One of the most important things that you can do to improve your mental health is to find activities you enjoy. There are so many different kinds of activities to do those peoples enjoy doing that, it’s difficult to choose just one, and if you’re a passionate person, then you could easily spend your day doing all sorts of activities.
Recent research suggests that the mental health of an individual can be impacted significantly by a number of factors and daily activities, including the amount of time spent in front of a computer. In fact, the average American spends an average of 51 hours on a computer each week. And while many people would tell you that a computer screen is just a screen, it is much more than that. However, some mental health activities and unique health tips that you might find useful, and are discussed in this article.
There are so many different types of mental health issues out there. Some are physical and some are psychological. But even a physical issue can feel chronic like an illness. Check out these 7 ways to improve your mental health:
- Take walks
- Drink water
- Take enough sleep
- Meditation
- Play games
- Listen to music
- Reading books
Take Walks – To Improve Mental Health
The human brain is unique amongst all organs of the body. As we age, our brains begin to shrink. Not only does this affect our quality of life, but it can ultimately increase the risk of dementia. Walking provides a wide variety of cognitive benefits including improved your mental health, attention span, executive function, problem-solving, motor skills, and creativity. Furthermore, walking is often prescribed as a treatment for depression as well.
- Memory Improvement
There have been countless studies proving that walking helps improve memory and thinking power. Studies show that people who walk regularly are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease than those who do not exercise at all. Researchers believe that the increased blood flow caused by walking increases oxygen levels in the brain, leading to improve mental health.
One study demonstrated that just 10 minutes of daily aerobic activity could reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 30 percent! (Alzheimer’s Association). Moreover, walking enhances neurogenesis, or brain cell generation, which means that if you start exercising now, you may actually help prevent future memory loss.
- Attention Span
Walking also significantly reduces symptoms of attention deficit disorder. A study published in Current Biology suggests that walking might even improve ADHD symptoms among children. Researchers suggest that the benefits of walking may stem from walking’s role in increasing dopamine production, which in turn increases concentration.
Many doctors recommend brisk walking for patients suffering from anxiety and depression. There is no doubt that walking is incredibly effective in reducing both short-term and long-term anxiety. According to a study conducted by researchers at UCLA, three months of walking resulted in significant improvements in mood and anxiety. Doing enough walking on daily basis leads you to improve your mental health.
- Executive Functioning
In addition to improving your mental health, walking also improves your ability to perform complex tasks. One study found that after just six weeks of walking two hours per week, participants had significantly improved performance on standardized tests of executive functioning. Researchers theorized that walking stimulates the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with higher-level cognition.
Furthermore, walking has also been shown to improve the ability to solve problems. Research has suggested that walking enhances problem-solving abilities by improving working memory and by encouraging deep, focused thought.
According to many experts, walking is the perfect exercise for people who want to lose weight. Walking burns calories at a rate of about 250 per hour. Experts claim that people who walk regularly tend to shed pounds faster than those who use other exercise methods.
It seems that walking is great for almost everyone. People who walk regularly report feeling much happier than those who don’t. Walking is also proven to be effective in helping people quit smoking. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that smokers who walked for 15 minutes each day were 50% less likely to relapse compared to those who did not exercise.
Drink Water
Water is considered the basic building block of our bodies. Without drinking enough water, people suffer from dehydration. Dehydration impacts all aspects of daily functioning, including attention span, memory, thinking, and mood. To improve mental health, one must drink enough water per day to stay hydrated.
- Reducing stress levels
When we feel stressed out, we tend to drink more alcohol and coffee, both of which have negative effects on our minds and body. Drinking water helps us reduce stress levels and focus on things that matter instead of focusing on everything around us, and helps to improve mental health. It is estimated that for the average person, drinking 5-8 glasses of water per day is necessary for their mental health.
- Improving brain function
Our brains need plenty of oxygen and glucose to work properly and efficiently. When we keep ourselves dehydrated, our brains don’t get enough oxygen and glucose. In fact, research shows that even mild dehydration can lead to impaired cognitive performance. Hence for good mental health tips drink at least 250 ml (9 fl oz) of water before any physical activity.
Take Enough Sleep
If you want to improve your mental health and work well, then you must also follow this mental health tip, and you need to get enough sleep. You need to be able to stay awake and alert in order to focus and be able to do your job well. When you’re tired, you can make mistakes and you’ll miss out on things that you can do well.
Your brain is the most important organ in your body and it needs rest. In order to improve your mental health, you need to get enough sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can suffer from a range of issues such as poor concentration, insomnia, anxiety etc.
- Sleep deprivation causes depression
Sleep deprivation can cause depression. When you are not sleeping well, your body produces less serotonin and melatonin. These chemicals keep your mood balanced. Without these chemicals, your brain produces more cortisol (a hormone associated with stress). Cortisol makes your mind feel anxious and stressed out. As a result, your brain becomes overworked, causing you to feel depressed. So, in order to improve mental health, you must get enough sleep to relax your mind.
- Get enough sleep
If you want to improve your mental health, get enough sleep. This is considered one of the most important mental health activities and tips. A good night’s rest helps your body produce more serotonin and melatonin; two hormones that help balance your emotions. Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels. Stressful situations increase cortisol even further, making it harder to fall asleep. Try to go to bed earlier than usual and wake up early in order to make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
Sleep is a very important part of your health. You need enough sleep to be well rested, so you can do your best work. You can’t do your best work if you’re tired or unrefreshed. It’s important to get enough sleep to improve your mental health so that you’re able to produce great results. When you get enough sleep, you can be more creative, and more productive.
When it comes to improving your mental health, getting enough sleep is vital. According to the American Psychological Association, lack of sleep can negatively impact a person’s mental health, and it can even damage their physical health. It can also negatively impact a person’s performance at work.
Meditation
The goal of meditation is to train our minds to become calm and focused without being distracted while maintaining awareness of our surroundings. By learning how to meditate regularly we can achieve many goals, including helping to improve mental health. Meditation helps us deal with everyday stress, and reduces anxiety. It can also improve focus. There are many types of meditation techniques, some involve sitting quietly with only our thoughts, and others involve visualization, breathing exercises, and chanting mantras (words).
Here are the top benefits of meditation: –
- Reduces Stress
For improving mental health, another important mental health tip is to reduce stress levels in our bodies, meditation helps us cope with day-to-day challenges and enables us to remain relaxed. Meditation can help reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, fatigue, and pain. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by stressful situations, try meditation to improve mental health.
- Improves Focus
When we meditate, we learn to control our attention. This means we are able to concentrate our thoughts and stay on task until completion. We develop focus skills and become more aware of what is going on around us. Meditating gives us a sense of stillness and inner peace.
- Boosts Mood
We are hardwired to feel positive emotions, whether we are happy, sad, angry, or ecstatic. Our brain releases endorphins and serotonin, hormones that make us feel good and help us to improve mental health. As time passes, these chemicals in our body decrease over time, causing mood swings and irritability. A regular habit of meditation helps to maintain optimal psychological health and increases feelings of happiness.
- Helps Sleep Better
A 2013 study suggests that practicing mindfulness meditation may help people fall asleep faster. Researchers say they believe this happens because mindfully focusing on calming sensations in their bodies before bedtime can lead to a reduction in anxiety. Mindfulness meditation also aids sleep quality by reducing stress and fear. As a result, we are less likely to wake up during the night and toss and turn.
Improve Mental Health – By Playing Games
Another great activity to improve mental health is playing games, but only if you understand the mental health implications. Games that are designed to improve mental health may be fun and entertaining, but they can also cause a lot of problems. The most important thing is to make sure you understand the risks and benefits of these games.
People who play a lot of video games or engage in other forms of mental health activities can often have a better sense of well-being than those who don’t. Video games can offer people lots of ways to improve their skills, mood, and even their ability to deal with stressful situations. These mental health activities can often help people feel better and stay that way. It’s also important to remember that playing video games is fun and you don’t have to spend a lot of time on them.
Listen To Music
Music is an excellent way to improve your mental health, and it’s one of the best ways to boost your energy. It helps you to relax and to slow down your mind. Listening to music also allows you to focus on the present moment and can help you to focus on what you’re doing and concentrate on the task at hand. It’s also a great way to take a break from everyday life.
When you’re listening to music, your brain is processing the same things that it is when you’re actively doing something. There’s a difference between listening to music and processing it.
- Music therapy
Music therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses music to achieve therapeutic goals for patients with emotional, cognitive, social, physical, behavioral problems, etc. Studies have shown that listening to certain types of music can help improve a patient’s mental health.
- Music boosts mood
According to research, persons who listen to music while working out actually experience happier outcomes than those who do not. Researchers think that a number of factors, including as feeling less lonely and having higher self-esteem, may contribute to this. It is also demonstrated that enjoying good music can help you to improve your mental health.
- Music relaxes the body
Listening to relaxing music can make you feel relaxed and reduce blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, some studies have shown that listening to soothing music can increase mental health.
- Music can fight depression and anxiety
Research suggests that a combination of slow and fast-paced beats can help treat depression. Slow music creates a sense of calmness and relaxation in listeners. Fast music, on the other hand, increases the listener’s heart rate and respiration, thus triggering serotonin production.
Reading Books
Reading is one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. A study at the University of Illinois found that reading for three to five minutes a day can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and boost cognitive functionality.
Good books make good people:
You learn about what’s going on in the world from reading books. It helps you become a well-rounded person. There are many different types of books to read; however, certain types of books are more helpful than others depending on your mood, desires, and goals. There are five types of books:
a) Fiction
b) Nonfiction
c) Biography
d) Self-help/Self-improvement
e) Comics/graphic novels/anime/manga
f) Memoir
If you want to improve yourself mentally, start out with fiction. Reading fiction provides insight and understanding into how other people think in a way that nonfiction does not allow. A lot of fiction focuses on real issues in society and tells stories about individuals trying to navigate their life and change it for the better. Even if you don’t agree completely with the message being conveyed, you’ll get a sense of what others have gone through and how they’ve been able to overcome adversity.
If you’re interested in biographies, look at books written about historical figures who worked towards making the world a better place. Biographies will teach you about great leaders, and influential people, and how their lives shaped the world.
If you want to understand how to improve mental health and live a healthier lifestyle, go for self-help/self-improvement books. These books focus on helping you develop positive character traits, manage stressful situations you may encounter, and make changes that benefit your mental health and wellbeing.
While comics can help you relieve stress, they also provide a safe environment to explore ideas and emotions you might not feel comfortable expressing otherwise.
Manga and anime can help ease anxiety and depression by exploring characters you identify with, and help you to increase your mental health. Memoirs take you back to an event or period in your life and let you relive memories without judgment, guilt, or fear.
