5 Best Mental Health Tips ⋆ Holistic Lifestyle Guide

This is the 2^nd in a 3-part series where I talk about my top 5 health tips. This article will focus on mental health. These are what I would choose if I had to pick only 5 of the most effective tips for maintaining your mental health.

Everyone struggles with mental health once in a while, and many people struggle with it almost constantly. Whether you just need some simple stress relief or you have a serious mental health issue, the tips I will give in this article are for anyone. If you do have a serious mental health issue, be sure to see your mental health professional in addition to applying these tips into your life.

If you missed the other two, you can find them here:

Top 5 Best Physical Health Tips

Top 5 Best Spiritual Health Tips

Let’s jump right in!

Audio/Podcast Version:

Table of Contents

Altered States of Consciousness

You may be wondering if meditation is on this list (or, if you skipped ahead, wondering why it isn’t!). It isn’t that meditation isn’t on this list exactly, but meditation really is just an altered state of consciousness, at its essence.

The old-fashioned way to meditate is off-putting to many people and doesn’t always work for everyone, so I like to teach people alternative ways of entering the same state, which is a relaxed state where you are more mindful of your consciousness and your thoughts. This can happen in a variety of ways which I have written about in other articles called Improve Your Mental Health Using Altered States and Easy Meditation Methods for Beginners.

To sum up these methods, you can use rhythmic drumming, dancing, listening to binaural beats, mindfulness to your five senses, and mindfulness in nature. When practicing any of these methods, your brain enters the alpha state easily, and you slow down the pace that thoughts enter your mind. You will also become less reactive to these thoughts, as emotions are more positive while in this state.

I usually end my day with some time listening to something that puts me into an altered state. My audio of choice is ASMR videos, which stands for Auto Sensory Meridian Response. Not everyone experiences ASMR in the same way though, so it might not work for you, but if you are someone who gets good results from this, you can add this to your list as well.

Journaling

This one is my personal favorite. Journaling has benefits for the body, mind, and the soul, so it is something I talk about quite often, especially in this article about the mental benefits of journals and planners. It has been said that journaling is a way for you to become your own best friend, your own life coach, or your own therapist.

I should add again that therapy should be considered for serious issues, but if you are generally happy and mentally stable, journaling can act as therapy.

Journaling works because when we experience trauma, emotions, feelings, or thoughts, they need to be processed and released. If they are not processed and released properly, they will get stored in the body and this results in energy blockages, phobias, illnesses, repeated negative patterns, and even disease. Journaling is the best way to process and release things because it is something anyone can do every day whether or not they have access to healthcare.

When you go to a therapist, they will listen and ask questions. Their main goal is to get you to process your trauma, emotions, feelings, and thoughts while they guide you. The same end result can happen from using guided meditations, journal prompts, and just you simply expressing yourself. Some therapists have purchased my journals and workbooks that I sell in my Etsy shop to give to their patients.

It doesn’t matter who is guiding you through it, the process is the same; expressing yourself through writing or speaking is where the magic happens. I’ve often had breakthroughs on my own just by writing out my thoughts and asking myself questions and digging deep into every problem and every factor involved.

If you are interested in diving into the wonderful world of journaling to improve your life, I have a course called Journaling For Beginners on Udemy that will walk you through how to build a daily journaling practice and improve your life in any area you need improvement in.

Spending Time in Nature

By now, everyone is aware that spending time in nature has many benefits for humans, most of them being mental benefits. Even patients in hospitals heal faster when they have a view of nature out their window.

Aside from the obvious benefit of getting sunlight, being outside has a profound effect on our well-being. You might have heard of nature deficit disorder which is where a lack of time spent in nature starts to produce negative physiological effects. You might have heard of forest bathing, where you immerse yourself in a forest (any heavily wooded area will do), giving your body, mind, and soul a huge boost of healing.

Many people don’t have easy access to nature, which is unfortunate. If you live in a high-rise building or in the middle of a large city with very little greenery around, you will have to work harder and go out of your way to be in nature.

I have an article about how to connect to nature that goes in-depth with this subject and gives many practical ways you can align yourself to nature and the cycles of the day, month, and year. Aligning to nature in this deep way is one of the healthiest things you can do for your overall health.

Deep Breathing

Breathing intentionally and deeply is a great way to calm your mind and slow down your heartrate. This allows you to enter the parasympathetic state immediately. This is the state that allows the body to heal, rejuvenate, and thrive. It is the opposite of the fight or flight response which is when your body is in a sympathetic state.

By doing deep breathing exercises, you are oxygenating your brain and helping to stimulate the vagus nerve. When your body is in this calm state, only then can it digest food properly, heal properly, and maintain a state of homeostasis (stability).

There are many types of breathing exercises and maybe people urge that you only do them under the guidance of a professional. Some breathing exercises can have different effects on the body, but simple deep breathing in a slow manner is beneficial for anyone.

The key is to take air into your diaphragm, not your chest. Babies naturally know how to breathe correctly; if you notice, their stomachs rise and fall with each breath, not their chests. The only way to breath deeply is to open up your diaphragm.

Take Care of Basic Physical Needs

This one really highlights the fact that the body and mind are deeply connected. Many times when you are anxious, depressed, irritable, moody, or melancholic, it can be from a lack of proper sleep or nourishment.

When you get a proper night’s sleep and have a healthy digestive system, you have a much better chance of your mind working correctly.

There are many mental issues that are exacerbated by improper digestion. Many cases of depression, anxiety, and brain fog are directly a result of a poor diet or an intestinal disorder. Many people report profound mental clarity when they reset their digestive system by going on a fast for a few days. I have an article about fasting for good health where you will find more information about the benefits for the body, mind, and soul.

Proper hydration is also a factor in mental wellness. When you are dehydrated, you will have difficulty problem-solving, focusing, and even have coordination problems. Cognitive abilities to decline further the more water your body loses.

Lack of sleep can also cause depression, anxiety, brain fog, irritability, manic episodes, and many more negative reactions. Sleep is something many people don’t prioritize, and their health often suffers under the surface without them realizing the extent of it until their health gets worse.

If you are looking for practical tips on ways you can get better sleep, I wrote an article where I give 18 tips for better sleep so be sure to check that out if you struggle with this. There are some tips in there that worked for me when nothing else did.

In Conclusion

If you do anything for your mental well-being, try to include these 5 tips into your lifestyle; achieving altered states of consciousness, journaling, spending time in nature, deep breathing, and making sure your basic physical needs are met for sleep and proper nourishment.

Give your digestive system a break, drink plenty of water, go for a walk in the woods, breathe in the fresh air deeply into your lungs, end the day with some type of altered state meditation, write in a journal, and get a good night’s sleep; your mind will thank you!

If All Else Fails

Have you tried everything and nothing seems to work? Many people still have mental health issues despite their best efforts. In this case, a special type of therapy can help for 90% of people who try it. It’s called EMDR therapy.

EMDR works by allowing the brain to process traumas and stress within minutes. It sounds too good to be true, but the statistics don’t lie. You can learn more about EMDR and try it for free from the comfort of your own home by clicking the image below.