Do not wait for a crisis to care for your mental health.
Here are some ways to optimize your mental health before depression or a crisis occurs:
1. Seek Professional Support Early
‘Only you truly know the joys and struggles going on inside your own mind. If you feel you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or any other symptoms, seek professional support early,’ said Robert Klitzman, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York, USA.
However, you do not have to wait for a mental health diagnosis before improving your psychological well-being. Good mental health helps us become happier and healthier and build stronger relationships.
2. Exercise
According to Professor Klitzman: “Physical exercise helps prevent and reduce mental health problems, including depression. When we exercise, the body produces endorphins—natural painkillers that improve our mood. Exercise also improves cognitive function—our ability to think.”
3. Pay attention to your weight
By contrast, physical inactivity causes many mental-health problems because we miss the encouragement provided by movement and are more prone to weight gain. According to Dr. Mahendra Bhati, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania, obesity and diabetes increase the risk of depression.
4. Pay attention to your diet
Your meals affect your mood and anxiety levels. For a good mood, you need meals rich in leafy greens, nuts, and healthy protein, while being cautious with processed foods, saturated fats, and sugar. It is better to avoid things that make us “happy for a moment,” from alcohol and tobacco to recreational drugs.
5. Live in the present
We all sometimes try to avoid uncomfortable situations. ‘That is normal, but when you do it regularly and it becomes a habit, it can develop into serious problems such as anxiety and depression,’ says psychologist Brandon Gaudiano of Brown University.
Experts suggest practicing ‘mindfulness’: paying attention to the present moment and accepting potentially uncomfortable situations and emotions. Be kind to yourself and do not judge your inner experiences.
6. Meditation on love
Want to feel even happier about a wonderful family vacation? Focus your mind on the trip. Barbara Fredrickson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, studied various forms of meditation and found that “loving-kindness meditation” can improve mental health and symptoms of depression.
This meditation practice is very simple: focus on sending kind wishes to yourself and others.
7. Keep a journal
While meditation helps us recognize and respond to uncomfortable thoughts and feelings in the present, journaling or another form of writing also helps express negative thoughts and emotions. Psychologist Brandon Gaudiano says several studies have found this very useful.
8. Social connection
“Support from social relationships plays an important role in helping us achieve good mental health,” Professor Klitzman said. “If possible, avoid people who bring you down and stay close to people who support you emotionally.”
Meanwhile, psychiatrist Mahendra Bhati says a lack of social connection is the leading cause of depression in old age.
9. Prioritize positive activities in your schedule
Work, money, and household chores all feel like a whirlwind. Lunch with a friend, meanwhile, is not on the ‘to-do list.’ People often prioritize activities they believe will help them ‘achieve something.’
But according to a study by Professor Barbara Fredrickson, people who prioritize positive, meaningful activities, such as visiting relatives or spending time on a hobby, tend to enjoy better mental health.
10. Assess Stress Levels
Avoiding excessive stress and finding ways to manage it can make a big difference. “In many situations, we can proactively avoid stress. But when we cannot, we should adjust our experiences and try not to worry about things we cannot change: focus on the positive rather than dwelling on bad things that might happen,” Professor Klitzman said.
11. Take care of your sleep
Whether or not you are at risk of mental health problems, lack of sleep still causes psychological issues and makes the day harder to navigate smoothly. Therefore, you need to build good sleep habits.
‘A lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep damages the brain and circadian rhythm and can alter brain function and gene expression,’ psychiatrist Mahendra Bhati said.
12. Live with purpose
Simply taking a little time to visit friends can change the ‘tone’ of a day. Mental health experts say that whenever we do something meaningful and find a sense of purpose, we benefit psychologically and improve our mental health. This could mean volunteering to help others, maintaining personal hobbies, or doing something we find interesting.
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