October is Mental Health Awareness month. We’ve got a few tips, tricks, and methods that you can use to boost your mental health and get those endorphins rising quick-quick.
1. Get enough sleep
No one really knows who coined “8 hours of beauty sleep” or even how far back people were having “power naps.” What we do know is that sleep is vital for your overall health. It helps to regulate the chemicals in your brain that are important in managing your moods and emotions.
Create an environment that promotes quality sleep.
2. Eat well
“I’m sad, give me a carrot,” said no one ever. No one wants to eat healthily when feeling low. We’d all rather have the carrot cake, the burger, or a plate of home-cooked cottage pie straight out the oven. Still, a healthy, well-balanced diet is essential for your body and mind. Luckily there are many recipes that give you that comfort food fix while still enabling you to eat healthily for your brain.
3. Move your body
In the cheesy 90’s pop lyrical genius of the Backstreet Boys, “Everybody, rock your body right.” Now whether Backstreet’s back or not, doing even a little exercise boosts endorphins, circulates blood and oxygen better and gives you time to break away from the chaos of life and work.
Easy exercises to try:
- Walking/Running (get those steps in)
- Dancing (like no one’s watching)
- Swimming (got to keep your head above water)
- Yoga (namaste-in-rhythm)
4. Do something you enjoy
This may sound obvious but doing something that you really like, especially when you’re having a bad day, releases serotonin which does a lot of good things for your mood. It doesn’t have to be anything huge or fancy. Buy yourself flowers, watch your favourite movie again, or even just enjoy an indulgent bath.
5. Ask for help
Listen, even superheroes need help sometimes so don’t think you need to carry everything all on your own. If you ever feel overwhelmed, or anxious then it’s perfectly okay to ask for help. There’ll always be a friend, family member or colleague who you can turn to when you need a hand. If you feel like your mental health is heading towards a danger zone then please speak to a professional.
