If you want a happy life, then you need to take the time to consider your mental health. Over recent years, a lot of attention has been given to mental health in order to reduce the stigma associated with it. However, it doesn’t necessarily make it any easier for those of us suffering with our mental health. The road to recovery starts and ends with ourselves. Fortunately, there are many ways we can do this, and a lot of them are relatively easy and straightforward. Sometimes, we need a little boost in confidence to use many of the fantastic services available.
Start with your Physical Health
If you want to feel better, then it makes sense to take care of your body. If you are struggling with self-esteem issues, for instance, then the very act of getting out and about and making the most of what you have should help boost your levels of confidence. Exercise is a great natural anti-depressant that is because it boosts serotonin and dopamine, which affect your level of happiness, and it also increases endorphins which stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain. Over time, exercise can really lift your mood as long as you do some physical activity at least three times a week. Exercise can also help the body flush out toxins. It can make your skin shine and help the body function better overall. Getting out and about, even just walking, has a hugely beneficial effect.
Kick the Bad Habits
We all have vices, and you do not have to give up everything you enjoy in order to protect your mental health. However, if you are doing something particularly harmful like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, always eating fast food, or taking banned substances, this it is time you face your demons and kick the habit. Psychologically, kicking a bad habit can have a hugely positive effect. It will definitely increase your levels of confidence and show you that you are able to do the hard things. There is no shame in seeking help for any of these problems too. Drug rehabs, for example, are widely available and offer anyone with an addiction the extra support they need to get clean and improve their life. By kicking a bad habit, you are in effect, stopping poisoning yourself. The reduction in toxins alone should be enough to help your mind to begin clearing and becoming happier.
Minimalism
Adopting a minimalist approach to life can drastically improve your mental health. Minimalism is about finding freedom by purging the things in your life that no longer add value to it. It is about reducing attachment to things that are not helping you rise. The thing is, objects, activities, other people in our life can have the effect of bringing us down and stopping us from moving on. Sometimes all it takes is to look at an object, and we have mentally transported back through time and are stuck in a place twenty years ago. Mindfulness is all about focusing on the present, and this keeps happening that is very difficult to achieve. One of the first things you can do to develop a more minimalistic approach to life is to declutter your living space. Most homes are packed full of old items which are either useless, no longer practical, or past their sell-by date. Not only does clutter stop us from moving on effectively it increases stress and anxiety. It can also prevent us from thinking clearly and can even reduce our energy levels, among other things. More space means more air to breathe, the air can flow more easily in your home, and this will increase your energy levels and reduce stress. Decluttering is essential to clearing the mind and helping you think more clearly. Minimalism is not just about physical objects either, it is about your whole life. It is about developing a more particular method to hope you spend your free time. Froecxamnple, is it really worth seeing that old friend who is actually pretty toxic? Is it really in your best interests to go to such and such event? Do you really have to do that favor? Are the activities you still partake in actually serve your wants and needs? Minimalism can help you find time to do the things you really want to do, such as run that marathon, or begin guitar lessons, read that pile of books, etc. You will also have more time for your family and real friends.
