Mental health is an integral part of health which relates to the psychological and emotional well-being of an individual.
The UK’s Mental Health Foundation also attributes good mental health to the ability to learn, form good relationships with others, express, manage and feel an array of positive and negative emotions.
Here are some ways to improve your mental health and well-being:
Eating a healthy diet: Balanced diet is beneficial for physical health as well as mental health. Maintaining a good mental health can help improve weight maintenance, and protect against a range of illnesses, including heart disease diabetes and cancer.
One of the best diets is a Mediterranean diet, which includes high consumption of beans, nuts, cereals, seeds, plant -based foods and fruits.
Some foods and drinks are also prone to poor mental health such as food containing sugar, artificial additives, and caffeine, as some of the spikes can be detrimental to our health.
Regular exercise: Physical exercise is important for our mental well-being. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.
Some examples of good exercise associated with our mental well-being are: Walking, gardening and outdoor activities, they generally keep us healthy.
Get some sleep: Sleep problems can affect our general well-being. Too little sleep over a period of time can make you vulnerable to mental health problems.
The Mayo Clinic, recommends going to bed and getting up at the same time every day even at the weekends and during holidays as a routine can boost the body’s sleep-wake cycle promoting a better night sleep.
Sometimes our sleep can be disturbed by high intake of alcohol, caffeine, and sugary foods.
