Physical Steps To Improve Your Mental Health
In the UK, around 1 in 4 people struggle with their mental health. And it’s not just adults who are facing this battle; there’s an increasing number of children aged 8 to 25 who also have a probable mental health condition.
Mental health conditions come in various shapes and sizes, and no two people have exactly the same symptoms or behaviour patterns when mental health becomes a problem. Meaning how you approach treatment and recovery needs to be more individualised, not a general treatment program that doesn’t address exactly what you’re dealing with.
But there are some physical steps you can take to help you improve your mental health. Do not treat it fully, not as a cure-all, but to help you feel a little bit better and more in control each day.
Treat Symptoms
Mental health concerns can come with a multitude of symptoms. From headaches to tight chests when panic sets in, to constant fatigue or low-level anxiety that’s there all the time. There can be many different stomps you’re dealing with each day. And when they’re not addressed,d they stack.
The goal isn’t to sort everything at once; it’s to bring things slowly down to a more manageable level, so you’re not constantly operating at a 7 or 8 out of 10.
This means calming your physical responses. Slowing your breathing down, stepping away from whatever is overstimulating your responses, ie reduce noise, light or pressure when you can. All small changes and shifts, but done with consistency, they build up and matter.
If you need to look for additional support. Be it medication from your doctor or looking to see if alternative treatments can help you. Lately, people are finding benefits in supplements such as ashwagandha or CBD. Shopping with a reputable CBD shop means you can find the right products for you and experiment to see if these options can work for you.
Sleep Better
Not necessarily more or less. But better. The quality of your sleep is just as important as the amount of sleep, and if your sleep is broken or disturbed, or you’re sleeping at odd hours or even not at all, it’s going to take its toll on your health fast.
Start by spending more time outside of the bedroom. Open the curtains in the daytime and then close them when the sun sets. This changes the feel of your bedroom immediately.
Then address your bedtime habits. Is anything impacting your ability to wind down or sleep? How can you change it?
It might be that you need to remove electronics from your room for a better night’s sleep. Or you need the help of white noise to drift off, or even a fan to distract your brain if it won’t switch off at night. Or you might need to look at your eating or drinking habits, i.e., too many stimulants close to bedtime can impact the quality of sleep, so cut down on the caffeinated beverages or even alcohol.
Then focus on setting regular sleep times, not regimented, but going to bed within the same hour time block and waking up in the same time span, i.e. between 7 and 8 each morning, can help you get back into a better routine.
Get Outside
Getting outdoors is often touted as a cure for all mental health issues. It’s not, but it can help.
Natural daylight helps to regulate your internal clock, which helps with sleep if you’re struggling there. But vitamin D, which our bodies can’t produce naturally, can be topped up by getting outside in the sunlight (supplements help here too). Vitamin D helps immune function and can regulate your mood, so that’s one benefit of being outdoors.
Another is that the fresh air can be extremely relaxing; the change of scenery and environment, even for a few minutes, can be a welcome relief. If you can take a walk, if not, open a window or door and start there until you feel you can physically go out.
Eat Better
Food can have a huge impact on how you feel. It’s not about dieting or following strict food rules or trends. It’s about fuelling your body how it needs you to and giving it the nutrients and goodness from fresh foods as much as possible.
Because if you’re surviving on junk food or convenience food over time, you’ll notice you’ll feel sluggish, and when you feel sluggish, this will impact your physical and mental health. And if your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, then you won’t feel great, your energy won’t be stable, and you’ll experience more mood swings.
Don’t overhaul your diet all at once. Commit to adding more fruit and veg to your diet. Or cut out some sugary drinks or treats and swap them for healthier versions. Drink more water, too.
Do it slowly so it’s more sustainable, don’t cut any big food groups and see how it makes you feel. From here, you can build on this so your diet is supporting your physical and mental health.
Detox
Detoxing is something that’s been thrown around on social media with an abundance of late. But you don’t need things like “liver detoxes” or extreme cleanses. It’s about identifying what isn’t serving your mental health and removing it from your life.
For some people, it might be cutting bad habits. And while not strictly a detox, smoking, drinking or taking recreational drugs can be extremely beneficial if they impact your mental health.
Digital detoxes are also extremely beneficial here, too. If you’re constantly online being bombarded with other people’s live opinions, products and grifters shilling “miracle cures”, you’re not going to be doing yourself any favours. Simply take the noise out of your life.
Shut your devices down for a few days, remove social media apps or even delete your accounts entirely. It doesn’t need to be forever. Even a day or two can be beneficial, and if you do go back to online activity, remove any accounts that don’t make you feel good. If it’s not boosting how you feel, it doesn’t need to be in your life.
