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Start Talking!
Know! What You
Can Do to Improve Your Mental Health
1/8/2018
With the start of each new year, people commonly vow to improve their
physical health, including diet, nutrition and exercise. While this is
a vital measure to take, it is equally important to resolve to improve
one’s mental and emotional heath as well.
A healthy mind is fundamental to a person’s overall well-being,
regardless of age. Our mental state affects how we think, feel and act.
Mentally healthy people are better positioned to:
Realize their full potential
Cope with the stresses of life
Work productively at school or on the job
Relate positively to others
Make good decisions
Make meaningful contributions to their communities
In this new year, here are 10 things you (teens and adults) can do for
your mental health (shared by The University of Michigan – Student Life
University Health Service, adapted from the National Mental Health
Association/National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare):
Value Yourself: Treat yourself with kindness and respect and avoid
self-criticism. Make time for things you enjoy.
Take Care of Your Body: Eat more nutritiously, drink more water,
exercise, get plenty of sleep and avoid tobacco.
Surround Yourself with Positive People: Happiness is contagious, so is
negativity – which will only bring you down. Keep company with people
who choose to laugh more than they complain and focus on the positives
in life.
Give of Yourself: Seek out volunteer opportunities at churches and/or
organizations that interest you, or simply take advantage of the
endless opportunities to help family, friends and neighbors. It is
uplifting to help others.
Learn How to Deal with Stress: Stress is a normal part of life and the
sooner one learns how to cope with it in a positive way, the better.
Different things work for different people but, in general, some common
stress reducers include physical exercise, deep breathing exercises,
visualization, journaling, playing with a pet or taking a good
old-fashioned walk outside.
Quiet Your Mind: Meditation, prayer and mindfulness are known to help
people feel calm and relaxed, and can improve one’s outlook on life.
Set Realistic Goals: Decide what you want to achieve in school, work or
your personal life and write it down. Then, plan the steps needed to
make those goals a reality. Aim high, but be realistic and don’t
overschedule yourself.
Break Up the Monotony: Routines are good, but a change of pace now and
then is even better. Take a walk in a different park, shoot some hoops
instead of doing your daily run, come up with a different spot to hang
with friends, try a new food or restaurant and so forth.
Avoid Alcohol and Other Drugs: For youth, this is a given. Alcohol is
illegal for those under 21 and a danger in many ways. For some adults,
alcohol in moderation is okay. While some people turn to alcohol and
other drugs to self-medicate, the opposite is likely to occur as
self-medicating will only make the situation worse.
Get Help When Needed: Seeking help is a sign of strength – not
weakness. People who get appropriate care can and do recover from
mental illness and addiction and lead happy, healthy, productive and
rewarding lives.
It’s a new year—a clean slate, a chance for new beginnings, and a time
to push away the negatives, focus your energy on the positives, improve
your mental and emotional health, and find balance in life.
Learn how to get the conversation started at StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
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