When we talk about mental health we refer to your psychological wellbeing. Mental health can be seen as a continuum, like you might see physical health. You may from time to time, have periods of compromised, or poor mental health. If you have poor mental health is not, necessarily, a permanent condition. In much the same way as you might have a physical issue such as diabetes, you can manage the underlying condition to such an extent that it does not impact your experience of health.

We may all experience a reduction in mental health at some point in our lives. Stressful life events such as divorce, family conflicts, financial problems, legal challenges, death of a loved one, loss of a job, or accidents, can have a significant impact on your ability to maintain positive mental health.

What can you do to help booster your mental health?

Just like your physical health you can protect your mental health with various practices such as

Eating well – eat well, and eat regularly. Make sure you stay hydrated

Exercise – moderate exercise is good for producing dopamine, known as the happiness drug

Kind words – use ONLY kind and growth mindset words with yourself. Do not label yourself as a loser.

Be grateful – being grateful keeps us grounded, and helps us realise we have, and are, enough

Live in the now – there is no point trying to relive the past, or worry about the future. All you have to control, and experience is today.

Build positive connections – our relationships to other people help buffer us from stressful life events.

Volunteer – helping others less fortunate than yourself will make you feel better about yourself, and help you gain some perspective on potential first world problems.

Calming activities – engage in activities such as colouring, journaling, mediation.

Sleep – make sure you get enough sleep

Get help – you don’t avoid the doctor when you feel physically unwell, so seek help if you feel that your mental health has been compromised.

Watch for the warning signs – monitor your moods over a few days, or longer. Everyone has bad days, see how long it takes you to bounce back. If you don’t seek help.

Avoid those chemicals and practices which compromise mental health.

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