6 Habits That Could Be Affecting Your Mental Health (And How to Fix Them)

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Mental health is still somewhat taboo to talk about, and it’s causing an increasing number of people to suffer in silence. This isn’t fair to them, and it’s not something that anyone should feel as though they have to hide. If you know that your mental health is currently taking a nosedive but you’re not ready to talk to anyone yet, we understand that but we still encourage you to do so sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, though, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that could be impacting your mental health, and how they are fixable. We’re not saying that it’s going to be easy, but it’s definitely possible if you put the effort in.

Fixable Lifestyle Habits That May Be Impacting Your Mental Health

Your Sleeping Pattern 

We’re going to start off by taking a look at your sleeping pattern. If you’re not getting enough rest, this could be detrimental to your mental health as your brain will be slower to process things, you will find it more difficult to concentrate, and your body won’t be regulated the way that it should be.

So, you need to start working on getting those precious seven hours per night, and there are a few ways you can do this. You can either look into getting rid of electronics from your room at night, you can set yourself a bedtime routine so that your brain starts to recognize this as sleep time, or you can even try taking certain supplements to make this happen.

If none of this works, or if you are getting to sleep but you’re not getting a restful sleep, it’s possible that you may have a sleep condition. One of the most common is called sleep apnea, and we recommend that you test yourself for this. You can purchase things like CPAP masks to help with this, and speak to your doctor about further assistance if needed.

Your Diet

Another thing that you’re going to need to consider is your diet. We know people are always on you about your diet, but if this is the case, then maybe you should start to listen. Your diet will impact a large number of elements of your life, and it’s imperative that you give your mind what it needs from your food. There are so many good nutrients in food, and as such, watching what you eat, creating a balanced diet should be at the top of your to-do list.

If you do some research, you should be able to work out if there are any nutrients that you are lacking in, and then you can eat foods that are rich in that nutrient to help you. As well as this, you can take supplements if you’re struggling to fix your diet, but this is not a long-term solution.

Your Home Environment 

Could your home environment be impacting your mental health? To be honest, it depends on what your home life is like. If things are constantly cluttered, messy, and dirty, this has been linked to mental health problems.

If you are in a home where there is constant arguing, involving you or not, a tense atmosphere, and other things like this, this won’t be helping your mental health either. So, you need to do something about this. We understand that it’s not always as straightforward as it seems, but you do have to make a change somehow because otherwise you’re going to continue to decline. 

Your Relationship 

Sometimes all you need to do is take a closer look at your relationships around you. These can really bring you down and affect how you feel not only about yourself but about the world as well. If you surround yourself with toxic individuals then they will only bring you down. Check how you can distance yourself from these people and make new lasting relationships instead. 

If you are part of any clubs then this is a wonderful way to meet people who share your interests, book club or workout sessions for example. 

Your Lack Of Exercise

Another thing you can change to improve your mental health is the level of exercise you are doing. If you aren’t doing anything then you may just be sitting at home with your thoughts, this isn’t going to help anyone.

However, when you exercise your body will get busy releasing happy and feel good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. This will encourage you to carry on and do your best each time. The key to exercise is finding something you enjoy doing, otherwise you will quickly get bored. This could be anything from swimming to yoga, even going for a run in your local park. 

If you don’t like the idea of exercising in front of people then you could follow along to workout videos in the comfort of your own home. There are plenty of videos online that you can watch, some you won’t even need any equipment for. 

Your Inability To Let Things Go

Finally, how are you at letting things go over your head? If the answer is not very good then this might be having a huge impact on your mental health. You may struggle to fall asleep at night due to the many thoughts and feelings going around in your head. If this is the case then it might be time to eradicate those feelings, no matter how hard this might be. 

Seek help from a registered and trained therapist, they will listen to you get everything off your chest. Therapists and counselors can’t tell you what to do or how to live your life, but they can guide you in the right direction. Find a decent therapist otherwise you might not want to go back, there needs to be some form of connection to the person you are spilling your guts to. 

Final Thoughts

We hope you found this article helpful and it gave you some helpful tips and tricks on how you can manage your mental health. Mental health is vitally important so you must look after it, taking small steps in the beginning can make a world of difference.