9 Ways to Work On Your Mental Health This Summer
While you can work on your mental health at any time of the year, summer can be a great time to embark on the mental health adventure. From the sunshine to the few extra hours you have in the day, summer can make you feel energized and motivated — even uplifting your mood. However, mood isn’t the only thing mental health has to consider. Your mental health is about so much more than feeling happy in the moment — it’s about feeling happy, satisfied and overall comfortable in many aspects of your life. Luckily, there are so many techniques you can use to help you get there.
Whether you’re well on your way to your mental health journey or you want to use the summer as an opportunity to get started, there are so many techniques both big and small that you can explore on your sunny days! From therapy to a healthy diet, there are so many options for improving your mental health, and you can figure out which techniques work for you and explore them even further! Here are nine of those ideas!
Contents
1. Get Enough Sleep Each Night
The average adult needs at least seven hours of sleep each night — and unfortunately, not everybody gets that much sleep. In fact, many people get significantly less than that, even with the adverse effects it can have on mental health. Getting enough sleep each night can make you happier and more alert.
2. Give Yourself a Bedtime
One of the best ways to accomplish a positive sleep pattern is to get on a sleep schedule — and this involves giving yourself a bedtime, as well as a time you tend to wake up every morning. While getting enough sleep is amazing for your mental health, having a routine to stick to can make it a habit so you don’t even have to think about it. It’ll just be second nature.
3. Make Supportive Friends
Your support system is one of the most important parts of your mental health and healing process, and if you don’t have supportive friends — or if you’re used to friends who enable bad habits and behaviors, making new friends who share your views and goals can surround you with the right people.
4. Start Journaling
If you’re looking for ways to express your feelings, journaling can be a great way to do that. Journaling can help you explore your thoughts and emotions in a private, controlled environment that you can always turn to. You don’t need to be articulate or write pages and pages — even a few sentences each day can get you started.
5. Go to Therapy
If you aren’t already seeing a therapist or you’ve never been to one before, now could be the perfect time to finally make that appointment. Everyone can benefit from therapy, and turning to a professional can open up so many possibilities.
6. Eat Something Healthy Once a Day
The mind-body connection is real, but that also doesn’t mean you should restrict yourself or force yourself into fad diets. Instead, you can find balance by eating a healthy meal at least once a day. It’s a manageable goal, but one that still helps you feel good in your body!
7. Drink Enough Water
Just like the above goal, drinking enough water can help you feel energized and uplifted throughout the day. Hydration can be amazing for your skin, your energy levels and even your mood sometimes. While you may sometimes forget to drink water, you can try starting off your day with a big glass to get you going!
8. Practice the Floofy Kind of Self Care
You may have heard that self care is more than just bubble baths — the idea that self care has been marketed more as treating yourself than completing the practical tasks that it takes to give yourself care. However, even with that in mind, it is still nice — and important — to treat yourself every once in a while. There’s a reason why bubble baths and face masks make people feel so good. You deserve to enjoy little frivolous things that make you feel happy in the moment, as well as larger things that make you feel cared for.
9. Get Outside
Getting outside can have so many amazing benefits for your physical and mental health. Summer is the perfect time to make sure you’re getting outside at least once a day! Whether you do yoga, take a walk or sit and read, enjoying the fresh air and the world around you can be amazing for your mental health.
Working On Your Mental Health
Mental health is an important part of your overall wellness, and summer is one of the best times to really engage with it and focus on what you need. From genuinely treating yourself to making more supportive friends and going to therapy, there is so much you can do to find what works best for you. How do you plan to work on your mental health this summer?
