10 Sure Ways to Improve Your Mental Health
According to figures from the American
Society for Suicide Prevention, each year, about 45,000 Americans commit
suicide. In fact, it's considered to be the 10th most common cause of
death in the United States. While there are no official reasons behind
suicide attempts, medical experts concur that undue stress, severe
anxiety and chronic, debilitating depression are leading factors. And
while it may come as a surprise, among the most afflicted demographics,
are middle-aged, high earning, successful individuals.
Possible reasons may include long hours and
excessive stress, which makes such individuals more vulnerable to
anxiety, sleep disorders, weight change, substance abuse and depression.
High earning individuals generally have more responsibility and more to
lose. They may also believe that they are immune and may be too busy or
frightened to seek help. Nevertheless, anyone who is feeling the weight
of the world, or may be experiencing suicidal ideation to any degree,
it is possible to correct course. Here are some factors that may help
you or anyone you may know dealing with mental health issues:
1. Use the buddy system
Select a trusted person, be it a colleague or a good friend, and
instruct them to pull you aside whenever they notice you raising your
voice. This person can help make you aware of certain behaviors that you
are trying to minimize. Let them know that you demand honesty, no
matter how harsh the truth may be to hear.
2. Know how to say “no”
Anyone who may feel like they have too much
on their plate needs to be able to say no to more tasks without feeling
regret. Planning and delegating can help. You should also schedule
regular appointments into your week, like a tennis lesson, so that you
are not always reacting to the needs of others.
3. Develop a healthy arrogance
A great employee believes unequivocally that they can ace a job. One of
the best ways to nurture this belief is by reviewing past success and
identifying times when you faced similar obstacles and overcame them.
4. Prioritize you
Getting enough sleep and exercising should
be a top priority. It all comes down to discipline and planning. Be sure
to stop working at a reasonable hour and schedule exercise as if it
were a meeting with a client.
5. Delegate ruthlessly
Any good manager will relinquish tasks that others can do so that they
can focus on the things they only can do.
6. Generate a solution that you can implement immediately
Recognize your workload. Notice if you are
trying to do two-and-a-half days of work in three hours. The immediate
solution: Delay doing one item on your list and deal with it at another
time.
7. Be comfortable with discomfort
Try renaming anxiety, calling it opportunity instead. Most of us think
of as anxiety as something to avoid, but it's actually fuel for positive
change. Anxiety is a natural emotion that exists in the gap between
where we are and where we want to be. A good leader sees anxiety as a
productive energy for themselves and their organizations.
8. Create a three-legged life
Create a buffer against stress by securing
balance in the three areas of your life: your home, your work, and your
self. This works as when one goes down, you have two others to hold you
up.
9. Pick the low-hanging fruit
Faced with seemingly impossible challenges? Immediately pinpoint at
least one piece of the problem that you can control, then attack it.
Shift into the take-charge mode, meeting the challenge from a position
of strength, as opposed to feeling its mercy. This will buck up your
confidence and set you on a path of action.
10. Relive the past to face the future
While things may look bleak, chances are
you've faced bleak offs before. Be mindful of your feelings and remember
how you triumphed over past setbacks, giving you the confidence to face
whatever may be lurking around the corner.