Your mental health is extremely important. Now more than ever, we're recognizing the devastating impact that mental illnesses like depression and addiction can have on individuals and on our society at large.
Yet many of us are not yet taking proper care of our mental health. Worse yet, many of us are actively weakening our mental health by making unnecessary mistakes. Here are five mistakes that you might be making — fix them fast, and enjoy a healthier mind as a result.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep deprivation can cause a laundry list of health issues, including both mental and physical health problems. For mental health in particular, not getting enough sleep is a major problem.
Without great sleep, you'll be more irritable and have more trouble controlling your moods. It will be more difficult to concentrate, and your performance at work or school may suffer. Plus, not getting enough sleep can worsen or bring on mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
So make the choice to get great sleep. Control your sleep environment and make sure that it's quiet, dark, and comfortable (if necessary, invest in a white noise machine and a sleep mask). Go to sleep at the same time every day, and wake up at the same time, too. Get into a rhythm, and get better mental health!
Drinking too much
Having a beer or two with friends is all well and good, but be careful: drinking too much can destroy your health. You probably already know that drinking is terrible for your body, but don't forget about your mind.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it can exacerbate depression and other mental illnesses. And addiction is a mental (and, in many cases, physical) illness that can be a consequence of drinking.
So keep alcohol consumption to a minimum: ideally, no more than three drinks in a day (up to four if you're a male) and no more than seven (or fourteen, for men) per week.
Avoiding therapy and professional care
If there's one mistake that far too many people make with their mental health, it's this one: not getting proper care. Therapy is for everyone, explain the experts at With Therapy. While therapy is great for addressing mental health issues like depression and anxiety, that is far from its only use.
Therapy is a great choice even for those with a clean bill of mental health. It's a proactive way to improve your mood, stress levels, relationships, and so much more. Invest in proper mental health care!
Working too hard
Want to stress yourself out and wreck your mental health? Then just keep working harder and harder without any (or enough) breaks.
We all want to get ahead at work and in life, but working long hours and not taking enough vacation time puts you at risk of burnout, a mental health condition with symptoms that include loss of interest at work and overwhelming anxiety. Pace yourself, set limits on work hours, and take vacations to protect your mind.
Eating poorly
When it comes to mental health, you are what you eat. Eating junk food will weaken not just your physical health, but your mind as well. A balanced and nourishing diet, on the other hand, will elevate your mood and keep your mind sharp.
To stay mentally and physically healthy, try to eat a lot of whole (unprocessed) foods, especially vegetables. And when you're eating, you should remember to do what you should be doing all day, every day: making your mental health a priority.
All of these points are just pieces of a larger picture. Making one mistake may not hurt much, but it’s important to focus on your physical health while seeking out professional resources like With Therapy to help build a healthier mental state.
