- [Narrator] Hi, Psych2Goers.
Do you always feel overwhelmed and stressed out?
As you go about your busy life,
the stress from your duties and responsibilities
can easily take a toll on your mental health.
Just like how your mood and feelings
fluctuate throughout the day,
your mental wellness will change
during situations of stress and hardship.
So to help you cope
and improve on your health,
here are six small habits
to improve your mental health.
Number one, make light of tough situations.
Do you see the glass as
half empty or half full?
Along with many other benefits,
positivity has proven
to affect your outlook on life
for the better.
When practiced over time,
it can help you shift your mood
and thought process
during tough times
to one that's more hopeful, optimistic, and accepting
by giving your thoughts a chance to go down
a different, more positive route.
A flexible mindset like this
can prevent negative feelings from snowballing.
It can also give you a chance
to reflect on what's happened
and allow you to think about
what you might be able to learn
from this situation
instead of dreading over
why it's happened to you.
Seeing the challenges and bumps in the road
is something more than what they are
at face value is a great attitude
to have in life.
And also something that can help
keep your mental wellness in check.
Number two, practice gratitude.
There are many things
we take for granted in our lives
like food, shelter,
and even waking up each morning.
And while it might sound obvious
that these are all very important,
it can definitely be easy to forget
to appreciate the things we have.
Sometimes you may only express gratitude
when you finally get your dream job
or that perfect test score.
Yet, you'll be ungrateful and gloomy
when times are tough
or when thinking about
the things you don't have.
But the reality is
that there's always something
to be grateful for.
Studies even show that people
who practice gratitude are happier
and less prone to depression.
Making a habit out of counting your blessings
can have great effects on
your attitude, self-esteem,
outlook on life and mental wellness.
Number three, connect with nature.
How is your relationship with nature?
How much do you notice and appreciate
your natural surroundings?
Did you know that being in nature
generates a multitude of positive emotions
such as calmness, joy, creativity,
and facilitates concentration.
According to research,
people who are more connected with nature
are usually happier in life
and more likely to report
feeling their lives are worthwhile.
Not only that,
when you have a strong nature connectedness,
you're also more likely
to have pro-environmental behaviors
such as recycling items
or buying seasonal food.
A healthy environment
leads to a healthy lifestyle
and mental wellness.
Do you want to be part of
the biggest challenge of our generation?
Are you interested
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As you fund projects that capture
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They also include a neat tree meter,
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Number four, meditate.
What do you think of
when you see the word meditation?
Perhaps it's being able to sit still
for long periods of time
or maybe you associate it
with images of peaceful
Buddhist monks sitting cross-legged.
But meditation is much more than that.
It's something that anyone
of any background can do.
While there are different reasons
a person might choose to meditate,
meditation's main purpose
is for you to become mindful
or aware of your thoughts and emotions.
Mindfulness achieved through meditation
can help you ground yourself,
remind you to be present at the moment
and reduce your negative feelings
like anxiety and stress.
It can also help you identify
any destructive habits
and thoughts you have.
Proper meditation is something
that's learned with time and practice,
but you can start small
by spending just a few minutes
sitting still each day
as you focus on your breath
and observe your thoughts.
Number five, put your thoughts and feelings onto paper.
Have you ever tried journaling?
Jotting your thoughts and feelings
down onto paper can help you
clear your mind
and understand your emotions better.
Like meditation, writing encourages mindfulness.
During stressful times,
writing down any negative thoughts
or emotions you have
can not only help you
find a root cause
for why you feel a certain way,
but also help you find a solution.
Being able to physically
see your thoughts and feelings on paper
may be enough to make you realize
that things aren't as bad as they seem.
Since our emotions
can easily make situations
more intense than they really are.
Whether in a fancy bullet journal
or a piece of scrap paper,
making a habit out of writing down
your thoughts and feelings
can help you understand
your emotions better, manage stress
and ultimately, be something
that boosts your mental wellness.
And number six,
take care of your body.
While physical health and mental health
are two different states,
there are also ones that go hand in hand.
This means if your physical health is neglected,
there's a good chance
your mental health might not
be in the best shape either.
Luckily, good physical health
can help keep your mental health in check too.
Doing things like getting enough sleep each night,
exercising regularly
and incorporating healthy food
into your diet
can not only help you steer away from illness,
but can also improve
your mood, confidence, energy, and more.
When your physical health is taken care of,
your mental health
will naturally follow suit.
So making sure to tend to your body's needs
is a great habit
that can keep your mental wellness
in check as well.
So do you practice any of these habits?
Let us know in the comments below.
If you found this video helpful,
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The references and studies
used in this video
are added in the description below.
Thanks so much for watching
and we'll see you in our next video.