Strategies To Protect Your Mental Health

Improving overall health and maintaining that health in the long run can have a profound impact on the quality of life. For example, Harvard Medical School notes that regular exercise can slow the natural decline in physical performance that occurs with age. Routine exercise can be something of a fountain of youth, enabling people to keep their cardiovascular fitness, metabolism, and muscle function at the levels of their younger counterparts.

In trying to improve long-term health, it is important that people care about their mental health as much as they do their physical health. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America points out the importance and effectiveness of preventive efforts related to depression and anxiety. In terms of mental health, prevention efforts can work in much the same way that exercise serves physical health. Routine exercise helps people maintain a healthy weight and reduce their risk of various medical conditions and diseases. Preventive measures to improve mental health can significantly reduce a person’s risk for anxiety and depression.

Various techniques and strategies can be used to promote mental health, and these three are simple and very effective.

Get enough sleep.

Sleep and mental health are closely related, according to the Primary Care Collaborative, a nonprofit affiliate dedicated to promoting an effective and efficient health system. Loss of sleep can contribute to emotional instability. The amygdala is the part of the brain that is responsible for human emotional responses. When a person isn’t getting enough sleep, their amygdala goes into overdrive, leading to more intense emotional responses. The prefrontal cortex is another part of the brain that requires adequate sleep to function properly. Without it, the prefrontal cortex, which is an essential part of impulse control, cannot function properly. Adults can talk to their doctor about how much sleep they should get each night. These needs change with age.

Eat a balanced diet.

A balanced, healthy diet is not only good for your waistline. According to the ADAA, a balanced diet that includes protein, healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and some simple carbohydrates can reduce the chance of daytime mental health problems like fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

Get involved in your community.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that people who volunteered in the past were more satisfied with their lives and rated their overall health much better than people who did not volunteer. Perhaps the most notable finding from the study was that people who started volunteering with lower levels of wellbeing tended to get the greatest boost from volunteering. Volunteering provides opportunities to socialize, which can help ward off the loneliness that can sometimes lead to anxiety and depression.

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/strategies-to-protect-your-mental-health/