As today is World Mental Health Day and this week is Mental Health Awareness week, we wanted to share with you a few ways that can really help improve your mental health.

Mental health is something that affects lots of us and it’s very important to look after yourself to ensure you stay positive and healthy.

Fuel your body with healthy foods

The food we eat has a direct impact on how we feel and how our bodies perform throughout the day. With the pressures of modern life, it can be hard to make time to cook healthy meals from scratch, but there are ways you can fit in healthy foods throughout the day.

Snacking on fruit and vegetables such as apples and carrot sticks, or a small handful of almond nuts can help boost your mood and keep your body functioning.

If you’re cooking at night, try adding a portion of vegetables to each meal and avoid processed meats, choosing fresh instead.

Drink plenty of water

Staying hydrated throughout the day can really help increase your concentration at work and keep you feeling fresh and positive. Try for eight glasses a day and set a reminder on your phone to remind you to get your H20.

Also, treat yourself to a water bottle to keep on your desk or carry around with you.

Try some light exercise

Life is so hectic, so committing to a heavy gym session before or after work isn’t always the answer. In fact, it can make you even more stressed and make you feel guilty if you can cancel.

Instead, aim for 10,000 steps each day by walking around regularly at work and take the stairs whenever you can.

Just these small changes, paired with a light jog or yoga session at home can help improve your mood and help you feel better about yourself. Try YouTube for free videos to try in the comfort of your own home.

Get a good night’s sleep

Sleep is so important but so many of us have issues getting a good night’s sleep. To help you get your eight hours, try and wind down before you’re about to go to bed by coming off devices an hour before bed.

Try having a bath to relax and read a book in bed and keep your bedroom area clutter-free.

Keep a gratitude journal

When you’re struggling with mental health, everything can seem hopeless and like nothing is positive. If you start writing down just one thing that happened that day that was positive and made you feel good, then you’ll be surprised at how quickly your mindset starts to change.

Catch up with a loved one

Meeting up with friends and family can really help distract you from your negative thoughts and help you realise that you have a good support system.

Even phoning or Skype calling a friend can make all the difference. We’re all busy with our own lives but your loved ones will always be grateful for a catch up too.

Seek help

If you’re still not feeling good about your mental health, it’s time to speak to your GP about your options and see how they can help you.

You can also sign up to our free well-being support programme, which offers extra support for a range of topics such as mental well-being, sleep, diet, exercise and more in bite-sized pieces of information, sent weekly via email.

  

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This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our visitors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or standpoint of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.

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