Mental health is a crucial dimension of overall health and an essential resource for living. It influences how we feel, perceive, think, communicate and understand. Without good mental health, people would be unable to fulfil their full potential or play a active part in everyday life. Mental health issues can address many areas, from enhancing our emotional well-being, treating and preventing severe mental illness to the prevention of suicide. Here are some suggestions to help you keep your balance.

Figure out your priorities. Financial problems cause stress; so it is important to avoid over-spending and unsatisfaction. Our challenge is to know the difference between our real needs such as food, shelter, clothing and our “wants” bigger TV, new CD player, expensive fashions, flashy car, and to find the right balance in our spending.

Be a volunteer. People are often happiest when helping others. Find a way to get involved and make a contribution, however little, at home, at work or in the community. Visit an elderly person at home or in hospital; serve for a charity; organize a clean-up of a local park; help a neighbour or someone in need.

Be in peace with yourself. See all your abilities and weaknesses together, accepting them, and doing your best with what you have. Remember that all of us have our strong and weak points. For example, you may not play tennis well enough to be a star, but that should not stop you from enjoying the game. We build on our weak points to help us mature and grow.

Cope with changes that affect you. It would be nice to “live happily ever after”, but real life keeps “throwing monkey-wrenches” at us. Coping with these unexpected and often unwanted changes can be stressful. Children have accidents, parents get ill, jobs disappear -we need to be flexible and learn ways to cope.

Nurture your soul. Take time for spiritual practice, prayerful reflection, or serene solitude. This can offer you ways to cope with life’s challenges. It is important to learn how to forget the hurts, to forgive the wrongs and to let go of elements of your past.

Keep in touch with friends and loved ones. Close relationships have a huge impact on how we feel on a daily basis. People with strong family or social connections are generally healthier than those who lack a supportive network. Sharing your feelings with others and being listened to can help enormously.

Eat well & Sleep well. A balanced diet is essential to maintaining good mental health. A growing body of research shows direct links between what we eat and how we feel. Not getting enough sleep makes us more prone to Mental Health Problems.

No Alcohol. Acohol is a depressant drug. Even a small amount of alcohol before bed stops us getting enough deep sleep to feel properly refreshed. Sometimes people use alcohol or other drugs to “self-medicate” the symptoms of a mental disorder, but in reality, alcohol and drugs only worsen mental illness.

Keep active. Physical activity is a proven way to keep mentally well. Exercise makes us feel better immediately through the release of uplifting chemicals into our bodies. Even just half an hour’s brisk walk every other day can make all the difference. Lifestyle changes, such as taking more
exercise, increasing social contact can also do a lot to improve our mental wellbeing.
Change the scene. Try moving to a different room for a while or, even better, go out for a walk or meet a friend.
A change of scene can help improve our mood.

Let there be light. Exposure to even short periods of strong daylight helps regulate our mood and sleep patterns and wards off disorder caused by changing hours of daylight across the year.

Go for green. Spending time outdoors in green spaces is calming and helps lift mood. Research has also suggested that people in hospital wards with country views get better more quickly and need less pain-killing drugs. Get out for a walk or a cycle, or do a spot of gardening. Get out and feel the wind on your face for a while!

If you find you’re not sleeping, becoming ill-tempered, having difficulty concentrating, eating a lot more or a lot less, or worrying a lot, then you should take a step back and try to reduce pressure in your life. Meanwhile, deal with stress by relaxing more and using other, positive coping methods.