January is Mental Wellness Month.
Mental wellness is a proactive strategy and a lifelong process. It’s about prevention and constantly working to maintain our emotional and mental health and resources so that we can cope with the stress and challenges that life tends to throw our way.
Mental wellness and physical health go hand-in-hand. When you’re in optimal health, your emotions and cognitive function are better than when you’re not feeling well. Getting enough sleep, being active, and eating well can contribute to physical and mental wellness.
Connections also play a massive role in mental wellness. Having a support network and caring, fulfilling relationships can lower stress and reduce the risk of developing mental health issues.
Mental wellness is important through every stage of life, from early childhood to old age.
Why is mental wellness important for overall health?
Mental and physical wellness are equally important when it comes to overall health.
Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can cause a variety of physical problems such as:
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Aches and pains
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Chest pain
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Rapid heart rate
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Sleeping issues
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Headaches and dizziness
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High blood pressure.
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Muscle tension
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Stomach and digestive problems.
These symptoms can also increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
Conversely, chronic illness can result in mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Being proactive is key to maintaining mental wellness
Mental health is often challenging to talk about. It’s even more difficult to understand for people who haven’t experienced mental health issues, and unfortunately, there is still a lot of shame associated with mental illness. It can be hard feeling different from everyone else, but the reality is that struggles with mental health are prevalent.
There are several ways to maintain or improve your mental health and well-being. The key is being proactive and implementing habits that will help you reduce stress and learning tools to help you cope when things get rough. Along with regular physical activity and good eating habits, these things will also help:
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Spending time with family, friends, and people you trust.
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Talking about your feelings when you need to
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Learning new skills and challenging yourself
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Enjoying your hobbies- maybe finding some new ones
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Setting realistic goals for yourself
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Practicing self-care regularly
How to promote mental health and wellness
Self-care is an important aspect of mental wellness. Keeping a self-care routine has been proven to reduce depression and anxiety, improve memory and concentration, improve energy, and reduce irritability and mood swings.
Everyone’s ideas about self-care are different- for some, it may be a day of pampering, and for others, it may be a day in nature or even just relaxing and binge-watching Netflix for a night.
Self-care can also be about setting boundaries and choosing not to focus on things beyond your control. You can’t control other people’s feelings, actions, or beliefs, but you can control how you react.
You can also use social media to promote mental wellness. You don’t have to be a social media influencer with a huge following to create awareness and encourage others.
You can share your story. There’s no shame in admitting that you struggle with mental health. Being open and honest may encourage someone else and help them feel less alone.
You can educate yourself and share what you’ve learned. If you find or know any good mental health resources, you can share them on your social media platforms. You never know who they’ll help.
One of the most popular ways to spread awareness is using mental health-related hashtags such as:
#stopthestigma
#mentalhealthmatters
#mentalhealthawareness
The more those hashtags are shared, the more awareness is spread.
If you’re experiencing mental health symptoms that affect your ability to function from day to day, call Serene Health. We offer appointments 7 days a week from our telehealth platform so you can speak to a therapist online from the comfort of your home. Call us at 844-737-3638 or visit us at www.serenehealth.com to book an appointment.