , this will help you regulate your thoughts . Exercise, eat healthy , get enough sleep , meditate, make time for hobbies … Or ask for professional help, don’t be ashamed to do it as soon as you start to feel the need of help.
Ask for
help
DON’T hesitate to ask for professional help, The sooner, the better!
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When you start to feel symptoms like sadness, sleeping disorder , change in appetite, dark thoughts, or feelings of consistent anxiety, feeling worried , down , or “not yourself anymore” for several weeks. Or the way you’re feeling is affecting your ability to cope at work , school or in your relationships … Seek help , it won’t harm , and it will surely make you feel better !