Unlike the common belief about natural practices being cumbersome and expensive, they are convenient and often economical. If you have not experienced it yourself, you might wonder, “How could it be possible to manage mental health naturally and what could be the benefits of doing so?” When discussing mental health and its management through natural and behavioural changes, we are actually considering lifestyle changes. The small habit alterations do not have any adverse effects. They are workable and suit the pocket too. With no further ado, let’s get to know some simple ways to manage your mental health naturally:
1. Know Yourself
A doctor must understand his patient’s medical history and his present concern to manage his medical condition adequately. That is exactly how you should know yourself to manage your own mental health. Yes, this must be the first step towards a sound mind. Often in the rush of life we frantically run after one target after another, when actually what our mind and heart desire remains unheard. It would be advisable to slow down in the race and take time to reflect on the real aspirations, fears, victories and losses in life. Decluttering the mind of the chaos will leave room for the genuine emotions that matter and will make it easier to find a path towards goals that will shape a healthy future.
2. Don’t choose to take pills
It is not advisable to get medication unless it becomes a necessity. We must strive to treat mental health naturally with no therapeutics. A trained doctor only must recommend if that is the only solution. When on medication, one must also practice required behavioural shifts and aim to be free of pills with time. The pills planned to treat mental conditions have detrimental effects on the general health because of prolonged usage. Short term self medication to treat insomnia or headache or stress may lead to addiction.
3. Meditation is still the key
Meditation is one of the best ways to maintain good mental health. It is natural and comes at almost no cost. It calms the mind, and it has the power to heal a variety of physical and mental conditions. According to studies, meditation can improve conditions of psychological stress such as anxiety, depression and pain. There are various forms of meditation practiced by experts. Guided meditation is relaxing for patients. Mindful meditation brings about a sense of awareness and acceptance and helps people calm down and live the present moment to the fullest. Another popular form of meditation among spiritual practitioners is the transcendental meditation. It is good for beginners as it requires less concentration and progresses on repeated chanting of specific mantras, words or sounds.
4. Time to Quit Addictions
Addiction in modern times is not just restricted to alcohol, tobacco or drugs in other forms. While they are injurious to health, we must keep their consumption under control. However, the new age addiction is digital. All of us are guilty of being glued to our cell phones for the longest hours during the day. We are constantly consuming content as news, scrolling through random profiles on social media and looking at others’ virtual profiles and wishing our lives were like theirs. Well, this is also an addiction, picking up the phone every 5 minutes and checking on notifications which actually neither appear nor matter. A digital detox now and then should do some good to our brains and help us connect back to the present moment. It is important to be aware of the actual world around us.
5. Don’t Compromise on Sleep
Our brain is on 24×7 duty. The only time it slows down is when we sleep. Imagine a vehicle running 24×7 on the roads. We all know it needs some time to cool down to work at its best efficiency. The same applies to our brain. A slow down of at least 7-8 hours in a day is mandatory for it to help you work in sanity for the rest of the time. It is important to have a routine around the time and length of sleep. This helps the body clock to adjust itself and be more productive during the day. If you are one who struggles to sleep even after hitting the bed, train yourself to some slow down rituals. Follow a night time skin care routine, keep all gadgets away, read a book, meditate and hopefully this should be enough to get you a peaceful sleep. If not, workout during the day so you are tired enough to get a good sleep. Counting backwards from 100 to 1in bed also works well for many people. Also read: 16 Things To Do When You Can’t Sleep
6. Monitor your Food Habits
“Eat healthy to Stay Healthy”, if you have not been doing it, it’s time you did? Add green vegetables, natural sources of protein and vitamins to your plate and observe the impact both on your body and mind. A wholesome diet is not only satisfying to our taste buds, it also calms down an anxious mind. This is also a part of integrative psychiatry which we often ignore. Healthy eating habits heal an unfit body and keep the brain active.
7. Stay Hydrated
If you didn’t know them yet, let us share some interesting water facts with you.
60% of the human body is water 73% of the brain and heart is water 83% of the lungs is water 64% of the skin is water 79% of the muscles and kidney is water 31% of the bones are also water.
Now that you are aware of these statistics, hope it is reason enough to keep your body well hydrated. How much water should you drink in a day? About 2.5 – 4 litres of water intake is adequate to keep a healthy metabolic rate. And yes, to remind you, water implies plain water.
8. Start your Day Early
Beginning your day early automatically keeps stress away. When we have enough time before you get to what we must do, it eliminates the need to rush. The panic and stress of getting late for work is not a good way to begin the day. A calm and mindful start to the morning sets up the tone for a power pact day. The optimistic and positive vibe sets the tone for the day. When you have some time in hand, why not start the day with a short workout or meditation session.
9. Talk to your Loved Ones
Are you still in touch with your high school best friends? The friends at school are the real buddies. But more often than not, we lose touch with them while rushing to achieve our goals and ambitions. And we are just left with professional acquaintances. Colleagues also turns out to be good friends. We may have hundreds of friends on social media, but how many would actually stand by when needed. Make sure you have not distanced away and disconnected yourself from your loved ones. Speak to your parents daily for at least 10 minutes, talk about their feelings, ask about their day and share yours. Call your old friends randomly, remember old memories and just keep in touch with them. Also read: Mind Bending Benefits of Daily Pilates Exercises
10. Train Yourself for a Positive Mindset
A positive mindset is one that can make all the difference in your perspective of a situation. We need not tell you about the ‘Glass half full or half empty’ story. That is all that is to positivity, explained in the simplest words. Start reading and sharing positive thoughts instead of negative. If someone cannot find time for you, he is not ignoring you; he is just busy. You can wait patiently until he frees up and let him know you are doing so. A positive attitude can solve complex problems and do away with their after effects within seconds. There were some basic and super-simple techniques which you can follow to lead a healthier life and manage your mental health naturally. In order to make your brain more engaged and improve focus, you can try them and give yourself a surprise
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