How to take care of mental health on a day-to-day basis?

Possibly, in your childhood you came to hear how important it was to take care of your physical health. Exercise, drink 2 liters of water a day and the classic "eat fruits and vegetables". But... Have you ever heard anything about how to take care of your mental health?

We would love for your answer to be yes, but realistically, it is very likely that neither in your family nor in any educational institution have even mentioned it to you.

Unfortunately, this is common in most societies where mental and emotional health is a subject that is rarely or not talked about. Well, there is still a lot of ignorance about what mental health is, and even worse, taboos and stigmas that surround this topic.

• Related article: "Mental health: definition and characteristics according to psychology"

Keys to take care of mental health

Currently, there are many people who every day have affectations in their mental health: anxiety, depression and stress are the most frequent. Faced with this, there are few individuals who know how to act in the face of these conditions.

Therefore, today we want to give you 6 recommendations that can help you start taking care of your mental health today.

1. name your emotions

Giving a name to what you are feeling will allow you to recognize your emotions. If you have a hard time distinguishing them, ask yourself the following question: ** how do I feel right now? **

You can say: angry, sad, excited, scared, I want to cry, I feel like running away, etc. Everything you say is valid, so don't leave anything inside. If you can write it, so much the better.

After you have expressed all those thoughts, it will be easier for you to identify the emotions you are going through.

• You may be interested in: "Emotional labeling: what it is and what it is for in psychotherapy"

2. Accept and validate what you feel

Now that you know what emotion you are feeling, the next thing is to accept it. Sometimes this act is complicated because nobody likes to know that we don't feel so good. But the goal of recognizing and accepting our emotions is learning to manage them.

It must be made clear that there are no good emotions or bad emotions. Some like pain, sadness or fear will be part of our path. Therefore, in some moments we will be happy and in others not so much. And that is completely natural in the human being.

• Related article: "Unconditional self-acceptance: what it is and why it improves our mental health"

3. Have a support network

When we find ourselves in a moment of vulnerability, having family and friends close by who are there to listen to us can be a great help. Well, we create spaces in which we can freely express how we feel. A chat in a cafe, chatting by text message or simply crying is very beneficial to express our emotions.

Surround yourself with people with whom you can establish healthy and safe bonds where you can confidently express what you are feeling. And when they are going through a difficult stage, support them too.

• You may be interested in: "Psychological help: how to know if I need it and how to find it"

4. Do an activity you enjoy

Integrating one or more activities that we enjoy into our daily lives can be very positive for keeping our minds relaxed and focusing on situations that we find pleasant.

Some activities that can help you are: writing, reading, playing a sport, playing an instrument, dancing, taking courses, cooking, going for a walk, taking pictures, among others. The list is long, think of something you enjoy doing or want to learn, and that could be your new hobby.

5. Maintain good sleep hygiene

Adequate sleep is vital for our mental health, as it is the ideal time to rest from all the activities and emotions of the day. Likewise, some conditions such as anxiety and depression can increase if we do not maintain optimal rest.

So try to sleep at least 7 hours a day and be consistent with your sleep routine, with this you will help your mind stay healthy.

6. Ask for help

All human beings go through stages in our lives that are more complicated than others. However, when these stages remain for a long time and are affecting our quality of life, what It is more advisable to approach mental health professionals who can help us manage our emotions.

Psychotherapy is an excellent option to learn to know ourselves, to manage our emotions and to find the internal tools to live in well-being.

We don't have to wait until we feel overwhelmed or our emotions are out of control to ask for help. From before we can approach a therapeutic process.

These are some actions that you can begin to integrate into your life to take care of your mental health. Talking about our emotions and being in touch with them can be very beneficial to improve our quality of life.