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Mental health is essential to a person’s overall health and well-being. Mental illnesses are common and treatable. Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the United States experience a serious mental illness in a given year that interferes with or limits one or more major life experiences. Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 1-18 experiences a severe mental disorder at some point in their life.

Here are some tips to help with your mental health:

  • Switch up your exercise regimen. Try a new sport or exercise class. Working out with other people can enhance its stress-reducing benefits.
  • Experiment! Try a new recipe, write a poem or paint. Creativity and overall well-being are linked.
  • Smile! Smiling is good for stress and can help lower your heart rate and calm you down.
  • Spend time with friends and family. People are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days they spend 6-7 hours with friends and family.
  • Consider finding a place of worship.
  • Go for a 30 minute walk in nature. It can increase energy levels, reduce depression and boost well-being.
  • Listing three funny things that happen to you during the week has been known to enhance happiness and reduce depressive symptoms.
  • Go on a trip. Having something to look forward to can boost your happiness for up to 8 weeks.
  • Don’t answer work emails over the weekend. Setting boundaries is essential for establishing a work-life balance.
  • Connect with someone. Go for a meal or make a phone call. Relationships make the difference between happy and unhappy people.
  • Plan out your week for both personal and professional obligations. Having a good work-life balance helps to experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.
  • Read a book! Reading helps relieve stress and tension.
  • Try meditating. Spiritual practices are linked to increased levels of feel-good chemicals and decreased levels of chemicals associated with stress.
  • Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
  • Add plants to your home or office. They’re known to reduce stress and anxiety.
  • Incorporate something funny into your environment for a daily dose of humor.
  • Get a pet! Time with an animal lowers stress hormones and boosts oxytocin, which stimulates feelings of happiness.
  • In through your nose out through your mouth.

 

Visit bit.ly/4mind4body to see what other people are doing to work wellness into their lifestyles.