3 Tips For Improving Your Mental Health

3 Tips For Improving Your Mental Health

OK, so here we are in Mental Health Awareness Month, brought to us since 1949 by Mental Health America. All well and good, but what with getting back into the office after 2+ years of pandemic-related isolation, and inflation, and whatever else is getting on our nerves today, there’s just no time for taking a mental health break.

That’s the problem — the stresses and strains of today are exactly the right time to be focusing on mental health. How we feel affects every decision we make. If our stress is so high we yell at the person in front of us in traffic for not moving as fast as we’d like, or find ourselves arguing with a nature documentary, it’s time to reprioritize mental health.

Here are three fast ways to start looking at our psycho-emotional state and get back into alignment:

Kick The (Bad) Habits: Garbage in, garbage out. If all you’re eating is fast, overly processed food (“I’m so busy!!”), rethink the plate. More fruit, more vegetables, less salt, less sugar. This doesn’t mean you have to go on the latest “I Lost 10 Pounds In An Hour!!” post-COVID fad diet, just that it’s time to pay more attention to what you’re eating.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: Heard this one? It’ll be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you’re only getting a few hours of sleep a night. The occasional all-nighter for a huge deadline is one thing, but if you’re routinely burning the midnight oil, your health will suffer.

See Something? Do Something: An estimated 44 million Americans suffer from some kind of mental disorder. That means if you’re feeling out of sorts, whether that’s a lethargy you can’t kick or being angry at everything, you’re not the only one. According to Mental Health America, some of the signs that may point to trouble include: confused thinking, prolonged sadness or irritability, feelings of extreme highs or lows, excessive anxiety and social withdrawal.

If you think you may need help, err on the side of caution and reach out. Your employer may have an EAP program, or your health insurer can put you in touch with a therapist in your community. If those options aren’t available, Mental Health America strongly recommends calling call 911 or going to the nearest emergency room if you are in crisis or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, or text MHA to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line.

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