We have selected 10 tips that help improve people’s mental health. After listing them, we will elaborate on each one, explaining how they can be put into practice and how they can help you improve your mental health.
1. Recommended daily routine by a psychiatrist
The main strategies for disease prevention and health promotion focus on changing habits in our daily routines. Establishing healthy routines can greatly help improve our quality of life, as well as our physical and emotional well-being.
Although at some point, we may have set out to have a healthy routine, it is easy that, over time, we modify them for convenience or necessity at a certain moment. Once the reason for the change is over or resolved, we may not be aware that we should resume the healthy routine.
An example of a routine change for convenience is delaying bedtime during summer vacations. In summer, it gets dark later, it’s cooler when the sun sets, and there’s no need to get up early the next day. When vacations end and it’s time to get up early for work, study, or take the children to school, it’s common to continue going to bed late, significantly reducing our sleep hours.
It is also common that, during a period when we feel overwhelmed by lack of time, we stop going to the market to buy the food we will later cook. Instead, we buy pre-cooked food or order food delivery. When the peak of work ends, one gets comfortable with this strategy and does not return to the market to buy fresh food.
To prevent this from happening, I recommend reassessing our routines periodically. The frequency can vary greatly from one person to another. Certainly, it should be done when you feel that something is not working well or if you think you could improve your mental well-being. It is also a good time to reassess routines when you experience a significant change in your life, such as a new job, a new relationship, the birth of a child, or a romantic breakup. If you are not sure when is a good time, you can do it every month or every quarter. It’s as easy as asking yourself: How do I feel? Am I getting enough sleep? Am I skipping any meals? Is this what I want to nourish myself with for the rest of my life? Am I spending enough time with my family? Am I in shape?
What are the foundations of a healthy routine
Routines have to adapt to individual needs; therefore, each person will have a different routine. It is very important to consider the balance between work, self-care, and time for pleasurable activities. Prioritizing self-care through sleep, balanced nutrition, and physical activity will contribute to your overall well-being.
What routine is recommended
We cannot forget our origins: humans are animals that live on planet Earth. Life, as we understand it, would not be possible without the warmth, energy, and light provided by the sun. Our internal biological clock (circadian rhythm) is programmed to follow the cycles of light provided by the sun. We are animals prepared to sleep at night and be awake during daylight hours. These concepts answer the question: when is it best to sleep? Without a doubt, one should sleep at night.
Sleeping at night leaves the rest of the day for us to be awake. The day, in turn, is divided into morning, afternoon, and night. Usually, the three main meals of the day serve to measure the passage of time throughout the day. The morning begins with breakfast and ends with lunch. Lunch marks the beginning of the afternoon, which ends with dinner. Dinner signals the start of the night. Therefore, meals compartmentalize the day so that we can schedule activities in each of those parts of the day. These boundaries are not strict, by any means. There can be activities that start in the morning and extend into the mid-afternoon (like most workdays in usa) or even activities that continue into the following days. The important thing is to take breaks for meals and sleep. We cannot cut back on sleep hours or skip meals.
Sleeping 7-9 hours a day, having 3 to 5 meals a day, and dedicating 30 to 60 minutes to personal hygiene is a very common routine. Generally, I recommend that personal grooming be done in the morning, especially for those with depression, who may find it more challenging. Some people may prefer, for example, to shower in the evening after going to the gym. There’s no problem with that, as long as they allocate time for it when planning their day.
Regarding work and study, it is crucial to respect established time limits. It is not uncommon to extend the workday without realizing that one is working one or two extra hours every day.
2. Sleep hygiene and self-care
Many people with sleep problems are not aware of how the routines they perform during the day affect the quality of their sleep. Most people believe that sleeping better or worse is only influenced by what happens just before going to bed or during the actual sleeping hours.
The first and often most crucial factor is the waking time. For two reasons: first, it is recommended to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and second, if you wake up late, you won’t be able to fall asleep at night. Even if you had a bad night, it is preferable not to spend more than 10 hours in bed and not to wake up late. If you wake up late, you probably haven’t managed to rest better that night, and you are almost certainly prolonging the problem for another night.
How Rest Influences Mental Health
Sleep and rest are crucial for a person’s mental, physical, cognitive, and social health. Lack of rest negatively impacts a person’s health. Someone who doesn’t rest well will experience issues with attention, struggle to concentrate on studies or work, become irritable with those around them, and not feel good about themselves. All of these factors can lead to a mood disorder (such as major depression), an anxiety disorder, or substance abuse. It can also have physical repercussions, increasing the risk of a cardiovascular event (such as a heart attack or stroke).
How Many Hours of Sleep are Necessary?
There is no exact number of hours that everyone should sleep. Each person functions differently and will feel better sleeping a certain number of hours. This need not only varies from person to person but also within the same person based on their age, life situation, the time of year, etc. Using the idea that one should sleep 8 hours a day as a reference is not bad. However, it is important to understand that some people may feel well-rested after 6 hours, while others may need 9 hours.
In my experience, it is crucial that the hours designated for sleep are consecutive. The quality of sleep is better if you manage to sleep through several sleep cycles. With each sleep cycle, the duration of REM sleep increases, making the sleep more restorative.
How to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
• Try to have light meals, especially for dinner.
• Avoid tobacco and alcoholic beverages throughout the day.
• Limit the intake of caffeine-containing drinks, avoid caffeine in the 8 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid napping.
• Engage in regular physical exercise, but avoid doing it in the late hours of the day, especially before bedtime.
• Avoid unnecessary stimuli before bedtime (checking bank accounts, responding to emails, watching violent movies, using social media).
• Sleep in a dark room, in silence, and at a comfortable temperature.
3. Physical Exercise and Psychological Well-being
We all know how important physical exercise is for physical health, but what about mental health? Is physical exercise important for mental health?
Engaging in moderate-intensity physical exercise regularly improves overall well-being, mood, cognition, and neuropsychiatric processes (including mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases). Exercise also reduces stress and anxiety. There is enough scientific evidence to conclude that physical exercise contributes to proper brain functioning through the release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, promoting neurogenesis and cerebral blood circulation.
Indirectly, physical exercise helps improve body image, reduce weight, and achieve a sense of accomplishment. All of this also contributes to both self-esteem and self-efficacy. Achieving this goal will allow a person to feel more prepared to tackle the next challenge they set for themselves and will lead to a happier state.
What is the Most Beneficial Physical Exercise for Mental Health?
If you don’t like running, don’t worry: there are many other things you can do. According to an article published in The Lancet, any exercise can improve your mental health. You can engage in cycling, elliptical training, swimming, weightlifting, Pilates, HIIT, rowing, jump rope, boxing, and more.
Team sports (soccer, basketball, paddle tennis, volleyball) have shown to have the greatest positive impact on mental health. In addition to physical exercise, these sports involve a sense of play that allows for building friendships with other team members and, moreover, they take place outside your usual environment. All of this adds an extra benefit to your mental health.
My personal recommendation is to do the exercise you enjoy the most and the one you believe you can be most consistent with, as the benefits come with regular practice. Regarding walking, we should walk daily (our bodies are designed for it), but walking is not considered physical exercise. We should walk daily and engage in physical exercise at least two or three times a week, including both aerobic and strength exercises.
4. A Balanced and Healthy Diet Also Contributes to Emotional Balance
In recent years, people with overweight and obesity outnumber those with normal weight. The increase in cases of obesity, especially childhood obesity, has turned this condition into a true epidemic. As mentioned earlier, unhealthy lifestyle habits are behind this enormous problem.
In america, we believed that the globally renowned Mediterranean diet would keep us safe from this worldwide obesity epidemic, but that has not been the case. Twenty percent of children between 6 and 11 years old are overweight or obese in Spain. What happened? Children play less outside their homes, are more sedentary, spend more time in front of screens, and eat poorly.
Obesity is related to serious chronic diseases, including depression. Various studies have shown an association between obesity and a higher risk of developing depressive symptoms. The causes of this association are multiple and include biological, psychological, and social factors. Obesity can affect self-esteem, body image, and quality of life, which could lead to or contribute to depression in some individuals.
It has been found that people with obesity and depression can improve their mood and emotional balance by losing weight through a balanced and healthy diet.
5. Sociofamilial Support Network
Having a support network is crucial for our mental health. From the moment we are born, being physically close to someone becomes a biological need as important as eating or sleeping. Newborns need an attachment figure for their survival. As adults, albeit to a lesser extent, we also need to feel close to other people.
Spending time with family and friends is essential for our mental health. Having someone to talk to when you have a problem, such as a partner, parents, siblings, or childhood friend, can alleviate many concerns. Use this network whenever you think it may be helpful.
You should not forget that to be able to rely on this sociofamilial support network, you also have to collaborate in building and sustaining it. Practice gratitude when your network helps you and practice altruism when your network needs you. Helping people outside your network can also be very beneficial for society, in addition to your own well-being and happiness. You must know your strengths and limitations when offering help to someone so that you can still have the energy to take care of yourself.
If you feel lonely and don’t have family or friends, or if you have felt betrayed or disappointed by them, don’t worry. We are all capable of creating our own support network. Some people with very difficult experiences may need professional help: contact a psychologist or a mental health specialist.
Just as we recommend engaging in regular physical exercise, it is also important to consider reducing the time spent on sedentary activities (sitting or lying down). Substituting some sedentary activities with physical activities of any intensity (including low intensity) is beneficial for health.
6. Acquiring New Skills Improves Emotional Well-being
Learning is very satisfying for human beings. We spend our lives learning new things. Setting new challenges in life gives us motivation and satisfaction not only when we acquire the new skill but also during the learning process. Any skill can serve this purpose: learning to ride a bike if you couldn’t do it in childhood, gaining expertise in an area that interests you or could improve your health (such as nutrition), daring to learn how to prepare a paella…
Acquiring new skills can be a powerful tool to improve your emotional well-being by providing a sense of accomplishment, helping you reduce stress, stimulating your mind, and strengthening your social network, as you often need a mentor or join a group for this. These social interactions can enrich your life and provide a sense of belonging. Additionally, acquiring new skills can add a dimension of enrichment and purpose to your daily life.
In times of stress or emotional difficulties, focusing on learning a new skill can serve as a healthy and constructive distraction, helping you overcome challenging moments.
7. Contribute to Society to Find Social Well-being
Contributing to society is rewarding and benefits your own social and emotional well-being. How you contribute to society will depend on your life situation, age, and health.
A university student studying a degree is preparing to acquire knowledge that they can later use to serve society. For example, an engineer who can build a bridge connecting two locations over a river, a lawyer defending people’s rights, or a doctor caring for the health of their patients. Nevertheless, many students believe they can contribute even more to society and become volunteers. The altruism of volunteering provides a sense of purpose and satisfaction in helping others, especially vulnerable or needy individuals. Volunteering helps build a better world and facilitates the volunteer’s development of greater confidence in the world and in people when they themselves feel fragile or vulnerable. These positive experiences will make it easier for them to seek help when needed and to trust that they will receive it.
Work is also a way to feel that you are contributing to society. Vocational jobs or those in the service sector with direct contact with the public are the ones where it is clearest that you are helping others. It is important to feel comfortable at work and feel that you are offering something of value to people. For example, a waiter will feel more fulfilled if the meals served in the restaurant are enjoyed by the diners or if they are treating their customers courteously and kindly.
At the extremes of life, one can also contribute significantly to society or family. Children bring immense joy to adults and provide great happiness to grandparents, despite their ailments and illnesses. Children also evoke tenderness and remind us that we have all been innocent and vulnerable children at some point. On the other hand, the elderly contribute a wealth of experiences and wisdom that guides the young. They pass on cultural traditions and values to future generations. Many grandparents take care of their grandchildren, allowing parents to work and contribute to the economy. The elderly provide emotional stability and support to their families. Therefore, older people become a very valuable part of society, enriching everyone’s lives.
8. Financial Well-being Favors Emotional Health
Recently, I read in a survey that 56% of americans are not convinced they have saved enough money to live comfortably during their retirement. Given this, it seems likely that half of the population may feel some anxiety when thinking about their future.
At least in my generation, neither in school, nor in high school nor in university was I taught financial education. No one explained to me what income tax returns were, what the income tax (IRPF) withheld from my paycheck was, how much of my income I should save or how to save it, nor how much I should spend on housing (rent or mortgage) or on a new car with my salary. We can ask ourselves these questions every day and not know the answers, or on the contrary, we can improve our financial literacy and have the answers.
Experts recommend being able to calculate what we spend on average each month and relate it to what we earn. Recording each expense can help us decide to get rid of an unnecessary expense (a subscription that I barely use, reducing what I spend on food delivery, extending the life of my phone so I don’t have to change it every year). Each person has to decide where they can cut their expenses. Typically, the first recommendation is to reduce “bad debt,” i.e., debt from consumer loans (credit cards and other loans). These loans usually have very high fees and interest rates that should be avoided.
Once you have managed to cut your expenses and have defined what your fixed monthly expenses are, it is important to calculate or decide how much you will save monthly to create your “safety net.” This safety net is usually equivalent to what you would spend in 6 months if you lost your main source of income. For example, if you need $3,000 to live every month, your safety net amounts to $18,000. Only 16% of americans claim to be able to cover their living expenses for more than 6 months if they lose their job or main source of income. Therefore, the remaining 84% are uncertain about what would happen if they lost their job.
The way experts recommend being able to save month by month is by setting aside a fixed amount of money at the beginning of the month that goes to a savings account (ideally, an interest-bearing account). This amount will depend on the calculations we have previously made of our fixed monthly expenses, always considering our actual income.
Again, following the advice of financial health experts, it is recommended to continue saving money once your safety net has been established. This savings would no longer be thinking so much in the short or medium term of losing your job but rather thinking long term, for your retirement. Experts tell us that pensions will not be what they have been, nor what they are currently.
In summary, it seems that we could improve our mental health and reduce our stress levels if we could:
• Ensure you reach the end of each month successfully
• Have a safety net of 6 months of expenses in case we lose our job or main source of income
• Have savings that will complement the public pension in the future
9. Relaxation for Stress Management
Relaxation exercises, such as mindfulness or yoga, have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improve emotional well-being, and enhance overall health. They can also help reduce muscle tension, promote calmness, and improve sleep. The practice of relaxation can help break the cycle of negative thoughts, such as rumination and worries. Therefore, it is highly recommended to incorporate these activities into daily or weekly routines, especially for those who suffer from anxiety or feel they take on too much responsibility and stress.
It is recommended to learn these exercises with an instructor to then be able to practice them independently at any time and hour. It is also a good option to attend a meditation, relaxation, yoga, Pilates, or mindfulness class. There is also the possibility of incorporating mindfulness exercises during a psychotherapeutic treatment with a psychologist trained in this discipline.
As important as promoting relaxation exercises is avoiding excessive stimulation. In general, try to reduce the time you spend in front of screens and the time you dedicate to social media. Also, avoid abusing stimulant drinks with caffeine and energy drinks.
10. Seek Help to Improve Your Mental Health
Implementing all these tips and recommendations can be a very challenging task when one feels overwhelmed. If you believe that these changes we propose are not enough or that you will need more help to feel better, do not hesitate to contact a mental health professional.
