All too often when we think of “mental health” we tend to think of it negatively. Almost immediately, and subconsciously, we form mental words, phrases, or reasons for this word – stress, anxiety, pain, depression, bipolar, loneliness, helplessness- to name a few. However, we often forget that mental health doesn’t always mean negative or bad. We can, and should, create ways to cultivate a positive influence on our mental health. So, how do we do that? One of the most important ways is by developing daily routines. You might think routines are boring and mundane, and certainly have no bearing on helping our mental health. However, research and studies have shown that having daily routines can have mental health benefits, from preventing substance abuse, and alleviating bipolar disorder to managing symptoms of other mental disorders. Unfortunately, there are factors that play a part in our mental health that are out of our control, such as family history, genetics, and past experiences/traumas. However, what we do have control over, such as developing those daily routines is key to building a foundation for good mental health. Here are examples of ways we can cultivate good mental health, by building routines:
GET PLENTY OF SLEEP – In a 2021 study researchers found that people averaging less than 6hrs of sleep are 2.5 times more likely to report mental distress than those averaging more than 6hrs of sleep. Just as importantly, the quality of our sleep is essential. Disruptive sleep can play a role in mental health distress. Some helpful tips for creating a better quality of sleep are – avoiding caffeine after 3 pm, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, and making your bedroom a quiet, calm and relaxing environment.
• DRINK PLENTY OF WATER – It is recommended that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. This is commonly known as the 8x8 rule.
• EATING REGULAR AND HEALTHY MEALS – Certain foods help support improved mental health and should be added to our diet. These include whole grains, bananas, berries, beans, and fatty fish like salmon.
• EXERCISE - the benefits that exercise has on mental health include relieving stress, lifting mood, creating deeper and better quality of sleep, and managing mental health conditions.
• MEDITATION OR MINDFUL PRACTICES – This is helpful for reducing stress and anxiety.
• MAKE TIME FOR HOBBIES – Doing the things that bring us joy elevates our mood, and decreases the risk of depression.
• CHECK IN WITH FRIENDS/FAMILY - Checking in with the people in our lives not only helps to support them, but it can support our own mental health as well, by decreasing the risk of loneliness and depression.
These are just a few examples of some of the routines that build the foundation for good mental health. It is also important to be aware that building habits and creating routines can feel overwhelming at times. A helpful tip is to tackle only 1 or 2 at a time rather than all of them at once.
Each one of us deserves the chance to enrich our lives by cultivating good habits/routines that promote positive mental health. When our physical bodies are injured or sick, we are treated medically to help heal our injuries, and then educated on prevention so we don’t repeat the same patterns. So, why wouldn’t we do that with our mental health?
Sources
https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/everyday-mental-health
tips?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijTdk3hmT3ve3rZTizKptsVaZ63pzm9f3iLX2Re3BTH0mOJuhunWG wUaAkSbEALw_wcB
https://mhanational.org/blog/7-tips-keeping-routine-your-wellness
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/habits-to-improve-mental-health
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