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Search CMHA British Columbia Donate Box Donate. Home » Improving Mental Health. Tip : Small changes can lead to a big difference. Take a brisk walk on your lunch break. Play outside with the kids. Find activities you enjoy and work them into your schedule.

Aim for realistic goals—no one becomes a marathon runner overnight. Eat well Eating right is good for your physical health, and evidence suggests that healthy eating can help boost your mental health, too. Tip: For more information on healthy food choices, visit www.

Watch what you drink Caffeinated drinks like coffee, black tea, and cola can all affect your mental health. Tip : Avoid caffeinated drinks at least two hours before bedtime.

This can help reduce the effects these substances have on your sleep patterns. Tip : Get your water. Drinking water is important because it replenishes brain cells and helps fight fatigue.

Get enough sleep Sometimes this is easier said than done, but it plays a huge part in your mental health.

Tip : Get into a routine. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—including weekends. You may have access to a counsellor through school, work or through special services for your cultural or faith community.

Top Connecting to things bigger than you is good for mental health. Connect to a cause you care about: join a rally, sign a petition, raise money, or volunteer Find a spirituality to call your own: individual prayer or meditation, formal services of worship, or even connecting with nature Build a healthy support network Healthy relationships with friends, family and co-workers is vital to good mental health.

Tip : Put yourself out there. If you want to build up your support network, you need to take risks. Join a club or sports team, attend that family or work event, or reconnect with people.

Place yourself in situations where the type of people you are hoping to meet will be. If you are shy, try situations with smaller groups of people, or start by calling an old friend or sending an email or letter.

You can call for information on local services or if you just need someone to talk to. If you are in distress, call do not add , or before the number 24 hours a day to connect to a BC crisis line, without a wait or busy signal.

Your mental health influences how you think, feel, and behave in daily life. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental health refers to the presence of positive characteristics.

Having solid mental health doesn't mean that you never go through bad times or experience emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change.

And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. But just as physically healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury, people with strong mental health are better able to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress.

This ability is called resilience. People who are emotionally and mentally resilient have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook.

They remain focused, flexible, and productive, in bad times as well as good. Their resilience also makes them less afraid of new experiences or an uncertain future. Even when they don't immediately know how a problem will get resolved, they are hopeful that a solution will eventually be found.

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

Anyone can suffer from mental or emotional health problems—and over a lifetime most of us will. This year alone, about one in five of us will suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Yet, despite how common mental health problems are, many of us make no effort to improve our situation.

We ignore the emotional messages that tell us something is wrong and try toughing it out by distracting ourselves or self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or self-destructive behaviors.

We bottle up our problems in the hope that others won't notice. We hope that our situation will eventually improve on its own. The good news is: you don't have to feel bad.

There are practices you can adopt to elevate your mood, become more resilient, and enjoy life more. But just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health.

We have to work harder these days to ensure strong mental health, simply because there are so many ways that life takes a toll on our emotional well-being.

This can stem from a variety of reasons, including:. In some societies, mental and emotional issues are seen as less legitimate than physical issues. They're seen as a sign of weakness or somehow as being our own fault. In our fast-paced world, we're obsessed with seeking quick, simple answers to complex problems.

We look for connection with others by compulsively checking social media instead of reaching out to people in the real world, for example. Or to boost our mood and ease depression, we'd rather pop a pill rather tackle the underlying issues.

Many people think that if they do seek help for mental and emotional problems, the only treatment options available are medication which comes with unwanted side effects or therapy which can be lengthy and expensive. The truth is that, whatever your issues, there are steps you can take to improve the way you feel and experience greater mental and emotional well-being.

And you can start today! No matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need the company of others to feel and function at your best. Humans are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others.

We're not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship—even when experience has made us shy and distrustful of others. Phone calls and social networks have their place, but nothing can beat the stress-busting, mood-boosting power of quality face-to-face time with other people.

A good listener will listen to the feelings behind your words, and won't interrupt, judge, or criticize you. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won't make you a burden to others.

Most people are flattered if you trust them enough to confide in them. If you don't feel that you have anyone to turn to, there are good ways to build new friendships and improve your support network.

In the meantime, there is still a great benefit to interacting face-to-face with acquaintances or people you encounter during the day, such as neighbors, people in the checkout line or on the bus, or the person serving you your morning coffee. Make eye contact and exchange a smile, a friendly greeting, or small talk.

Call a friend or loved one now and arrange to meet up. If you both lead busy lives, offer to run errands or exercise together.

Try to make it a regular get-together. If you don't feel that you have anyone to call, reach out to acquaintances. Lots of other people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as you do—so be the one to break the ice. Reconnect with an old friend, invite a coworker out for lunch, or ask a neighbor to join you for coffee.

Get out from behind your TV or computer screen. Communication is a largely nonverbal experience that requires you to have direct contact with other people, so don't neglect your real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction.

Be a joiner. Join networking, social, or special interest groups that meet on a regular basis. These groups offer wonderful opportunities for meeting people with common interests. Don't be afraid to smile and say hello to strangers you cross paths with.

Making a connection is beneficial to both of you—and you never know where it may lead! The mind and the body are intrinsically linked. When you improve your physical health, you'll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. Physical activity also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that lift your mood and provide added energy.

Regular exercise or activity can have a major impact on mental and emotional health problems , relieve stress, improve memory, and help you to sleep better. Well, you're not alone. Pounding weights in a gym or jogging on a treadmill isn't everyone's idea of a great time.

Toxic femininity, or behavior that aligns with patriarchal beliefs about what women should and shouldn't do, can affect your well-being. Here's how. A new study, released this week has found that death rates are increased for people with obesity who are also socially isolated and lonely.

A new study finds a type of psychedelic called ibogaine may help people with traumatic brain injury. In the study 30 male Special Operations Forces…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep?

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Mental Well-Being. Medically reviewed by Karin Gepp, PsyD — By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS on May 2, Get restful sleep. Cut back on social media. Strengthen your relationships.

Move your body on your own terms. Savor nutrient-rich foods. Know when to take it easy. Make time for rest. Get some sunshine. When to reach out. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. May 2, Written By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS. Share this article. Read this next. How Long Does It Take for a New Behavior to Become Automatic? Medically reviewed by Timothy J.

Legg, PhD, PsyD. Medically reviewed by Kendra Kubala, PsyD. The Best Strategies for Parents to Boost Their Mental Health. Burnout Recovery: 11 Strategies to Help You Reset.

Take a deep breath and see how you feel. The idea is to get connected with your natural surroundings. For more information and ideas, see our guide Thriving With Nature , produced by the Mental Health Foundation and wildlife charity WWF.

Anyone who has struggled with sleep will know what a difference it makes to our bodies, minds and ability to cope with life. For many people, sleep is often the first thing that suffers when we're struggling with our mental health.

Adults need between 7 and 9 hours' sleep a night, including enough dreaming sleep and enough deeper sleep. For more suggestions, try this guide to sleep and mental health. Our bodies and minds are connected, so looking after ourselves physically also helps us prevent problems with our mental health it works the other way around, too.

Moving our bodies — with sport, gardening, dancing, cycling, walking the dog, cleaning or going to the gym, for example — are great ways to improve our mental and physical health.

It also helps us feel better about our bodies. It can improve our sleep too. If it involves other people, like being part of a team, a class or a group we see regularly, that can also boost our mental health.

From walking to dancing and basketball to the gym, the best exercise is simply the one we enjoy. But they soon leave us feeling exhausted or jittery.

Caffeine in coffee, tea, or so-called energy drinks can also have this effect. A balanced diet with lots of vegetables and fruit is essential for good physical and mental health.

How we eat is also important. Having meals with other people can help to grow relationships — with family, friends, partners, and colleagues. Food can also get mixed up with our feelings. Some people over-eat or under-eat when they are upset. It may help to talk to someone we trust and get professional support if we need it.

If you have ever felt lonely, you will know how much it helps to have even a small connection with someone else. Research shows that being kind is good for both sides.

Being kind can boost our mood, help us feel more capable, strengthen our connections with others and even make us cope better with stress. You could make their day but also feel better for it - friendly connections with others are vital for our mental health.

More inspiration about acts of kindness. We can also help others by doing volunteer work and getting together with other people to work for good causes. These things can help us feel connected with others and the world around us. It can give us the sense that we can make a difference. All of this is good for our mental health.

We can all get stuck in familiar ways, like how we spend our time and what we think about ourselves and the world. This can be self-fulfilling, with our expectations influencing what actually happens, for good or bad. Life can feel more interesting, lively and rewarding when we are open to trying new experiences and experimenting with how we do things.

It could be as simple as what we have for breakfast or the route we walk with the dog. It could also need some planning, like an adventure holiday.

Life throws all sorts at us, and during hard times, we may feel hopeless and not have the energy to plan for the future. Making plans for things we enjoy can increase our sense of hope, which is important for our mental health. Our plan could be for anything from small pleasures, like a cup of tea or your favourite TV programme or dance class, to a trip with family or friends, or seeing your favourite film, sports team or singer.

Feeling very upset can interfere with our lives, making it hard to think clearly or work, relax, study, sleep or deal with other people. Is it sadness, fear , shame, loneliness , anger or something else?

It may seem strange and uncomfortable to do this. But practice and patience with ourselves will help. Some women might find that their periods sometimes or always affect their moods. Talking kindly to ourselves, in the same way, we might reassure a small child we care about, is also important.

It can be very comforting. You might feel uncomfortable initially, but give it a go — it might just help. Some people feel better if they write down their feelings in a notebook or on their phone.

You might want to think about how to protect your privacy before doing this. You could try repeating something positive about yourself a few times each day. Research shows this reduces negative thoughts and feelings.

Many of us have learned to bottle things up inside us and try to ignore painful feelings. Just talking things through with a person we trust can help and feel like a relief.

Use your own words. Another possible benefit is that talking may strengthen your relationship with the person you speak with. This will benefit both of you and make it easier for them to turn to you when they need support themselves.

Information about talking with friends about your mental health. If you think you may be using drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings, it may help to notice it without beating yourself up about it. Being understanding and kind to yourself is good for your mental health.

A possible next step could be to talk with someone you trust or one of the charities that offer confidential, free information and advice, including how to reduce the harmfulness of using drugs.

Have a look at Talk To Frank , for example. You could also look for other ways of coping with painful feelings, such as getting help with the situation causing them, if possible, and finding a trusted person to talk with.

This could be a friend or relative, a colleague, a person working for a charity helpline, your GP or a counsellor. While research shows that aerobic exercise such as jogging or brisk walking is beneficial, so too are short, intense workouts that raise your heart rate and feel effortful -- such as jumping jacks, sit-ups, or a plank-- she says.

Research shows that counting your blessings and being thankful improves mood. Try spending five minutes, three times a week, writing down "the things you are grateful for," Maddux says; he says this can serve you especially well during times when it feels more difficult to identify what makes you feel good.

As little as five minutes a day of practicing conscious breathing "has a pretty noticeable effect on mood," says Boere. In a study published in Cell Reports Medicine , researchers showed that doing five minutes of breathwork a day can improve mood and reduce anxiety.

Specifically, a breathwork called cyclic sighing helps to quickly reduce stress and improve the way your body feels. To try it, inhale through your nose as much as you can, then take in a bit more breath to fill your lungs completely, and then exhale slowly through your mouth.

Click here to watch a video on how to do cyclic breathing. D, a Maryland-based therapist and author of Conquer Negative Thinking For Teens. Research has shown that mindfulness meditation can help reduce anxiety , among other health benefits.

You don't need to try and control it or change it any way. Just being present with how you're breathing and what that actually feels like in your body, rather than focusing on something else.

Have a hard time turning off your brain? Meditation apps can be helpful, says Maddux. In the last several years there's been an explosion of podcasts, including ones geared to help improve mental health.

Bryant, creator and host of The Homecoming podcast , where she shares tips on how to deal with tough emotions. Bryant sees podcasts as a good way to get into the "right mindset," and a way of self-nourishment. Try tuning into a podcast on your daily walk — some to start with include Maybelline's Brave Together initiative podcast I'm Fine, You?

Laurie Santos, and Therapy for Black Girls , hosted by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. Disconnecting from social media can provide a mental health boost. A study published last year showed that tuning out of these sites improves mood. Every day, even in the winter, Katherine Boere jumps into the chilly Pacific Ocean waters near her campus in Canada's British Columbia.

While researchers are trying to figure out what it is about cold-water immersion that improves mood, Boere offers an anecdotal suggestion. It really provides clarity. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies.