Boosting Mental Health

Boosting Mental Health in Stressful Times

Regardless of where your political beliefs place you, these are stressful times. The pandemic is surely bipartisan. The economy affects the right and the left. Children are underfoot and missing their own social and educational lives. We are all stressed for our own personal reasons.

There must be a way to fight off the effects of stress. Staying mentally healthy helps us all. There are many ways to stay on the positive side of negative times. They take effort. Staying focused and moving forward despite obstacles is surely worth the effort!

An old-fashioned way to stay ahead of depression and stress is to “count your blessings.” There are times when everything looks gloomy. You get discouraged. Counting your blessings helps you stay ahead of the “half empty” mentality. Look around and see that the glass is just a glass. It is half filled with something! That is a gripping reality in itself!

Notice what is positive in your life. Write it down. Read it out loud. Say it several times a day. Make it a positive statement, then post it where you can see it often.

Rest! This is something that is often hard to do if you are stressed. Are you lying awake at night? Instead of ruminating all night and not sleeping, write down the things that are stressing you out. Address them with a plan in the morning. You can deal with them better when you are rested.

Need help sleeping? Try not to nap during the day. Use natural supplements that support sleep. Have a hot drink before bed—obviously not caffeinated! Take a warm bath—add candles! Turn the thermostat down and force yourself to cuddle up to stay warm.

Laugh. Another old piece of advice applies to today. Laughter is the best medicine. Watch your favorite comedian on YouTube. Allow yourself to enjoy it and laugh like no one is listening! There is even a movement called “Laughter Yoga.” It encourages people to laugh for absolutely no reason. Even forced laughter encourages your body to reduce cortisol. Laughter is nature’s antidote to depression!

Don’t watch the news non-stop! Set a specific time (preferably not before bed!) to get your news fix. Don’t overindulge. It could be more than you can handle. Give yourself a break and go on a news diet. What have you got to lose except stress?

Listen. Ever notice how your favorite song lifts you up? Make a "mix tape” (remember them?} of songs that make you feel good. Sing along. Move to the music. You have nothing to miss out on except the ads and news breaks. You might gain a renewed positive attitude.

Pet your dog or cat. They will love you for it. Pets love unconditionally. This is yet another positive form of input in your day. Having love for and showing love to a pet has been shown to lower stress and improve blood pressure. It is a win-win.

Pets love it and it's good for you. Want to up the benefit? Try taking the dog for a walk in the woods, or at the beach, or in the hills. The dog will love it. You will get exercise. Your energy level will benefit as will your mental health. You will get extra vitamin D which can upgrade your mood.

Try these five things to help avoid the abyss of stress. There are many more things that can help uplift your mood and your outlook. Seek professional help when you want it. It can help and it can’t hurt. Be kind to yourself and your mental health will help you get through stressful times.

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Want to learn more ways to support your mental health?

https://www.mhanational.org

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Google: “dealing with stress” and other related topics of interest.

Comments? Email me at karenmac1999@hotmail.com