Ways to Improve Mental Health at Home

Your mental health is imperative to your overall health. Poor mental health can lead to physical symptoms and behaviors resulting in illnesses and diseases. Depression, anxiety, and impulsiveness can bring about self-harm, risky behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. But you can find ways to improve mental health at home.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22, NIV

Protecting and nurturing your mental health can improve your outlook and mood and help you think clearly. Keeping ways to improve mental health in your arsenal will make it easier to navigate life’s challenges and rise to the top.

Ways to improve mental health at home

You need a list of ways to improve mental health. Once you begin practicing these suggestions at home, you will find them helpful to carry over in other areas of your life, such as your career and other relationships. In addition, developing resilience will make it easier for you to function during crises and to heal from loss and disappointment.

Choose a few ways to improve mental health and challenge yourself to implement one for a week or a month. Give yourself plenty of time to change your habits and mindset, and don’t forget to exercise grace when you get off track. If your new practice derails, pick yourself back up and try again. The only way you will stop improving is if you stop.

Avoid vices.

Vices are those behaviors and addictions that negatively affect physical health. Smoking, vaping, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and using drugs will lead to addiction, emotional and mental issues, and possible conditions that will result in death.

Many of these vices alter brain circuitry and affect the central nervous system. You become a slave to these substances, and they can be hard to overcome without professional help. When you imbibe, you become lethargic, apathetic, depressed, and anxious. You may lose impulse control and engage in risky behaviors that increase your likelihood of ruining relationships, losing jobs and opportunities, and making grave decisions.

Contact a licensed mental health practitioner immediately if you are caught in addiction. Once you are in recovery, the counselor can help you improve your mental and physical health.

Exercise consistently.

The state of your physical body can also affect your mental health (and vice versa). When you increase your movement, whether intentionally walking more or exercising, you create a cascade of effects throughout your body. The brain sends signals to release endorphins which leave you feeling happy. The body also releases chemicals that reduce pain and inflammation in your joints, and the exertion strengthens the cardiorespiratory system.

Do you have a problem with staying motivated to work out? Instead of focusing on goals like losing weight, try focusing on performance and mood goals. For example, set a goal to increase your number of steps per day until you reach 10,000, your mileage on your walks, or the weights you lift.

Monitor your mood in the morning and at night. Do you feel happier after a workout or a good walk? Do you feel more confident at the end of the day? Focus on the changes you can control with exercise.

Hydrate more.

Most of us are unaware that we are in a slight state of dehydration. Without enough hydration, the brain cannot properly manufacture chemicals like serotonin. Depression and anxiety can result, as well as cognitive impairment.

The good news is that you can reverse these effects by drinking more water. Aim for at least 64 ounces of water daily, although some experts advise drinking half your body weight in ounces for proper hydration. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you would aim for ninety ounces of water daily. However, some medications can make drinking too much water an issue. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist about the right amount for you.

Try swapping out caffeinated drinks for cups of water throughout the day. You could challenge yourself to drink a glass of water before your second cup of coffee or reach 32 ounces before leaving work every day.

Create a bedtime routine.

Stress takes a toll on mental health. Have you ever woken up stressed? When you opened your eyes, could you feel the tension in your head, neck, and jaw? That tension sets the tone for your day. What if you could decrease the likelihood of waking up stressed or avoiding sleep issues by simply incorporating a relaxing bedtime routine?

Your nightly routine does not have to be long and drawn out. Instead, choose one or two activities to wind down. You could:

• Take a hot bath.
• Lay out your outfit and other items for the next day.
• Read a book.
• Do stretching exercises.
• Do a meditation on Scripture.
• Listen to soothing music.

Try to avoid television and other screens an hour before bed. The blue light emitted from devices can interfere with your ability to fall and stay asleep. Try different activities to see which works best for you.

Journal gratitude.

Another practice you can add to your bedtime routine is journaling your blessings. We often get caught up in the chaos of the problems that we forget to take note of what is going right. Start keeping a record of things you are grateful for in life. Not only can you record your blessings, but you can also use your gratitude journal as a prayer journal. Keep a record of your prayer requests and answered prayers.

If there are better times to write in your journal than your nightly routine, consider waking up fifteen minutes earlier. You can use the time in the morning to express your gratitude and set the tone for your day.

Keep a positive mindset.

Along the road of life, you will run across bumps. Life has highs and lows, but how you bounce back from these lows matters. The best way to become resilient is to convey a positive mindset. This is not to say you should always pretend to be happy. Instead, adopting a positive mindset is choosing to go with the flow, look at a situation objectively, and see the opportunities.

For example, inflation is hitting your grocery budget hard. Instead of grumbling about the costs, try looking at it as an opportunity to think outside the box. Can you find grocery stores with better prices? Can you find new recipes using less expensive ingredients? Buying less junk food and eating out could improve your health and save money. Keeping a positive mindset means finding solutions to problems and pivoting when necessary.

Cut back on social media.

Do you spend evenings scrolling through social media, liking and commenting on posts? How do you feel after you spend time looking at these posts? Social media platforms can be as addicting as anything else. When we post on a platform, we become curious about how many likes, comments, and shares we receive. Our moods can shift depending on whether our posts get noticed.

Our moods also change when we compare our lives with other people’s filtered lives on social media. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we know that these images are filtered and highly edited, the subjects and setting placed just right to please the viewer. Yet, we look at a social media influencer’s living room, children’s clothing, or husband and compare them to ours.

Honestly, ask yourself if social media leaves you feeling inspired or depressed. Challenge yourself to cut back for one month and record how you feel in your journal. Other than having feelings of missing out, do you feel better mentally after taking a break from a platform? Could you take a longer break next time? Your mind needs time to rest just like your body does.

Consider Christian counseling

Are you seeking support for your mental health? Contact our office today to schedule a session with a counselor. Your counselor specializes in ways to improve mental health, including cognitive behavioral therapy methods. Contact us today.