5 DIY Tips For Better Mental Health

Mental health is an understated aspect of the human condition. It is because not many people think about its implications in our daily lives. But the truth is that what goes on in our minds is as important as that in our bodies. Your mental health controls such things as your emotional state, the frame of mind, the way you relate to people, and even your physical body sometimes. That is why there are a lot of people out there who are striving for better mental health.

There are so many mental health conditions faced by many. These illnesses have been stigmatized to make them seem more or less than they are. But everyone feels down at times, even the happiest people, and you should not be ashamed about trying to keep a level head.

Many people who suffer such things as mood swings and seasonal emotional imbalance seek the help of psychologists, popularly known as shrinks. These are the people that give counsel to the needy and provide diagnoses and recommendations for the required. Not everybody can afford a shrink, though, and not everyone can afford drugs either.

So, what can you do when the odds seem to stack up against you, and you cannot seem to find a way? Should you inadvertently give up on your mental health? You may find yourself in a situation where you cannot afford some of the necessities regarding the betterment of your mental health. In times like this, you would have no option but to take care of yourself. Here are five DIY tips for better mental health and stability.

1. Surround Yourself with People Who Want to Be Happy

Better mental health requires that you congregate with people who share similar aspirations as you, and that is to become better people themselves. You cannot stay around those who do not want to move forward and expect to go anywhere because you won't.

Your friends and loved ones should be the kinds of people who, like you, do not see happiness as unattainable. They should be forward-thinking people that have a general realistic – if not optimistic – outlook on life. These people should inspire you to become better with their countenance and lifestyle. Therefore, you should be getting just as much joy and will to live from them as they are from you.

You have to learn to not take it upon yourself to be anybody's savior unless they want to be saved and are also doing their part. This sensibility will better your mental health by a mile or two.

2. Motivate Yourself

It is necessary to give yourself more credit than you deserve, most times, because no one is going to do it for you, and when they do, it is never as satisfying as it could be. Sometimes, you should be the one to tell yourself things like "It's going to be alright" and "You are beautiful." When you exhibit self-validation, it sends an automatic message to your brain that you love yourself and therefore are not as self-loathing as you may sometimes think.

When a part of you is happy, all of you are happy. Therefore, it is possible to get buzzed on your love for yourself. It is crucial, though, to note the difference between self-love and narcissism. A self-loving person is someone who values their own opinions of personal image over those of others on them. Self-loving people are usually satisfied with themselves, and they give the best advice.

In contrast, narcissists are self-obsessed individuals with a penchant for meaningless comparison. If you are a narcissist, you probably suffer from moments of drastically reduced self-identity, which can negatively affect your regular life. So, try to find a healthy balance.

3. Use Social Media as Sparingly as Possible

Nobody has to tell you about the many adverse effects of social media on your emotional and mental health before you know. If you want to secure better mental health for yourself, you have to put a limit on your use of social media. A lot of things that go up on social media platforms is not 100% of the whole truth. This is because many people think of social media as a way to live out their fantasies and not their actual lives.

Take, for example, the rampant nature of image-enhancing software and other such filters. They make it seem like everyone is living their best lives when they could just as well be pretending. A person who is striving for better mental health should spend less time on social media. Anywhere as caught up in filtered reality as social media is not where you should spend a lot of your time.

4. Document Your Progress

The journey to better mental health is not a straight one. It will comprise several bumps; you can expect many shortcomings throughout the journey. Because of this, it is most important to recognize and appreciate how far you've come as you go. That is why you need to keep a record of your achievements and relapses. Keeping a record provides enough motivation so that even when you falter, you would always have the confidence to get back up, knowing fully well that you would eventually recover.

Documenting your progress could range from anything as simple as a daily report to more complex things like self-checkups. With the latter, you would evaluate your current behavioral patterns and compare them to the way they were before.

5. Know When to Say No

Here is a tip for better mental health that all of us could use. A lot of people suffer from emotional instability and mood swings because they are bad at rejecting the advances of those around them. It is common among empaths who exhibit high levels of emotional resonance towards their peers.

Maybe someone asked you to do something for them, but you are busy. If you decide to take it upon yourself to help that person at your discomfort, then you are essentially creating an opening for mood changes and general contempt for them. In all things, it is always important to know when to say no. Rejecting people when you have to boasts a lot of mental health benefits that surpass the action itself.

Conclusion

The journey to better mental health is usually not a straight one, as it entails many ups and downs. Naturally, in your strife to become more emotionally stable, less anxious, and less depressed, you would come across both milestones and barriers. One of the worst things you could ever feel while trying to better yourself is that you are not doing enough. Unfortunately, feeling this way is an unavoidable aspect of life, but it is not something that should derail you from what you mean to achieve.

There are times where all you would need is a break from everything around you. Other times it would be the opposite. You have to keep track of your temperament to know what to do at certain times. But as long as you can keep pushing yourself, things will eventually start to lay themselves down in accordance.