6 ways you can guard your mental health this year

As we all know last year was one of the most trying times of our lives. With a looming pandemic, most people were faced with drastic lifestyle changes not to mention job interruptions and as a result reports on mental health cases were on the rise.

Through social media and other forms of communication, people were being urged to be more open with their issues and seek help whenever they are in need.

And now as the world continues to battle the pandemic, the message still stands to take care of your mental health and be your friends’ keeper.

Here are some easy ways you can take of your mental health this year:

1. Put yourself first
It is not selfish when you want to take a break and read your favourite book, watch a movie or simply go for a massage all alone. It is important to treat yourself with kindness and respect and avoid overly self-criticizing yourself, take time to do what you love like for instance reviving that long lost hobby or even learning a new language. Putting yourself first does not mean you care less about others but rather you want to be the best version of yourself around them.

2. Nutrition is everything
As mentioned before, putting yourself first is very important when it comes to watching your mental health and this is no exception to what you feed your body. Always remember to eat all the required meals in a day, take plenty of water and don’t forget to add fruits to your diet. Also avoid emotional eating when you feel overwhelmed, this can lead to obesity or poor eating habits that mainly comprise of junk foods.

3. Have a workout routine
As you watch what you eat and take care of your body, you also need a channel of releasing the pressure that builds up daily from maybe stress at work or home. Exercising will keep you physically fit and give your emotions an outlet to take away all pressure that might be building up. This might include simple tasks like going for an evening walking or run, skipping rope or dancing.

4. Surround yourself with positivity
Strong family and social connections usually provide the best support system when you are feeling down, if you are lucky to have people who show you love and support, keep them. However when these are the toxic people in your life, you need to distance yourself or cut them off. When you are feeling emotionally vulnerable having toxic people around you only makes it harder to pull yourself up, they will constantly put you down and feed you with negativity.

5. Learn how to deal with stress
The easier option is normally to keep to yourself and suffer in silence but when you are stressed you need to find a channel to help you release all the pressure. You might decide to talk someone about your problems, write a journal, and listen to music or even have a good cry, whatever works for you so long as you don’t let all the stress eat you up from the inside. It’s not a sign of weakness to admit you are overwhelmed, it takes real strength to take charge of your emotions.

6. Seek help when you need it
When the going gets tough, simply ask for help. You may be having financial problems and you need a boost from your family members, it never hurts to ask them for help or you might even need to take your children to your sister’s place for some time until you get back on your feet. Also sometimes getting professional help might be the answer, you might not be having financial problems or going through a painful breakup, life can sometimes just be overwhelming and you need someone to listen.