10 prime tips to maintain mental health

Our world was not set up to respond to growing mental health needs before COVID-19, and it certainly is not now. That is why now more than ever we need the world to be driven by mental health, and as individuals, communities, businesses, governments, and donors we must prioritize action and investment in mental health.

The WHO states that approximately one billion people worldwide have a mental disorder. Those living with severe mental disorders tend to die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, hence the importance of these tips to maintain mental health.

Eight hundred thousand people commit suicide every year in the world (one person every 40 seconds) and this phenomenon represents the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29 years.

Relatively few people globally have access to good quality mental health services. Especially in low- and middle-income countries where more than 75% of people with mental, neurological, and substance use disorders do not receive any specific treatment.

On the other hand, we see a great increase in the need to maintain mental health in our population, thanks to the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health services are increasingly overburdened.

Critical mental health services have been disrupted in 93% of countries around the world, while demand is increasing, according to a new WHO survey. The survey of 130 countries shows the devastating impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for more funding.

 Currently, maintaining mental health is affected by many factors and circumstances such as:

• uncertainty,

• The distrust

• prolonged stress

• high levels of poverty

• low levels of development

• job losses

• fear of getting sick

• death of family and friends

• family dysfunctions

• poor social cohesion

• difficulties accessing medical services

• problems with norms and values

• psychoactive substance use

• video game addiction

What is mental health?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the psychological state as "a state of well-being during which the individual develops his capacities, copes with the traditional stresses of life can work productively and fruitfully and is in a position to contribute to his community.".

Currently, maintaining mental health refers to possibilities and capacities to fulfill ourselves personally and contribute to the community to which we belong. In a more comprehensive sense, it is a welfare state defined according to sociocultural standards.

Mental health is related to the realization of our potentialities. Interventions aimed at the prevention and treatment of mental disorders can improve, but only in part, maintaining the mental health of the population.

The coherence and moral validity of rules and norms are also important, to inhabit predictably environments. The psychological effects of these circumstances are expressed as self-efficacy, autonomy, purpose, and satisfaction and are contemporary indicators for maintaining mental health.

Mental balance is essential to develop our potential and experience adequate levels of satisfaction and confidence.

Unfortunately, in these times, maintaining mental health and personal well-being are difficult states to promote amid stressful, chaotic, demanding, contradictory and misinformation-filled environments.

Official statistics tell us that more than sixty percent of mental and behavioral problems are not treated as they should be.

Why is it important to maintain mental health?

Mental health has to do with the way we think, feel and act when we face the different challenges of life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, interacts with other people, and make our decisions throughout life.

• It helps us to have good self-care and be physically healthy

• Allow us to maintain good interpersonal relationships and support networks

• Make it easy for us to contribute significantly to our community

• It gives us the possibility to work, study, or carry out activities in a productive way.

• Allows us to reach our full potential

How can we maintain our mental health?

1. Practice optimism:

After decades of research, a recent study links optimism and long life. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and the National Center for and Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health have found that people with greater optimism are more likely to live longer and achieve “exceptional longevity” ( live to 85 years or more with good quality)

Optimism refers to a general expectation that good things will happen, or believing that the future will be favorable because we can control important results. Greater optimism is related to better physical and mental health.

According to a meta-analysis of existing studies, using the "Best Possible" technique is one of the foremost effective ways to extend your optimism. It is based on exercises that ask you to imagine yourself with all your problems solved in a future where all the goals of your life have been achieved.

2. Start working for others (altruism)

Some studies indicate that putting the welfare of others before our own without expecting anything in return, or what is called being altruistic, stimulates the reward centers of the brain.

There are also physical benefits because it reduces physical pain and generates well-being. Feeling that our help has been useful increases the analgesic effect. Volunteering seems to minimize the effects of stress by reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

3. Practice gratitude.

This practice can help you see life differently. For example, if you are stressed, you may not notice that you also have moments when you feel positive emotions. Gratitude can help you recognize them. One of the best ways to make appreciation a part of your life, experts say, is to keep a journal.

Before going to bed, write down any positive experiences you had that day, no matter how small. But you can also do this by practicing mindfulness or intentional self-regulation of attention to stay in the present moment.

4. Strengthen your social connections:

It has been seen that those who are more socially connected with family, friends, the community with happier, look healthier, and have a better quality of life than those who are less connected, according to the revealing words of Harvard psychiatrist Robert Waldinger.

5. Find a purpose in life.

University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, co-founder of the field of positive psychology, says that a sense of purpose will come from being a part of something bigger than ourselves. He points to religion, family, and social causes as ways of increasing meaning in our lives.

6. Take care of your physical health:

Your physical and mental health are connected. You can follow the following steps to take care of your physical health:

a. Staying physically active:

Exercise can reduce feelings of stress and frustration as well as improve your mood. The production of endorphins and the processes that occur in your body after exercise is very beneficial to maintain your health.

b. Maintain adequate intellectual activity:

Forget multitasking, try to focus on one thing at a time, be aware of the time you spend in front of the screen. In addition, use critical thinking when reading information and always seek that the source you consult is reliable to avoid false news and take active pauses. Lastly, keep a proper balance between work hours and leisure hours.

c. Have good sleep hygiene:

Sleep affects your mood. If you don't sleep well, you can feel irritated and angry easily. In the long term, not getting enough sleep can increase your chance of having depression. This is why it is important to make sure you have a regular sleep schedule and get enough sleep each night.

d. Eat healthily:

An adequate diet will help you feel better physically and prevent overweight and metabolic diseases. In addition, it can help you maintain a balanced mood.

Eating a well-balanced diet can help you get enough of the nutrients you need to keep your body and brain working at their best. Having appropriate behaviors around food prevent the appearance of impulsive, disorderly, or restrictive eating. Avoid the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and psychoactive substances.

7. Develop skills to cope with problems:

Also called coping skills, these are methods wont to affect stressful situations. They can help you tackle a problem, take action, be more flexible, avoid procrastination, and not easily give up on solving it. Training in social skills and assertiveness will also help you communicate effectively with others and better express your ideas or disagreements.

8. Learn mindfulness or mindfulness techniques and body relaxation techniques.

It is a mind and body practice that consists of focusing your attention and consciousness. This requires a quiet place with as few distractions as possible, maintaining a specific and comfortable posture. It can be sitting, lying down, walking, or other position, a focus of attention, such as a specially chosen word, a set of words, an object, or the cadence of the breath. It is important to maintain an open attitude in which you let your thoughts come and go naturally without making judgments about them.

9. Express your thoughts or emotions:

You can choose empathic friends, trusted family members, or write in a notebook, compose songs, write poems, or paint. All these elements can be useful to you to recognize elements that may be generating concern or to develop projects, start new goals or stimulate your creativity.

10. If you feel like something is wrong, seek professional help.

Many people begin to feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, or excessively stressed and notice changes in their sleep, appetite, energy, and overall functioning, but are afraid to ask for help for fear of being seen as weak, cowardly, or "crazy."

For this reason, they tend to remain silent, although they notice that their quality of life worsens every day or that they have become hooked on the consumption of alcohol or other substances to manage their restlessness. It is very important to see a good mental health professional early.

Today, more than ever there is a need for adequate psychoeducation. It is very important to understand what exactly happens when a mental disorder emerges and to be able to count on the family that can play a great role in the management and the empathetic company of the person who presents some type of psychological disorder.

Supporting the patient at each stage of treatment in an empathetic and professional way and educating the community help to overcome stigma. When we experience a mental disorder, we need "positive" attitudes from the society in which we live, and when we act, we must feel calm and safe when deciding to seek professional help

People need education on mental health issues, clear answers, professionalism, empathy, and integration. Keeping quiet, looking the other way, or being embarrassed when someone we know has a mental disorder is associated with stigma and discrimination.