Our mental well-being describes how we feel and cope with our daily lives. This isn’t usually a fixed state as certain situations can affect our mental disposition. However, if you’re in a positive mental state, you’re more likely to express positive feelings like purposefulness, satisfaction, happiness, or optimism. You’re also more likely to have a balanced response to stressful situations and difficult times in your life.
As an entrepreneur, it’s pretty easy to get carried away in the everyday life of building your business and forget about improving your mental wellness. But that shouldn’t be the case– improving your mental well-being should be an intentional effort on your part.
On that note, we'll be sharing these five effective mental health strategies. Putting them to use can help to improve your mental well-being, and consequently, your quality of life. Let's begin!
Engaging in physical activities is one effective way you can boost your mental well-being as well as your physical health. Research shows that physical exercise can release hormones called endorphins, which are responsible for elevating your mood. These endorphins, also called endogenous opioid peptides can help to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Here’s a good illustration of how this happens:
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need 150 minutes of moderately-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle-strengthening workouts every week.
For clarity, see this simple snapshot provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
While this recommended physical activity might seem like a lot, you can achieve it by creating a daily routine that incorporates at least 20 - 30 minutes of exercise. Something as simple as jogging, running, walking, or skipping on a regular basis is good enough.
If you wish to spice up your workout routine, consider downloading fitness applications on your mobile phone– you’ll find a couple of them if you search for “fitness app” or “workout” on your Android or iOS app store. You can also try going to the gym if your schedule permits. This can also help you connect and engage with people, which brings us to our next point.
Connecting with people simply involves building and sustaining positive relationships with others— this could be your friends, family, and people in your broader community or neighborhood. Building relationships with people can provide you with quality support and companionship that can help you feel good.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist from Brigham Young University, Utah explains that positive social connections can play a key role in protecting people from the risk of depression. Her research also reveals a significant link between better social connection and better mental health.
Typically, being surrounded by people who value, respect, and appreciate you can improve your confidence and self-esteem. Taking advantage of social gatherings or activities can also help provide opportunities for interacting with people who share your interests. That's one of the aims of the various social media networks that we have today.
For instance, social platforms like TikTok or Instagram allow you to share your interests and thoughts. By doing that, you can get social media views from users who may enjoy and engage with your content.
Social Connections can also offer you a healthy outlet that can put your mind at ease when you encounter difficult situations. If you're stressed or anxious about work, for instance, talking to a close friend about it can encourage and uplift you.
Here are some helpful ways to improve your social connections include:
With social media though, it’s advisable to prioritize meaningful connections. Seek out valuable interactions that can positively inspire you. It’s a lot better than randomly following people who may overwhelm or expose you to negative or irrelevant content.
Ipsos Mori and London Economics researched the benefits associated with Further Education and Skills for learners not in employment. In a survey of 1,955 learners, they discovered that:
These findings highlight how learning something new can impact you on a general level. A BBC publication also reveals that learning a new skill can help to reduce stress, make you happier, and improve your self-perception. Learning something new can also be a more productive way to utilize your free time.
So, whether you’re learning to draw, cook, write poems, code, or speak a new language, you can potentially give yourself a mental boost. Consider taking advantage of online learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or SimplyLearn to pick up some new skills.
With learning a new skill, you also need to ensure that you’re doing something that interests you, as this can help you to have a better feeling of accomplishment.
Relaxation is another practice to prioritize if you wish to improve your mental well-being. Practicing relaxation can help to improve your focus and even relieve stress after a hectic day.
Relaxation can also help to improve your emotional health as it serves as a good outlet to calm your mind. Mayo Clinic shares that relaxation techniques can help to lower blood pressure, control blood sugar levels, lower fatigue, and even lessen anger.
There are different relaxation practices that you can try, some common ones include:
Listening to soothing music can also help to boost your relaxation routine. Now, you can practice your relaxation techniques on your own or with guidance from a therapist or health professional. You can also take advantage of popular meditation apps like Balance or Calm.
Last on our list of mental health strategies for well-being is effectively using your time. Poor time management can lead to anxiety, frustration, and dissatisfaction. In some cases, not being able to manage your time properly may cause you to lose sleep, which may lead to tiredness or fatigue.
For instance, having to stay up late for work because you had spent a huge chunk of your day on movies may contribute to your tiredness which could dampen your mood.
To better organize your time, it’s advisable to start your day with a plan— write down your tasks and goals for the day. You can do this with a planner or even the calendar app on your phone. If you want to create a more precise plan, try using AI templates, especially for work-related engagements. For example, we prompted Writer’s AI too to ask some questions that can help to create an effective daily plan. See the results we had:
With more specific and detailed prompts you’d be able to come up with a well-organized plan to get you going on your daily engagements.
Additionally, you should prioritize your tasks by doing important things before they become urgent. This will help to ease off tension that may cause you to be stressed. Finally, set realistic deadlines. This beats overwhelming yourself and not being able to keep up.
It’s also advisable to put aside distractions like social media or turn off unnecessary notifications when doing important work. Remember to also take breaks after working for long hours so that you can refresh your mind.
Your mental state can influence your choices, behavior, habits, and overall lifestyle. People with positive mental well-being are more likely to exhibit feelings of satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment. They are also more likely to relate with others better.
Today, we looked into 5 major mental health strategies for ensuring your well-being. They include staying active, connecting with people, learning new skills, practicing relaxation, and effectively organizing your time.
Collectively, these practices can help you stay healthier and improve your quality of life. Go ahead to chip them into your daily lifestyle. Remember that mental well-being also requires consistency and commitment to sustain. Good luck!
