Mental health and mental wellbeing impact all areas of your life – from how you interact with friends and family in your personal life, to your attitude toward work, major life events, and more. Focusing on improving your wellbeing can improve your overall mental health and wellness. Wondering how you can do that? You’ve come to the right place! Read our tips below.
Live in The Present
First and foremost, you need to make sure that you live in the present. Focus on what you have now, and how you can make the best of your current situation. Dwelling on the past can be harmful to your wellbeing, especially if you tend to think about negative events and situations that have occurred in your life before.
In the same way, only thinking about the future robs you of the joy that you can take in the “here and now.” Of course, it’s important to plan for the future and to know what’s up next – but don’t focus on this at the expense of enjoying your life in the moment.
Determine & Live Your Personal Values
Your personal values are the set of standards by which you measure your behavior as well as the behavior of others. They can come from a lot of different sources, including religions, spiritual practices, the study of ethics, principles taught to you by your parents and other elders, and other such sources.
It’s a helpful exercise to think about your own personal values, write them down, and think about how you can live them out in your everyday life. This, in turn, can help improve your overall wellbeing.
Practice Gratitude
To “practice gratitude” simply means to take a step back every day and think about what you’re thankful for. Even in the most difficult situations, you can always find a “silver lining” and find something to feel grateful for.
These don’t have to be big things, either. You can feel grateful for your morning cup of coffee, for listening to the radio on your commute to work, for a tasty lunch you packed from home – for anything at all. Taking the time to remember the good things in your life will always help you get your thoughts in perspective.
Keep an Eye on Your Thoughts & Emotions
Too often, we don’t really think about what we feel – or what we think! Sometimes we can be passive by experiencing thoughts and emotions without thinking about what they mean.
To improve your wellbeing and mindfulness, try to “keep an eye out” for negative and harmful thoughts and emotions. When you experience them, try to determine where they come from – and figure out strategies to cope with them or reduce the intensity of these feelings in the future.
Deal with Stress
Everyone deals with stress differently, but it’s important to find an outlet that is healthy and will let you relieve your stress without harming yourself or others. For example, many people find exercise to be helpful in stress relief. Meditation and yoga are also popular outlets for relieving stress.
Or, something as simple as a warm bath and listening to your favorite music could be the outlet you need. Develop strategies to cope with stress so that you can let it go – and prevent it from affecting your day-to-day life.
Need Help or Advice? Come to denova Collaborative Healthcare!
At denova Collaborative Healthcare, we take a “whole person” approach to healthcare and work to improve not only your physical health but also your overall mental health and wellbeing. If you would like more tips and information about self-care, wellness, and wellbeing, we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment online now to see one of our doctors and get the help you need right away!