Basics To Improving Mental Health

Welcome to 2023!

A new year for most means new resolutions and goals to work towards. For some of us, this means improving our mental health. Forbes Magazine recognises that improving mental health is one of the most popular resolutions for 2023, for all age groups! We might need a refresher on the basics to improving our mental health.

Improving our mental health and having good mental health, is more than just a reduction or absence of mental illness. It means that we are in a state of wellbeing that makes us feel good and contribute to our community. Good mental health means we can realise our potential, work productivity and cope with life and the normal stresses (World Health Organization, 2022). Having good mental health means we can feel happy, joy, compassion, excitement, and satisfaction. We understand that improving mental health can be a hard journey, so we have complied our 6 best ‘basics’ to improving your mental health.

BASICS TO IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH

1. Get Moving & Stay Healthy

Exercise has been proven time and time again that it can increase wellbeing, as well as reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our mental and physical health is connected and creating a regular physical routine as part of your day can drastically improve your overall mental wellness! Making time for a short walk can not only improve mental health, but also gives you that much needed and well-deserved down time! Aim for 30 minutes per day, but if you need to work up to 30 minutes, that’s fine. It’s about making a commitment to yourself to get 1% better each day. 😊

Good physical health also means trying to cut back on unhealthy foods and drinks, including alcohol, and ensuring that you get a good’s night’s sleep – sleep is so important!

2. Develop Gratitude

In simple terms, count your blessings! Our mental wellbeing can lead us to look at all the bad and forget the good. Try keeping a gratitude journal and write down 3 positives each day about your day/life. These things don’t need to be huge, it can be as simple as being thankful for a delicious, nourishing meal. Practicing gratitude can lead us to shift our perspective on life and be more positive, even during the hard times!

3. Fuel Yourself

Eating unhealthy food – although delicious most of the time – does not benefit our body or mind. This doesn’t mean you can never have it but eating habits that lack nutrition and balance means lower energy levels and decreased brain function. Good nutrition not only helps us feel better physically, but also mentally – by improving mood and decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety. A healthy diet means conscious eating, balance and enjoyment!

4. Give to others

Helping others really does make us feel better! Contributing to our community or a kind gesture to a stranger, can increase our social wellbeing. We create meaning and purpose in our lives when we perform acts of kindness, volunteer our time or just help someone in need. Making someone else feel good, even with the smallest act, is an amazing feeling, and can improve mental wellbeing!

5. Look for the positive

Developed with gratitude, if we start to look at situations more positively, we can develop our self-worth. It isn’t easy! But changing our perception to things, can help us change how we feel about a situation. Finding balance between positive and negative emotions doesn’t mean we need to face each hard situation with a smile. It is about not letting yourself dwell on the negative and sometimes removing yourself from triggers – such as social media. Constant comparisons on Instagram or reading about the upsetting events throughout the world doesn’t help us keep positive and connected to ourselves.

6. Reach out & Seek Help

When we say basics, we are just talking about the first steps to help yourself. These basics to improving mental health could work for some, and others may need more assistance. That’s okay! Our Brisbane and Gold Coast offices are home to some highly skilled, knowledgeable, and professional psychologists, that can offer you that little bit of help to guide you on your journey to improved mental wellbeing.

Please download our referral form here and take it with you to your GP appointment for preparation of a referral.

Contact us now via telephone or submit our online referral form here. That first appointment can be the next step to improving your mental wellbeing!

Coomera – (07) 5551 0251

Nerang – (07) 5668 3490

Mount Gravatt – (07) 3102 1366

If you, or someone you know, required urgent help, please reach out to organisations like Beyond Blue. Or call the mental health helpline on 1300 22 4636. If this is an emergency, please contact 000 or visit your local emergency department.

Disclaimer: Firstly, content on this website is provided for education and information purposes only and is not intended to replace advise from your doctor or registered health professional. Lastly, readers are urged to consult their registered practitioner for diagnosis and treatment for their medical concerns.

REFERENCES

MedlinePlus. (2022). How to improve mental health. MedlinePlus

Health Direct (2020). Good mental health. Health Direct.