The word health can be broken down into two components—physical and mental—and most people know that their mental health impacts their physical health and vice versa. In fact, personal health has four parts: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Since there are so many different columns to personal health, this article will focus on the mental column of personal health, namely why it’s important and what you can do to keep it in tip-top shape.
Mental Health vs. Emotional Health
Let’s begin by saying there’s a distinction between mental and emotional health. Mental health is the health of your brain while emotional health is a person’s general mental wellbeing. emotional health involves issues like depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being, whereas mental health encompasses things like a mental illness or neurological difference.
With that distinction in mind, let’s talk about what you can do to care for your mental health.
Tip #1. Allow Yourself a Mental Health Day
Because mental health is about how your brain works, you are the only one who knows when it’s functioning as it should and when it’s not. Only you can provide it with the fuel, stimulation, and rest it needs.
Due to a neurological condition, I understand how you feel. There is nothing nice about having a day when your brain is failing from within and yet everyone expects you to function as if it’s a good day. I’ve spent most of my life thinking mental and emotional health were interchangeable. I was so glad to learn that mental health actually is the category for “disordered brain”. I am relieved and validated to know that category exists.
You don’t have to feel guilty about having a weird brain day. Take the day. (And if you need more than one day, set up a meeting with your HR department at work.)
Tip #2. Sprinkle in Simple Joys
If you’ve been around this blog for a while, this tip should not surprise you. For you newbies, I AM ALL ABOUT SIMPLE JOYS. All these little, silly things you enjoy when you’re on vacation or out with friends or coiled up with your animal–all these things can be inserted into your normal life.
In fact, they should be. You love reading by candlelight while it’s raining, but you live in Nevada and way too busy to sit down and read? Light candles around your house with Audible in your earbuds as you get ready in the morning. That’s two of the three simple joys stacked on top of your normal task-list.
You love doggies, but your apartment doesn’t allow them? Take some extra time on your daily walk to wander by the dog park to play with them, or volunteer at a local shelter. (Bless all of you who can volunteer at the shelters!)
Whatever it is that brings you even a smidgen of joy, sprinkle it into your day-to-day life. Your mental health (and emotional health) will thank you.
Tip #3. Meditate
I know, I know — half of you are rolling your eyes. Lord knows, I was there with you once upon a time. Then, I learned what the hype was about yoga, and meditation is after part of the warm-up and cool-down periods of yoga sessions.
Even if you don’t take part in yoga, meditation is something you should. And it’s much easier than you think it is.
Meditation is quiet time for your thoughts. If you have trouble shutting off thoughts, you can (silently) visualize something calming or focus on the mechanics of your breathing. (For those of you who have auditory brains–aka if you do not see movies running through your mind when you read–I suggest focusing on the tangible sensations of your body or surroundings.)
Contrary to popular belief, meditation does not require you to sit on the floor and do nothing. The brain has the capability of “turning off” during monotonous activities, too. Washing the dishes is one such activity for me; the process of washing dishes is repetive and easy, so my brain can wander off to other things. Because I’ve done yoga for years, I have an easier transition from /drifting off/ to /turning off/ and I like being present with the sensations of washing dishes. I’m not really PRESENT, but I am aware without using a lot of my brain. It’s a great feeling.
Find what makes the most sense for you and give it a shot.
Tip #4. Skip the Refined Sugar
Contrary to popular belief, sugar does not cure sadness. Tasting sugar can please a craving, which takes that craving off the front side of your brain’s to-do list, perhaps leading to an internal sense of relief that might mimic happiness, but it’s not a CURE.
This tip falls into the category of helping your other columns to help your mental health from the outside. You can apply this practice towards any of your health columns. If you support your physical health, it’ll directly help your mental, emotional, and spiritual healths.
Tip #5. Get Enough Sleep
Similar to the previous tip, if you assist your other columns of health, you’ll affect the column you’re struggling with.
We all know sleep is the KING of all health problems. Americans’ sleeping habits are, quite frankly, shit. Then, it’s no surprise we struggle with our mental health. Getting even one more hour a night can make a world of difference for all your columns of health.
