World Mental Health Day 2021:10 Ways To Help Improve, Maintain Mental Health

Since last year, the pandemic has brought forth many challenges, most of which left us struggling with our mental wellness. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

This October 10, as the whole world celebrates World Mental Health Day 2021 to raise mental health awareness, it’s important to know that there’s nothing wrong with seeking help, be it professional or not. This can be as simple as starting your day by expressing gratitude and being thankful or going to therapy.

To help you out, here are 10 ways to improve your mental health.

The pandemic has significantly affected people’s mental wellbeing. Pixabay (CC0)

Tips for Good Mental Health

1. Value Yourself

The first thing you can do to improve your mental health is to treat yourself with kindness and respect. Avoid toxic self-criticism. Doing this helps you understand your value and worth as a person.

Make time for your hobbies and engage in personal projects. Do things you enjoy like reading and learning to broaden your knowledge. Play an instrument, watch your favorite shows, or listen to music you love. It’s all up to you.

2. Have a Good Support System

Another thing you can do is surround yourself with people that are important to you, such as friends and family. Talk and spend time with them to build stronger bonds and make them feel that they matter to you too. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you for a strong support network.

3. Start Exercising

If you’re not exercising yet, then now’s a good time to start moving! Studies show that 30 minutes of exercise every day can release lots of feel-good hormones that will make you feel good to encourage you to keep moving and get fit!

Exercise also improves your overall physical wellbeing, which is just as important as your mental well-being. It doesn’t have to be intense exercise, just make sure to keep moving!

Exercising daily is a good way to improve your mental health. Pixabay (CC0)

4. Follow a Healthy Diet (or Eat a Good Meal)

Don’t stop at just exercising, make sure to eat healthy too. What you eat nourishes your whole body, including your brain.

Opt for protein-rich foods, vegetables and fruits, which can help regulate your mood and make you feel better. A healthy diet also helps restore structural integrity to the brain cells that is necessary for cognitive function.

5. Set Goals for Yourself

There’s nothing more encouraging than feeling accomplished. Decide on things that need to be done and things that can wait. Whether it’s getting fit, learning something new or just finishing a book on your reading list, achieving goals is a great self-esteem and mood booster.

When setting goals do be realistic as well. Remember that while your goals should be challenging, they should also play to your strengths. Make sure that you can also devote time and effort to achieve your goals.

6. Seek Counseling and Therapy

Remember that seeking professional help is a sign of strength, never a weakness. Luckily, it’s now easier to find professional help through telemedicine. One service provider you can trust is Cerebral.

A subscription-based emotional health service, Cerebral specializes in providing online care like behavioral support, traditional therapy and clinical care to its clients. Simply take a short assessment to gauge which plan will work for you. From there, you will be matched with a care counselor or therapist, who you will work with as you go through your care plan and progress.

Cerebral currently offers three flexible plans:

• Medical and Care Counseling Plan ($30 for the first month, $85 per month after)
• Therapy Plan ($99 for the first month, $259 per month after)
• Medication and Therapy Plan ($139 for the first month, $325 per month after)

With Cerebral as your mental health online support, getting much-needed therapy is now more accessible to those who need it. It also helps that Cerebral’s team consists of psychiatrists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Cerebral’s care counselors are also trained in well-studied therapeutic techniques like healthy coping mechanisms, behavioral activation and motivational interviewing.

You can learn more about the service by clicking here.

Cerebral is a leading telehealth service providing emotional health support to people that need it. getcerebral.com

7. Try Prescribed Medication

Another benefit of using a telehealth service is that it gives you better access to prescribed medication. By signing up with Cerebral, you will be assigned to a therapist and medical provider who will prescribe the medication you need and it’ll get delivered straight to your home.

To help you save money, Cerebral prescribes the generic version of any treatment. If the provider feels that it’s appropriate to do so, they can also prescribe additional, as-needed medication. You may click here to get started with Cerebral.

8. Try Meditation

When you can, set aside some time for mindful meditation. Not only will this help you reflect and be grateful for the things you have, but mindful meditation can also help reduce stress hormones by calming our sympathetic nervous system, which is in charge of our “fight or flight” response. An increase in mindfulness can also help individuals better cope with intrusive and helpless thoughts.

Meditation is easy, free and you can do it anytime, anywhere.

Meditation is another way to improve your mental health. Pixabay (CC0)

9. Go to Bed On Time

Research has shown that sleep deprivation has a significant impact on our mood. This is why we recommend going to bed at a regular time every day, in addition to practicing good sleeping habits.

These habits include reducing screen time and restricting the consumption of caffeinated drinks.

10. Help Others

Being helpful and kind will enrich your life while helping you build meaningful relationships with other people.