While the concept of mental health has existed for a long time, it’s become even more popular recently with the Olympics. With athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka being strong proponents of mental health, we’re convinced that it’s time for us to embrace a better mental state this fall. Here are 3 tips to improve your mental health this fall.
#1 Improve your physical health to boost your mental health
It’s a bit counter-intuitive but your mental health is strongly linked to your physical health. Having 8 hours of sleep each night, eating healthily, and staying active makes such a huge difference to your headspace. It makes you confident, alert, and productive. This is a great way to feel proud of yourself. In contrast to this, most people are ashamed when they eat terribly and are sleep-deprived. As the saying goes, your body is your vessel — so taking care of your body improves your mental health. The best way to cultivate these good habits is to take things step-by-step. For example, you can start leading an active lifestyle by finding a sport you enjoy. Another idea is setting timers on your phone every night to remind yourself to sleep on time. These small improvements will go miles in improving your physical and mental wellbeing.
#2 Connect with yourself
Mental health is about having a happier headspace — and what better way to do so than improving the quality of your thoughts? Connect with yourself on a daily basis and check in with your mind. This could be through an activity like meditation or bullet journaling. Having even just 5 minutes a day to connect with your thoughts is a great way to improve your mental health. You can reflect on your day and truly understand how you’re feeling. What did you feel proud of? What made you happy and not-so-happy? Are there solutions to these problems or can someone else guide you to solve them? This practice of reflection is a great way to encourage yourself and even find solutions to problems you faced in the day. Plus, if you find yourself straying into bad thoughts, these activities give you the opportunity to reframe your thinking and in the process, improve your mental well-being.
# Connect with others
There’s a huge stigma surrounding seeking professional help. But in reality, therapy is a great way to improve your mental health. Therapists often have years of experience and can trace out your thought process. More importantly, they can provide much-needed third-party views on your problems. This way, they can suggest perspectives or solutions you might have never even considered. However, not everyone is comfortable with traditional therapy, finding the environment too formal or stifling. If this is the case for you, try suggesting fun tools and techniques for your therapist to use to improve your comfort. A Timeqube, for example, is a mindful timer that changes color with the passing of time. This way, you and your therapist won’t be awkwardly glancing at watches or cutting each other off. Remember — therapy is about opening up to a professional, so make the experience your own!
