6 Great Habits to Boost Your Mental Health

The state of mental health in the United States is far from ideal — 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 kids ages 6-17 experience a mental health issue each year. As alarming, 1 in 20 experiences serious mental illness, which means the issue prevents them from functioning well in the world.

Whether you’re among the 21 million Americans who have depression, 40 million adults who have an anxiety disorder, or something else is affecting your mental well-being, there are some daily mental health practices that can help.

As mental health experts, our team at Point of View Mental Health can help you better navigate your mental health through experienced and compassionate care. The following are some steps you can take on your own to improve your state of mind.

1. Get moving

Your mental health can be greatly improved with exercise, and this fact is biological. When you exercise, your body releases natural feel-good hormones like endorphins. As well, you can release muscle tension in your body through exercise.

On top of these benefits, exercise can help improve your sleep, combat fatigue, and even enhance your cognitive function.

So, if you struggle with your mental health, take 30 minutes and go for a walk, ride a bike, or move however you like.

2. Go out in nature

If you want to double down on mental health benefits, take your exercise to the outdoors. Being in nature can soothe anxiety and relieve stress.

3. Turn off media from time to time

One of the main reasons our mental health is declining is because of the media. The news tends to cater to the negative, and social media is a hotbed of anger and anxiety.

So, to boost your mental health, turn off the news and put your screens away for a few hours each day.

4. Engage in mindfulness practices

Staying in the present can help you stay centered. Stress and anxiety often stem from worrying about the future, the past, or things that aren’t happening in the here and now.

We highly recommend you do what you can to stay in the present. Try targeted mindful practices like meditation or deep breathing. Or, engage in activities that keep you focused, such as playing music, doing puzzles, or whatever else grabs your entire attention.

5. Stay connected

When your mental health isn’t great, life can feel awfully lonely. A great mental health habit is staying connected with friends and family. And we don’t mean connecting through social media, but in person or on the phone with real conversations that extend beyond a few words of text.

6. Don’t delay getting help

Lastly, we urge you not to go it alone when it comes to your mental health. Over time, your brain can form unhealthy neural pathways that keep you stuck in a spiral. Our goal is to help your brain get unstuck and back onto healthier pathways through psychotherapy, counseling, medications, and other techniques that boost your mental health.

For a more tailored plan to help you lead a happier, stress-free life, we invite you to call our office in Scottsdale, Arizona, at 520-999-9114, or connect with us online. Please note that we offer telemedicine services throughout the state of Arizona.