As a whole, it seems like everyone’s mental health has taken a nose dive right now. It’s terrible. And we have no idea if this is long-term or in some cases, even fixable at all.
If this sounds familiar, you have to start looking at ways to improve your mental health, so you can keep going. While these quick boosts I’ll be talking about today won’t help you long-term, they will help you keep working. If they don’t or if you are experiencing symptoms for a long period of time, then it’s time to talk to a health professional. And I’m certainly not that.
But if you just want some boosts to help you get through, then let’s talk about it.
Breathing through your nose
When I’m about to burst and tell someone off, the very first thing I do is start breathing through my nose. This is a trick that I picked up from my years of taking yoga. Every class started with breathing through your nose to get you focused on the task at hand.
That still works for me and it’s not just for yoga. The practice naturally calms me down and prevents emotional outbursts. And being calm helps me get work done. I just feel better when I take a few minutes to breathe through my nose. In fact, writing this has reminded me that a good breathe session would feel great right now, so I’m gonna go do that.
Get outside for mental health
My daughter’s favorite thing to say at about five o’clock every day is, “Look, Mama! It’s dark!” Every. Single. Day. Because it is darker earlier and we aren’t getting enough sunlight. And that can make a huge difference for our mental health. It’s not unusual to feel sadder just because of this.
So get outside and enjoy the sun during the day. Just a few minutes of this can be enough to give you the boost you need to get stuff done.
The sun is such a powerful tool in your mental health battles and using it liberally can sometimes be enough to help.
Go for a walk
And while you’re out enjoying what the sun can give you, it’s a great idea to get a walk in as well.
Getting your blood pumping with light exercise just naturally helps when you’re dealing with the seasonal blues. That’s one of the reasons why I like running. I can always tell when I haven’t been running enough because I start feeling really bad about myself. Just one run a week is enough to help my mental health.
And it doesn’t have to be walking or running you do. Do what is fun for you. Is it dancing in your office? Is it jumping on your trampoline? Just do it without judging it. Your mental health is too important to wonder if what you are doing is cool.
Drink water
If you’re exercising, you’re going to need to drink some water. The two just go hand-in-hand.
But also depression and dehydration tend to go hand-in-hand. When I’m not feeling like myself, one the first things I do is stop drinking water. That’s enough to start the ball rolling down the hill, and I stop taking care of myself.
The reverse can be true though. I can be down in the pits, but a simple drink of water can be the thing that can get me to start taking a step back up that hill. So that first drink makes me feel a little better and makes me think about the next thing that will make me feel better. The smallest action can get you to do the next action.
Change your environment for mental health
Whenever I’m really stuck with work, I change where I’m working. That change of environment is enough to get things shaken up in my mind so I can get back to work again.
It can certainly use for a mood booster as well. This is especially true when you go from working in a solitary location to working with people around you. I personally work best when alone, but my brain works in a different way when I’m around people. If I can pop my earbuds in while blasting absolutely nothing and listen to people, I reconnect with how real people talk and what they talk about. For a social media manager, this is seriously a goldmine of information.
The different environmental outputs as a whole can refocus you while giving you new ideas. For me, that’s a great way to quickly improve my mental health.
Talk to someone
Who makes you feel good? Who listens to you with no judgment? Invite them out for a cup of coffee or something similar.
Don’t just text them. We are naturally social creatures and the give and take of an in-person conversation just scratches an itch that text does not.
Don’t just call them. Yes, calling is better than text. But in-person is still superior. Getting the whole package of conversation, including the nonverbal cues you can’t see over the phone, will give you much needed context for what is being said.
Don’t just video call them. Once again, a video call is better than a phone call or texting. That is proven by my daughter who always reacts so much warmer towards the relatives who video call her. But in the end, there is just something about in-person meetings that can’t be replicated over a video call. If you want the full healing experience of being with someone, you need to be in the same room as them.
Know when your mental health needs more than a boost
If you have any questions about whether you need help with your mental health, you need to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Any lingering questions are a sign it’s time to get help.
Don’t worry if you might not be blue enough. In that case, you doctor will go over tools that will help you and will likely be the sounding board you need at this time.
However, if your doctor agrees that you need more help, they will help you make a game plan to improve your mental health long-term. That can include medication, therapy or maybe something more. And remember that there is no shame in using any of these. They’re a sign of victory that you decided to stay even when it was really hard. There is nothing more beautiful than that.
How are you giving your mental health a boost right now?