21 Ways to Protect your Mental Health

If there’s any part of your body that needs to be taken care of now, especially in the time we find ourselves, it is your mental health. I’ve made a list of 21 ways you could protect your mental health and keep yourself healthy.

1. Express your feelings

All you might need to do is talk about how you feel. Avoid holding it in or keeping it to yourself. Talk to someone you trust about whatever it is that is perturbing you; you would be surprised just how better you’d feel knowing that someone listened to you.

2. Exercise

The benefits of exercise are limitless, and it could be just what you need to protect your mental health. It does not have to be rigorous. You could just take a walk or get yourself involved in a micro exercise of 5 minutes. The key here is to move your body and be active.

3. Take a break from social media

Going offline and taking a break from social media even if it’s just for an hour might just be the solution for you. Social media can be very toxic with all the news flying around. Take a break from social media to breathe in fresh air.

4. Sleep

As simple as it sounds, sleep might just be the solution for you. Sleep has many benefits but my favourite is that it is the time the body works to repair damages caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure.

5. Keep a gratitude journal

In a world full of negativity, it is essential to intentionally surround yourself with positivity by keeping a gratitude journal. It’s simple to do and it will boost your mental health in ways you never thought were possible. All you have to do is write down the things and people you are thankful for in your life. You can make this more effective by doing it every day. Think about the little things that happened in your day that you’re grateful for and write them down.

6. Discard negative friends

If you want to protect your mental health, you do not want to spend time with negative people. If you do not enjoy being with your friends or they leave you worse than when you meet them, then it is time to move on. Guard your mental health jealously. There is already a lot going on in life already; do not let negative friends complicate things for you.

7. Do something you love

If you get stressed easily, then it might be a sign that you shouldn’t be doing whatever it is you are doing. You should spend your time doing the things you enjoy doing.

8. Avoid Being alone

In the cases where you are extremely stressed and feeling negative, you should avoid being alone. You may not feel like talking but being in the company of others can help you feel better.

9. Eat well

You may just be lacking some vitamins and all you need to do is eat.

10. Drink water, preferably iced tea

Does it sound too simple? Then try it. Tiredness, headache, and stress are also symptoms of dehydration that can be cured by taking water. Research has shown that iced tea is healthy, and guess what? Iced tea is easy to prepare.

11. Declutter your mind through writing

The essence of writing things down rather than letting them float about in your mind cannot be over-emphasized. Do yourself a favour by getting a sheet of paper and pen to write out the things that are bothering you and how you plan to solve them.

12. Dance

Does this sound weird? No, it should not. To protect your mental health, all you might need to do is get up and dance. The key is to be active by getting your body moving.

13. Listen to music

For so many people, this is a good solution. Music has a way of soothing your body and getting you to relax. If you’re not used to this, you might want to try it out.

14. Do it afraid

There are times when a task you have left undone obstructs your mental health. You keep putting off the task but contrary to feeling relieved, you feel worse. In this case, you might just want to do the task afraid. What this means is to do it anyway. It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect, just do it. You will not get the relief you desire until you perform that task.

15. Pray

If you thought I wasn’t going to mention this, then think again. The solution to protecting your mental health might just be prayer for you. Take some time to communicate with your Heavenly Father about what is disturbing you and you will be surprised at just how much peace you will feel in your heart after doing that.

16. Meditate

You don’t have to go extra performing yoga and doing really weird stuff but you do need to be mindful. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. You can also use it to relax and cope with stress by refocusing your attention on something calming. Meditation can help you learn to remain centered and keep your inner peace. Take some time to meditate. Meditate on your goals. Meditate on the word of God and His promises to you. Meditate on positive things.

17. Therapy

You might need to go see a therapist if you are experiencing deeper levels of stress, depression, or anxiety. Value your mental health by booking a date with a therapist.

18. Ask for help

Do you need help? Then ask! Seeking help is a sign of strength, not a weakness. Don’t try to handle everything yourself. If you desperately need help, then ask for help.

19. Set realistic goals

Setting a goal and not achieving it can cause an undue amount of stress. Why not do yourself a favor by setting SMART goals; that way it becomes easier to achieve them when you put your mind to it.

20. Learn to accept rejection and move on

Life will not always be rosy. There will be times when your offers might be rejected, and this can lead to untold stress and depression, which is why you must learn to accept rejection and move on. It might not be easy but move on. It’s not the end of the world.

21. Take care of others

Immersing yourself in the act of showing love and care to others is a great way to protect your mental health. It would surprise you how great you would feel knowing that you were of help to someone and a valuable person.