Spring is commonly known as the season of new beginnings. During this time, we often engage in spring cleaning our homes and closets, as well as getting rid of old things that no longer serve us. Some of us even begin health and fitness journeys in the spring. Often forgotten, however, is taking charge of our mental health. The World Health Organization stated, “Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health.” Even though we lose an hour on our clocks, there are ways in which we can take control of our mental health to truly spring forward into the best version of ourselves. Check out these spring mental health tips!
Spring Mental Health Tips
Quality Sleep
Stress has the potential to adversely affect the quality of your sleep. It is important not only to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night but also that those 7-9 hours of sleep are of quality. In other words, you should be able to easily fall asleep within 30 minutes maximum, with no more than one interruption. After the interruption of quality sleep, you should be able to easily go back to sleep within 15-20 minutes. If you are having a difficult time getting to sleep, it is best to establish a bedtime routine so your body becomes adjusted to what time to expect to fall asleep.
Follow a Healthy & Balanced Diet
Executing a balanced, healthy diet not only benefits the body’s physical health but also mental health. Your overall health depends on nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds in order to function at your highest capacity. Further, adding healthy foods to your diet contributes to your mental health.
Engage in Heedfulness of your Thoughts
A lot of stress and anxiety is caused by many scattered thoughts racing through the mind. Take at least 5-15 minutes to practice daily mindful meditation on positive, encouraging words and peaceful, steady breathing.
Daily Exercise
Like a healthy diet, daily exercise serves as a great boost not only to physical health but also mental health. The exercise does not have to be strenuous; it can be a simple daily walk or jog, or even jumping rope. Exercise relieves stress, releases endorphins, and can potentially help manage mild forms of depression.
Focus on Gratitude
When life becomes overwhelming, it can become easy to only focus on everything that is going wrong. Solely focusing on the trials and tribulations we go through can strongly impact our entire outlook on life. During all stages of life, it is important to be intentional in finding the light at the end of the tunnel. Practice finding something to be grateful for every day. Studies support practicing gratefulness helps mental health by improving thoughts and attitudes, which in turn result in more optimistic emotions and happier relationships.
Be intentional on springing forward towards improving your mental health. When implementing changes to your routine and daily practices to improve your mental health, be honest, vulnerable, and realistic. It is crucial to acknowledge your stressors and triggers so that you do not overwhelm yourself. De-clutter more than your closet; get rid of those negative, toxic thoughts and practices hindering your mental health.
Are you looking for help and resources with your own mental health? Reach out to one of our expert healthcare assistants for guidance today.
