6 Great Activities For When Your Mental Health Is Suffering
Taking care of your mental health is so, so important. While it’s absolutely fine to go through periods of being less than okay, it’s also imperative that you look after yourself and keep well. In light of this, here are six things you can do when your mental health is suffering. Have a read, it might help you out.
1. Go For A Walk
Let’s start with the obvious one. You’ve probably been told countless times that you should do some exercise when you’re feeling low. But let’s be honest, the last thing you want to do when your mental health is suffering is leave the house.
The truth is, however, that exercise really and truly can have a positive impact on mental health. Spending an hour out in the fresh air instead of cooped up in your bedroom is so beneficial for your state of mind. Nobody expects you to run a marathon, but going for a short walk is a good start.
2. Organise A Getaway With Friends
Having something positive to look forward to can make a big difference in your mental health. When you aren’t feeling your best, why not get away from it all and organise a trip with your friends? This could be anything from a spa day to a weekend away, whatever you like. Spending quality time with good friends can be so healing, and will help shine a little light in the darkness.
3. Get Out the Colouring Book
Adult colouring book, that is.
If you suffer from anxiety, adult colouring books are great for relieving feelings of stress and tension. These colouring books are packed full of drawings which require intricate attention to detail, so they’re handy for focusing the mind. Although quite an old fashioned technique, the repetitive motion of colouring can help calm you down, offering a therapeutic sanctuary away from the overwhelming bustle of everyday life.
4. Have A Go At Some Mindful Meditation
This isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely worth having a go anyway. Mindful meditation is the practice of focusing your mind for a length of time and has been proven to help combat negative feelings and self-esteem issues associated with poor mental health. Although it requires a good deal of patience to master, mindful meditation can be very effective.
5. Have A Session Away From Social Media
Blocking out all social media for a period of time is an important form of self-care that everyone should consider, especially in the midst of the modern-day technological frenzy.
While social media is generally a good thing, being bombarded with countless filtered images on Instagram isn’t great for anyone’s mental health. If you can, try switching your phone off for the whole day and engage in something productive outside of your everyday environment instead. It will help you feel a lot better.
6. Have A Hot Bubble Bath
When you’re down in the dumps, sometimes all it takes is a good bubble bath to have you feeling like yourself again. We all deserve to indulge in some ‘me time’ every now and again, especially if we’re struggling with stress, and a simple activity such as a bath should never be overlooked.
Studies have shown that soaking in a hot bath every day can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression over a prolonged period of time. Not only this, but the activity has even been considered as effective at tackling poor mental health as going to an aerobics class twice a week! Choose your favourite bubble bath, throw in a bath bomb and relax.
