Talking about mental health is hard. Over the past several years society has been more accepting of mental health, however that does not mean everyone understands. Many people that have a mental health illness have had someone in their life say the words, “Stop it”. Unfortunately, mental health does not work that way. So how can people help improve their mental health?

One way to improve mental health is exercise. Exercise can help people feel good as it releases chemicals in the body that improve your mood. Regular exercise can reduce stress, increase your sleep, improve your memory, and it can decrease the symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Another way to improve mental health is to have social support. Social support is helpful as it allows people to feel as if they are not alone. They are able to discuss their thoughts and feelings and possibly work through them.

Learning to manage your stress is also very important in improving mental health. Often times the things that we stress over are the things that are making our mental health worse. Engage in activities that allow you to relieve stress, practice saying “no”, and set boundaries so you can stop stress before it happens.

Finally, people can seek counseling services. Attending counseling services can be beneficial as it allows people to receive help from an impartial person. The Worsley Centre for Psychotherapy and Counseling discuss 9 key benefits for counseling. These benefits are: seeing your thoughts from a different perspective, having a cathartic experience, time set aside to confront feelings, couples benefiting from a neutral party, feeling less alone with your problems, finding it easier to cope in everyday life, sharing emotions, improving your physical wellbeing, and getting a greater degree of self-awareness.

For more information on why people should attend counseling services please read:

9 Key Benefits of Counselling and Talking Therapy by The Worsley Centre for Psychotherapy and Counseling  retrieved from https://theworsleycentre.com/the-benefits-of-counselling/

For more ways to improve your mental health go to https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-s-mental-health-matters/201510/9-ways-you-can-improve-your-mental-health-today