Important Tips for Contending with Mental Health Problems

Our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirit are connected in deep ways and affect one another profoundly. If you have not slept well and are feeling tired, for example, you are likely to be irritable and you may struggle to make wise decisions. Taking care of your mental health helps you maintain good overall health. It is worth an investment of effort.

Good Mental Health and Its Benefits

Mental health refers to your wellness in terms of how you think, how you regulate your emotions, and how you behave. Excellent mental health goes beyond the absence of mental disorders or disabilities; it is about making sure you are addressing any active conditions and health concerns while looking after your ongoing wellness and happiness. Your mental health is important at all stages of your life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.”

Mental health problems, which undermine well-being, are quite common and affect different aspects of one’s mental health. In the US, around 1 in 5 adults (57.8 million in 2021) live with a mental illness, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), in 2021, around 14.1 million adults in the U.S., or about 5.5%, had a serious mental illness.

Having good mental health benefits you in several ways, including:

• Increases your sense of flourishing. Your feelings of calm, happiness, satisfaction, and the sense that you have a fulfilling life increase, and it leads to deeper flourishing.
• Allows you to feel useful, worthwhile, and relevant to society.
• Helps you manage stress, relate better to others, and make good choices in life that align with your values.
• Improves your ability to learn and be creative.
• Leads to richer and more meaningful social relationships.
• Leads to better physical health and an increased life expectancy.

Some Signs of Poor Mental Health

Having good mental health promotes your overall well-being, so it is important to know when you are in poor mental health so that you can address the situation as soon as possible. Poor mental health results from several factors, including genetics and one’s environment.

If a person has limited skills for handling their stress or struggles to be psychologically and emotionally resilient, it can lead to poor mental health. Additionally, not having a good social support system, having a family history of mental illness, and experiencing trauma or chronic stress also contribute to developing issues with your mental health.

Poor mental health typically shows up through various physical manifestations, but it also can be indicated by how you are thinking, feeling, and acting. Some of the signs that indicate that you may be in poor mental health include the following:

• Sleep disruptions, including struggling to fall and stay asleep.
• A decline in your functioning and effectiveness at typical daily tasks.
• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and people.
• Confused thinking and problems with concentration, memory, logical thought, and speech.
• Loss of desire to participate in previously enjoyable activities.
• Withdrawing from people and activities.
• Experiencing significant fatigue and having low energy.
• Mood swings, feeling anxious, suspicious, and nervous.
• Excessive fears or worries.
• Changes in sex drive.
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessness.
• Suicidal thoughts and attempts.
• Self-harm, and thoughts of self-harm.
• Neglecting basic self-care habits like showering, shaving, eating, and sleeping well.
• Excessive anger, hostility, or violence.
• Significant changes in eating habits, such as eating too much or too little.
• Feeling disconnected from your surroundings and yourself; experiencing detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia, or hallucinations.
• Struggling to cope with daily problems or stress.
• Increase in alcohol or drug use.

If you see some of these signs in yourself or if a friend notices them in you, go and see your doctor or a mental health professional like a psychologist, psychiatrist, or counselor.

Tips to Help You Contend with Mental Health Problems

Challenges to your mental health can vary in their intensity as well as how they affect you. With mild mental health problems, changing your lifestyle and developing better self-care routines can help you turn things around. However, in more severe cases, a combination of lifestyle changes and interventions from a medical professional are necessary.

Small, cumulative, consistent changes over time can make a difference in your mental health. Some things you can implement to cultivate positive habits and counter mental health problems include the following:

Prioritize self-care

This includes getting good sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly. Good sleep gives your brain and body time to recover from stress, which helps with emotional regulation.

Staying hydrated and eating a balanced diet can help keep your body healthy, elevate your mood, and decrease your risk of mood disorders. Exercise enhances your mood as well and creates opportunities to form relationships with others.

Good self-care also includes avoiding things such as alcohol, drugs, or using risky behaviors to cope with stress, difficult feelings, or other challenging circumstances.

Connect with other people

Positive social interactions can help you by providing perspective, elevating your mood, and cultivating a social support network that can fuel your joy and health in times of need.

It is also helpful to reduce or carefully curate your social media consumption, as it can generate unhelpful comparisons that can fuel anxiety, bad sleeping habits, and feelings of inadequacy. Instead of doom-scrolling online, go for a coffee or a walk with a friend.

Another way to connect with people and invest in your mental health is to give your time to volunteer, whether at a homeless shelter, an afterschool program, a retirement home, or an animal shelter. This allows you to step outside of your daily life and focus on someone else’s needs.

Make better choices with money

One of the main sources of stress, worry, and anxiety is our finances. These issues are common, but people often feel a sense of shame around having money trouble.

Talk with a trusted friend about your situation and make healthier choices with your money. Instead of retail therapy to help you cope, for instance, go for a walk. Talk with a financial expert who can help you better manage your debt and make better financial decisions.

Take time out to relax

Whether it is taking a break during the day, at the end of the week, or consistently during the year, you need to have time to rest. You can develop your own routine. It may include listening to music, deep breathing, meditating on a portion of Scripture, cooking, being out in creation, or going for a run. Such routines help you relieve stress regularly so that it does not get out of hand.

Practice gratitude

Gratitude helps you see God’s hand at work in your life, and it creates a positive outlook on life.

Get the help of a professional

Serious mental health problems like depression or anxiety cannot be handled without the help of a mental health professional. In some cases, medication needs to be prescribed in addition to talk or other therapies. If you have concerns about your mental health, consult your primary care doctor or make an appointment with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor.

Part of what a counselor can do is to help you better understand your feelings and find healthy ways to process and cope. Sometimes, we do not know how to even name what we are feeling. Counseling can help you develop a vocabulary to name your emotions. Likewise, it can give you strategies for understanding where your feelings are coming from and for effectively dealing with them without judgment.

Next Steps

Your mental health is important, and you should take it seriously. If you are facing challenges with your mental health, do not hesitate to address them. Reach out to us today with your questions. We will help you make an appointment with a counselor to address any mental health concerns you may have.