TAKE A PAUSE AND CHECK YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.
- Adetula Angel
- Oct 10, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 16, 2020
After being in lockdown for about five months, reverting to "normalcy" has been hard for most, especially since "normalcy" has to be redefined for some. For instance, it could mean beginning school again, but via laptop and earphones. Whether it is the stories on the news, exams coming up, deadlines closing in, or just being home alone on a Saturday, whatever stressful or destabilizing event you are going through, there comes a time to just pause, take a breath and relax. Today is World Mental Heath Day and I am going to be sharing with you some proven ways to boost your mental health.
Take a breath: You might think that this is an absurd coping method (you take a breath every second!), however, taking a deep breath is actually proven to reduce anxiety and stress. It is called 'focused breathing'. Quoting The American Institute of Stress, "Abdominal breathing for 20 to 30 minutes each day will reduce anxiety and reduce stress. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. Breathing techniques help you feel connected to your body—it brings your awareness away from the worries in your head and quiets your mind." So next time you are feeling stressed, take a break and practice your breathing!
Exercise: I can already hear the groans from all the lazy folks in the house, oh wait, it's coming from me. Despite how much I hate exercise, I try to take a walk in the sun or just do a ten minutes full body workout every morning. Aerobic exercises are not just for losing weight- they increase your metabolism, shape you up and raise your spirits. They make you look good and thereby, increase your body image. According to Harvard Health, exercise reduces the level of the body stress hormones and stimulates the production of endorphins- chemicals in the brain that are the body's mood elevators. You don't have to undergo intense workouts to relieve stress, you can just take a stroll in the sun/moonlight, dance in your living room or go for hike!
Gratitude: Getting a journal and just scribbling down all the things you are grateful for is a great way of elevating your mood. By taking your mind off the problems/work at hand and focusing it on all that we are thankful of, we are reminding ourselves of the good things in our life and this encourages us to face that challenge. An experiment carried out by Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, showed that the group of people who wrote down what they were grateful for for ten consecutive weeks actually had a more optimistic outlook on life than those who didn't. So get that book/ paper and write out all the things you are grateful for- this post better be among.
Meditate: Meditation does not always mean this:
There are actually different type of meditation that can help you reduce your stress. Once you find what works for you, all you do is get your self in a comfortable position, close your eyes and begin. Meditation apps, like Headspace and Calm, can be used to guide you through the meditation process. Why meditate? you may ask. Well, meditation helps us to be self-aware and focused. Also, according to cardiologist, Dr. Deepak Bhatt, "It (meditation) appears to produce changes in brain activity. It also can lower your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels, and levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress." To check out the types of meditation we have click HERE.
5. Reach out to people: Call your friends, disturb your family, venting out is my go-to stress therapy. Talking to people about how stressed you are or just sharing your feelings out loud to yourself is a great method to relieve stress. Release built-in tensions and you will find out that you actually feel a lot better!
Some others ways that you can relieve your stress and improve your mental health include taking a break, sleeping, lying in the sun and soaking in sunrays, or just munching on some healthy comfort food like nuts, dark chocolate and oatmeal. However take care not to overeat. You can also take the free popular Yale online course called, "The Science of Well-Being" on Coursera. While we strive to get all our activities done, we must also take a minute to ask ourselves if we are okay and learn to take a break when we are getting stressed out. Most people tend to overlook their mental health and they end up stressed out and frustrated. We must learn to look after not only after our physical health but our mental health also.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Our mental health is not something we openly talk about and that needs to change. Give us your feedback below and if you have your own stress therapy/reliever that wasn't mentioned here, please put it down in the comments section. If you need to reach out to someone, you can contact us with the chat button on the side of the screen. Once again, HAPPY WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY!
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