18 Ways to Boost and Improve Mental Health for a Better Life

While the majority of the people tend to like sticking to bettering their physical health, caring for mental health actually takes a backseat. In order to ensure an overall boost to one’s well being, it is necessary to improve mental health alongside physical health.

If you have been struggling collection and recollecting your thoughts, having a cacophony in your head, it is time to take a seat, calm the mind and think of ways for mental health improvement. You need a proper headspace to keep everything aligned in your life.

In this article, we are going to share some easy tips and ways to improve mental health for you to lead a blessed and happy life.

1. Consult and talk to a doctor

Mental health and mental well being are not always self-diagnosed. While you might think that you are suffering from a certain issue concerning your mental health, only a professional doctor will be able to point out the issue and help you get better with time. This is the reason why it is necessary to reach out a professional when needed.

Make sure to reach out to a general physician (R) at first to get good mental health tips. They are the one who are going to assess the severity of the situation you are in and then refer you to someone more specialized, if there are any requirements for the same.

2. Acknowledge the bright side

We are often stuck in such a negative mind space all the time that we fail to appreciate the things that we have in present. Gratitude and be thankful for what you have now can be an amazing way of knowing the good in your life which is considered as one of the most amazing ways to boost mental health.

Even researches (R) show that being thankful for the current realm of thoughts and events and even appreciating your dog can be benefitting your mental health, primarily because of the fact that it instils a feeling of fulfilment which is very beneficial to improve mental health.

3. Do Something New and Exuberant

One of the best-considered ways to improve mental health is to practice happiness, in every single form. While this might seem like a farfetched dream and something way to “over the top” to be true, it is completely in our hands-on how we do and achieve the same.

In the way of doing and achieving, we often forget to live which is what ends up causing the hollow depth in our mind that contributes to deterred mental health. If you are looking for effective habits to improve mental health, start by taking up an activity (R) that you haven’t done before. It could be a painting class, or even karate if that’s what you want.

Invest time in yourself and focus on things that will help your growth and keep you focused and engaged.

4. Try Some Meditation

The inner turmoil in our mind is primarily caused when all our thoughts are haywire. The moment you learn how to bring everything together and calm your mind down, there is nothing more you need to impact and improve your mental health for the better.

Meditation is one of those activities that can help conjure all the scattered pieces and bring them to one single point for you to focus and then explore the options for your better well being. Meditating for even just a minimum of 10 minutes a day can actually help calm down your racing thoughts and provide you with better concentration and even more mental health.

What many people tend to do wrong is find a specific time to sit down for meditation. Instead of doing that, simply just sit down when you wake up in the morning and get on with the same. Close your eyes and bring your focus to one point and start your day on a positive note.

5. Dark Chocolate for that Extra Kick of Dopamine

Every one of us (for the most part) like some sweet indulgence every once in a while, right? If you are looking for foods that improve mental health, try and opt for dark chocolate. These might taste bitter, but trust me; they grow on you the more you eat them.

Now, you might be here thinking about how will a piece of chocolate even help with boosting one’s mental health (R), right? Well, it is believed that chocolate (R) helps boost the secretion of dopamine which has profound impacts in lifting one’s mood up. Apart from that, the combination of flavonoids, caffeine as well as theobromine in the dark chocolate helps boost the mental skills and alertness.

So, for once, stop thinking about your weight and just munch on a few pieces of dark chocolate. Bonus, dark chocolate apparently has positive impacts on weight loss too.

6. Opt for therapy

Therapy is yet another factor that’s often treated as a taboo. Many tend to think that people undergoing a therapy session are either “mentally unstable” or for the lack of better word “retarded” as per their beliefs, which is anything but true.

Much like how you would consult a doctor for your physical problems, the same way, one needs to reach out to a therapist, if they are suffering from a distortion of their mental well being. There are several things to do to improve mental health and consulting a renowned and experienced therapist can actually help you feel better and stable.

Several experts have suggested stating that talking to a therapist (R) actually does help because it provides with a perception to the trail of thoughts and helps make everything a bit more organized in the mind. It is also believed that talking to someone helps retort to the signs and symptoms associated with any kind of mental health issues.

7. Be Around Positive People

Happiness is contagious and trusts me; this is very well a true concept. The last thing you want when your mind and mental health is already down is to hang out with people who are going to negatively affect your mental health.

Surround yourself with happy and positive people; people who are funny and can make you laugh your heart out. It is necessary for your mental health improvement that your overall well being is to take care of, primarily because of the fact that negative flooding thoughts tend to make one’s mental well being even worse.

Laughter is very effective in treating anxiety and if you don’t have many people to rely on, just rely on the good old YouTube videos because they tend to never disappoint in making you laugh.

Here’s one for you to enjoy.

8. Open up to Your Confidante

It is very common for people with mental health struggle to shy away from the world and be very reclusive. While the same might seem like the only option, if you want to adhere to good habits to improve mental health, it is necessary that you open up to your friends or people you rely on.

This is considered as one of the best ways to boost mental health, especially people who don’t want to start therapy or can’t afford the money that goes into getting one. It is important that you at least open up to someone and have a safe outlet for all your thoughts rather than bottling things up; it tends to make things worse than what you would consider.

After all, what are friends for, right? Sometimes all you need is for someone to lend you an ear (R) to listen to you rant and get everything off your chest.

9. Exercising Helps Too

Yet another amazing and good tip to improve mental health is by indulging yourself in some physical activity and exercise. Physical well being and mental well being are oftentimes tied together which is why you need to ensure that you include some good old exercise in your daily routine.

When you indulge in some exercises, it triggers your brain to release the “feel good” hormones (R) that act as the instant mood boost. Research suggests that working out in the fresh air is also very beneficial in boosting your body with fresh and positive energy (R) that can push down all the negative thoughts in your mind.

It is often believed that once you feel better physically, your mental health automatically gets the much-needed boost.

10. Tweak Your Diet a Bit

When I say, tweak, I mean switching up the unhealthy food with the good kind, the one that actually helps in making the much coveted difference that one wishes to witness. When you eat healthy and depend on a diet that’s rich in good fibers and antioxidants, it positively impacts your overall well being which is exactly what you need to feel better, not just physically but mentally as well.

Eating well is something the key to your good mental health (R) and while we tend to take it for granted, it is necessary to understand for a fact that eating well doesn’t necessarily mean that you are eating bland or non-tasty food. Tasty food can be just as healthy. Balance out (R) the fruits and vegetables in your diet and include some nuts too, trust me; a little goes a long way.

11. Take a Break and Travel

Okay, now, hold your horses. I know that travelling is not easy and not cheap as well. But, if you want good mental health tips, I would definitely suggest travelling as one of them. Because, mental health issues often tend to root from a place and separating yourself from there can actually be very therapeutic (R).

Involving yourself in some amazing and beautiful places and cultures can actually help you improve mental health status of yours and have fun much like you used to. Save up money and visit a place that you have always been and something that has been on your bucket list since eternity.

12. Sleep More

Sleeping and I repeat, an adequate amount of sleeping can do wonders for your overall mental health. If you have been fretting and complaining about the common grounds of having issues with your mental well being, chances are that you are not sleeping well as well.

While consistent lack of sleep might not reflect much on your physical health, the same tends to always take a toll on your mental health (R) (knowingly or unknowingly). Not just that, even research claims that lack of sleep or insomnia tends to inhibit the regulation of emotions (R) which is definitely something one needs to be aware of.

Poor sleeping (R) can make you irritable and very conflicted. Try and get some proper sleep, at least 6-8 hours a day, for effective mental health improvement.

13. Get a Pet (if you can take the responsibility)

Having a pet can do all the different you need to improve the mental health of yours. These little fluffballs, without even saying anything, can make a profound impact on your mental health and that too, for the most positive effects.

If you are financially capable enough and have good resources with you, chances are that you should adopt a furry friend for your company. They can bring down your anxiousness (R) and help keep you grounded and happy.

Not just that, walking your pets even boost in a new wave of energy in you and everything for the better. Adopt a dog or a cat, or even a hamster, whatever you want.

14. Dance Around Your House

Dancing is yet another one of the amazing things to do to improve mental health. While you might be here thinking how, trust me, this actually does work for the best of your abilities. Scientifically speaking, dancing not just help boost your energy levels, it makes you feel refreshed and reenergized.

You must be here thinking about how it happens, right? Well, dancing is believed to lower the levels of cortisol (R) in the body which is what is responsible for inducing the release if endorphins in the body which are considered as the feel-good hormones.

These contribute a hell lot in mental health improvement and this is why dancing is considered one of the best ways to let go and be free.

15. Digital Detox is the Way to Go

Many times, depression comes from comparison and it doesn’t necessarily has to be something that other people do, consciously or subconsciously, we are always comparing ourselves with someone or the other, especially while we are scrolling past our Instagram feed and seeing those aesthetically pleasing pictures. Isn’t it?

Well, social media is supposed to be an escape, something that strings reality and virtual world. It should not be the reason behind your increasing levels of anxiety and stress and sometimes, self-hatred. If this is what you are experiencing, it is time to simply cut those people out of your social media circle and make it a safe space for yourself.

Ensure that the online world (R) that you are indulging yourself in is equally safe for your mental health. If it gets out of hand, it is time for you to ditch those websites for good. After all, your sanity is not more important that your virtual presence, now, is it?

16. Be Kind to Someone Else

Treat people the way you want to be treated. This saying will always hold true for every situation, be it any. Being nice to someone doesn’t just make their day but can also effectively be one of the best ways to improve the mental health of yours. When you treat someone with kindness, you have a feeling of accomplishment and happiness that you won’t get from being rude or disrespectful to someone.

If you want to improve mental health effectively, start with being a little nicer to people and trust me, for the most part, you will have the same reciprocated back towards you and that is one of the best feelings ever.

Kindness is much like a cycle (R), you give some, and you get some. Happiness shared is happiness gained.

17. Practice Saying NO!!

This might seem easy but is one of the most important things that you could possibly do to help your mental health improvement. If you think that something that someone is asking you to do is negatively going to affect your mental health, it is time for you to stand up and say NO.

It is often hard for people to do that and trust me, I understand, but if you are adamant on doing something good for your well being, it is where you start and saying no is the first step to do so. Care about your own mental well being first and then think about the consequences.

18. A Warm Bath Helps

Many times, stress roots from work pressure or even problems in the family. If you have been here thinking what has consistently been bothering you, it is time that you take a step back and assess the situation. Is the situation really worth stressing about? Is the situation really worth taking a toll on your mental health?

If not, drown everything in a tub filled with water and just let everything fizzle away. A warm bath with some bath bombs can actually be a boon for you. Lay down and just let everything go for that one moment, trust me, you won’t regret.

In order to improve mental health, it is necessary to not just open up but be very vocal about all the things that have been bothering you. Bottling things up is probably the worst thing that you could do to your mental health. Consult a therapist, eat your favourite food, and just indulge in some activities that you wouldn’t have done otherwise.