MENTAL HEALTH
When you are mentally healthy, you
enjoy your life
are capable of
making choices
you can deal
with setbacks
are able to
handle stress
you have
pleasant contact
with others
Check your breathing. Especially when you are very stressed, scared or angry. Try to breathe in calmly: in through your nose and out through your mouth. This helps you cope with the emotion and helps your body and mind relax again.
Sleep well. Sleep is how our body and mind recharge. We also produce chemicals in our sleep that help manage our moods and emotions.
Eating fresh and healthy foods is important for our bodies, but for our minds as well. When we don’t get enough of certain vitamins or minerals, it may give us a low mood.
Spend time outside, preferably in nature (the beach or a park); it gives us energy. Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin C, which helps improve your mood!
Playing sports or exercise gives a sense of achievement and boosts chemicals in our brain, which makes us feel good and puts us in a good mood.
Connect to others for your self-esteem, but also to ask for support when you're not feeling too great.
Try to limit your screen time. As mentioned, spending time with people you like, being active and outside are good for your mental health. Watching series and playing video games are very enjoyable and relaxing activities though.
Make time to do what you enjoy doing. Doing creative activities, like dancing or drawing, or hanging out with friends, or playing with your pet can help to boost your mood instantly. If we don’t spend enough time doing things we enjoy, we become irritable and unhappy
Try to be there for others. That is helpful for them, but it's good for you too! Helping someone can boost your self-esteem and make you feel good about your place in the world.
Ask for help. One of the most important ways to keep yourself mentally healthy is to recognize when you are not feeling well, and know when to ask for help. There's no shame in asking someone for support if you're feeling low or stressed. You can also try speaking to your friends or family.
Practice positivity: try to start each day with a positive thought about yourself or your day ahead. End each day with thinking of one thing that you are happy about, grateful for, or that put a smile on your face. You will see that thinking of positive things will come more easily over time. It will help you be more resourceful, flexible and resilient!
And last but not least: be kind to yourself. Treat yourself the way you would treat a friend. You are doing your best and you are great because of it!
Emotions
An emotion is a feeling or a direct reaction to something that happens to us; either good or bad. An emotion usually doesn’t last long, sometimes just minutes. But emotions can be very intense or overwhelming at times. The most basic ones we experience are happy, scared, angry and sad.
Our emotions determine what kind of mood we are in.
It is important to know these things about emotions
Moods
We sometimes don’t know why we react the way we do in certain situations. It’s helpful to know about these natural responses that are part of us, in order to understand our emotional reactions to specific events in our lives.
It is possible to gain more control over our emotions and moods. Identifying what we are feeling is important. Once you are able to figure out what emotion you are feeling, you are better able to react and respond to your emotions. Through practice, we’ll better manage our emotions. You can always ask for help from a professional if you are having trouble with your behaviour or emotional reactions.
Remember to be kind to yourself. We all experience emotions and moods swings, it is a normal part of life. If you feel that your emotions and moods are too overwhelming, reach out to a friend or a person you trust, such as your parents, for support.
You are not alone!
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