Mental Health is a topic for everyone

Did you know that most people will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their lives? Depression, anxiety, moodiness – Its very common but not talked about.

There are a lot of thing you can do to help yourself feel better naturally. Having a healthy lifestyle very much contributes to good mental health. The problem is that it is hard to get motivated to take care of yourself when you don’t feel mentally on your game. That is the time to take the most action – when you feel the least like doing it!

1. Take an Essential Fatty Acid (Fish oil/flaxseed oil). EFA’s protect your cells and make you less sensitive to stressors. They feed your brain!

2. Breathe. Practice breathing exercises daily. Deep breaths – even just a couple will make a big difference on your stress levels and get your body and blood flowing better.

3. Be Mindful. As much as possible, be in the present moment. Read my post on mindfulness here.

4. Eat Healthily. Increase whole foods and decrease processed fatty foods.

5. Communicate effectively. If something is bothering you, speak up in a way that is direct and respectful.6. Do something every day that makes you feel good. Be mindful of the good feelings.

6. Do something every day that makes you feel good. Be mindful of the good feelings.

 7. Take care of health problems. See your doctor and health care professionals for regular check-ups – mammograms, pap smears, annual physicals, do them all.

8. Be Creative. It doesn’t matter how, dance, sing, doodle, paint, garden cook. Pick something and express yourself baby!

9. Pray/Meditate. Connecting to a higher power is helpful in making sense of things when they are not going well.

10. Spend time with people who care about you and are a positive influence on you.

Written By: Robin Westphal

Robin has a Masters Degree in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University and has a private practice specializing in Mental Wellness. She can be contacted at robin@lovelylife.ca or 613-329-9995