The recent U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health contained some shocking statistics; Mental illness is second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of lost years of a healthy life in the U.S. One in five Americans has a mental disorder. In the U.S., the cost of treating depression comes to about $40 billion a year.How can we combat mental illness ourselves? These tips can help:1. Be communicative. Express your feelings in a non-threatening, non-combative way to significant people in your life, including your family, friends and business associates. Don't wait for the pressure to build and then blow your top. Catch the anger or concern before it causes you stress.2. Find time for yourself, alone, every day. Even if it's just 10 minutes in the bathtub or 20 minutes walking or working out at the gym. Spend the time in constructive ways such as meditating, listening to soothing music or just enjoying nature. 3. Don't try and keep up with the Jones'. Seeking material things is healthy until it becomes more important than human things such as sharing time with loved ones, enjoying a sunset or catching some rays at the beach. Find work you love and do it with a happy heart.4. Build a network of trusted friends with whom you can share ideas, joys and sorrows. Remember to give as well as to receive.5. Avoid unhealthy relationships that make you feel "blue" or inadequate. No matter what the price, get out of these situations.6. Do some physical activity every day, whether it be gardening, washing the car, walking or working out. Studies have shown physical exertion releases endorphins in the body that produce good feelings.7. Share life with someone you love.8. Be true to yourself.
9. Build Confidence - Identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them, build on them and do the best with what you have.
10. Accept Compliments - Many of us have difficulty accepting kindness from others but we all need to remember the positive strokes when times gets tough.
11. Make Time for Family and Friends - These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will not be there to share life's joys and sorrows.
12. Give and Accept Support - Friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test".
13. Create a Meaningful Budget - Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" is often the culprit.
14. Volunteer - Being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.
15. Manage Stress - We all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will maintain our mental health.
16. Find Strength in Numbers - Sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.
17. Identify and Deal with Moods - We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.
18. Learn To Be At Peace with Yourself - Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment