Improving Your Mental Health: What Can Help?

Mental health is about general psychological well-being. This includes one’s sense of well-being and a good ability to process feelings and manage relationships.

People in good mental health are able to control both behavior and emotions and deal with their problems more effectively.

To achieve stable mental health, we need to work on self-confidence, self-esteem and stress management. In the same way, building good relationships with other people is a fundamental pillar.

It’s important to know that being psychologically healthy means much more than just not being depressed or anxious. Let’s find out why!

Physical well-being is linked to mental health

There is a Latin saying that says, “Mens sana in corpore sana.” Translated, this means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” To achieve good mental health, we must not forget to take care of our bodies.

When the physical condition is improved, psychological well-being also increases. While many people don’t know this, exercise also has beneficial effects on the brain. It helps in the release of endorphins, the chemical substance of which affects mood.

A study at the University of the Basque Country found that exercise makes the brain feel gratitude.

It also activates the brain’s reward pathway, areas of moral cognition such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex. These are related to the experience of emotions and motivation.

Be careful with your habits

It is very important to see our bodies as a whole, rather than as separate parts. The human body works synchronously. Therefore, maintaining a good sleep pattern and a healthy diet are fundamental pillars of good mental health.

We must also avoid toxic habits. Consuming alcohol or other exciting stimulants will change your mental health. Doctors continue to insist that we should avoid them because, in addition to being an addiction problem, they can cause severe mood swings.

A scientific study (Spanish link) conducted in 2010 recommended yoga as an optimal treatment for addictions and bad habits, as we derive psychological and physical benefits from this therapy.

Reduce stress to improve your mental health

Today’s modern lifestyle makes everyday life full of stressful situations and anxiety. That is why it is essential to learn how to manage stress or at least reduce it a bit to improve our mental health and general well-being.

The idea is to compensate for all those negative feelings from our daily routine with little things that make us happy or help us relax. In this case, you can also try relaxing exercises such as yoga or Pilates.

In the same way, taking short trips outside the city or simply away from that negative environment can greatly improve the situation.

from your opinion

It’s normal to feel scared or nervous at times about expressing your opinion or feelings. No one wants to feel rejected or offend others in a group. That is why speaking freely is often a bit complicated.

However, keeping your feelings, preferences or ideas to yourself can cause mental health problems. So you have to learn to express yourself freely and without fear, because it will give you a feeling of freedom and calmness.

Therapies for your mental health

In addition to these tips, there are certain options that can help improve your mental health. First, there is psychotherapy. There are several varieties, but most offer similar benefits:

• It provides the tools needed to better manage conflict and change limiting beliefs.
• It provides support and confidentiality, which helps to respond.
• It is also very good to get to know yourself better.

Support groups are another alternative for improving your mental health. They are formed around a common concrete problem and offer friendships, support and examples on how to improve.

Medications are also essential for certain mental health problems. It establishes certain treatments based on scientific evidence, which significantly improve symptoms, although they depend on the type of condition and the patient. In some cases, hospital treatment may be required.

Conclusion

In short, each person benefits in different ways from certain measures or treatments. Therefore, if there is anything that jeopardizes your mental health, you should consult a specialist as soon as possible. Psychologists and psychiatrists are specialists who can help improve life and psychological well-being.