How To Maintain Good Mental Health In Hard Times.

It is true what some people say, that ‘life is not a bed of roses.’ Hard times are a part of our existence on earth.

Learning how to maintain good mental health during hard and challenging times will determine the quality of your life.

There are many people in our hospitals today who have allowed hard times to wreck their health.

According to Dr. Alexis Carlyle, people who do not know how to deal with their worries die young.

As the world grapples with one hard time after another, learning to practice good mental health is paramount.

Today many people work from home, which can come with its pressures and challenges. Knowing how to handle the work/life balance is key.

The following tips will help you maintain good mental health:

Avoid Negative People.

Our world is full of prophets of doom. These are people who have nothing but bad news to peddle. 

The internet has become their main arsenal. To keep your sanity, learn to stay away from people like that.

Make Friends with Positive People

While negative people will turn you into a worrywart, positive people, on the other hand, will always make you see the brighter side of life.

Exercise.

A large body of research has shown that exercise is not only good for our physical health but also performs wonders for our mental health.

One of the factors that negatively affect our mental health is stress. Every day our bodies come under severe pressure from daily activities.

Stress is the body’s natural response to pressure or danger. Stress, however, when prolonged, causes problems in the body. 

Regular exercise can help the body to release essential chemicals and hormones that protect the body from the adverse effects of stress and anxiety.

Rest.

The world is going crazy right now. There seems to be a competition of who will work the longest without rest.

There is a widespread misconception that for you to get your job done well, you must exert effort to the point of physical exhaustion, else you have failed.

Fewer people are getting the adequate amount of sleep and rest required for the overall health of the body.

Lack of proper rest and sleep does not allow the body the opportunity to rest and repair itself. Sleep and rest deprivation affects your mental health by causing irritability, stress, depression, and anxiety.

According to Dr. Edmund Jacobson, the author of ‘You Must Relax’, nervous or emotional state, “fails to exist in the presence of complete relaxation”.

There is no cheating nature. When you fail to sleep or rest, it disrupts the functions of other parts of the body in the long run.

Avoid a Sedentary Lifestyle.

A 2014 Reuters report linked a sedentary lifestyle to depression. According to the report, an analysis of dozens of studies involving thousands of participants revealed a link between sedentary behavior and depression.

Those who have sedentary jobs like lawyers should learn important health tips that will help them avoid the risk of mental health problems.

Sedentary workers suffer emotional problems like boredom, anxiety, resentment, low productivity, nervous headaches, etc.

Be Content.

One of the most significant causes of depression and unhappiness is lack of contentment.

Contentment has to do with being happy and satisfied with what you have. Being content will help your mental and emotional state to be at ease with every situation you find yourself.

So while others are panicking and going through an emotional breakdown because of their current situation, a content man is always calm.

Help Others and do Good.

A growing body of research has shown that acts of kindness are good for one’s mental health.

The findings all point to the fact that helping others creates a healthy diversion from oneself, thereby helping in reducing depression and anxiety.

Develop Healthy Relationships.

Having a healthy social relationship has been shown to have a positive influence on the mental health of people.

People who spend quality time with their families and friends develop fewer mental health issues than those who do not, or who have abusive partners.

The knowledge of having loved ones around can give one peace of mind and a sense of security.

Feelings of loneliness and abandonment exacerbate mental health problems. Having a robust social network is a sound support system and coping mechanism during hard times.

Finally.

There is a connection between our minds and our bodies, and when you practice good mental health, your body benefits, and vice versa. 

The world is full of situations that make us worry. But most of the things we worry about never come to pass.

Remember that those who survive pandemics, economic crises, wars, and plagues are not necessarily the strongest physically, but those who learn to live one day at a time.

Photo by Alachua County