1 / 1
With numerous resources out there, what can we do to help ourselves and take control of our happiness?
My mental health matters. To me, mental health is the average of all my feelings and how I handle my emotional well-being. I expect low moments, tough times, and challenges, but I recognize the toolbox of things I can do, that makes me feel good. A relaxing walk, intentional deep breathing, reading a book or an authentic
conversation with a friend. In recent years, increased awareness around mental health, as well as the reduction in social stigma has resulted in more solutions and advocacy for the protection of one's mental and physical well-being.
With numerous resources out there, what can we do to help ourselves and take control of our happiness?
Take Control of Your Well-being
The notion today that mental health issues mean taking a break from negative experiences and finding ways to purely inject positivity into our lives isn't always realistic. We must experience the reality of our dynamic lives and not try to eliminate difficult moments but how to deal with and stand back up again. That very act of standing up is the happiest moment. Happiness isn't just happy moments, but truly the journey of learning how to flow with the ups and downs and find the learning in each experience.
1. Prioritise Your Pillow
Studies show that with quality sleep, memory and alertness improve, emotions are regulated, and stress and fatigue decrease. Sleep helps the body and mind recover and recharge, supports the immune system, and cognitive function and improves mood. Sleeping well also reduces feelings of depression, irritability, and resentment. Lack of sleep causes a higher risk of depression, illness, and stress.
- Start by disconnecting from your phone and other devices at least an hour before bed. Electronic devices emit blue light that interferes with the natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep. Devices are stimulating, making it tougher for our brains to wind down, thus leading to delayed sleep onset and a reduction in sleep duration.
- Practise gratitude each night, training your brain to focus on the wonderful things that happened during the day instead of the negative moments. Noticing three things daily that you are grateful for helps combat depression and anxiety and boosts satisfaction and happiness. Practising gratitude before bed improves sleep quality and diminishes any negative impact that daily obstacles have on our lives.
1 / 1
2. Physical and Mental Health
- Exercise is proven to have positive benefits on physical and emotional well-being. It strengthens our body, immunity and reduces stress while improving mental well-being. Exercising releases chemicals such as endorphins, adrenaline, and dopamine, associated with feelings of happiness, and confidence, and reduces levels of depression and anxiety. Prioritise time for aerobic physical activity to release happy hormones and boost your mood.
- There are innumerable benefits of meditation and mindfulness. Meditation boosts happiness, improves immune function, decreases stress and anxiety, improves self-control, regulates emotions, improves focus and problem-solving skills, ability to multitask and memory. Make time each day for a few uninterrupted minutes of intentional meditation and breathing.
3. Express Yourself
- Sometimes the biggest thing holding us back are negative experiences from our past that continuously surface, leaving us feeling depleted and drained. Learning to let go and find the silver lining in each experience is challenging, but effective for moving forward with your life. It helps to remember that the past cannot be changed, learned from.
- Reach out to others, repair relationships, apologise, and thank people in your life. When life gets busy it's easy to neglect people around you. Take stock of your relationships with friends, family, kids and even co-workers and invest time in strengthening them. Don't wait for the right moment, but pick up the phone, write a letter or send a little something to someone special.
As we shed light on mental health awareness this month, we should simultaneously look inwards at ourselves. Take time to understand your purpose in life, what makes you happy and the things that are within your control that you can do every day, however small the task is, that makes you feel good. Set daily intentions and ride out the difficult moments and have faith that happiness is within your control.
NOW READ
Football star Son Heung-Min dishes advice on wellness and how he maintains his mental health
Opinion: A life coach shares how to stay happy and motivated in 2023
