3 SPECIFIC Ways to Improve Mental Wellness

I recently came across a resource that listed 3 ways to improve mental wellness: 1) get exercise, 2) get rest, and 3) eat healthy.

While I agree that exercise, rest, and healthy eating are important factors in improving mental wellness, I feel that each point should be more specific.

1. Get exercise.

Have you ever felt guilty for taking time to go for a walk? Or have you ever shamed yourself onto the treadmill or to the gym? Called yourself names like “Fatty” or “Flubber” as a way to motivate yourself to move your body?

Guilt, shame, and name calling. Yeah, those sound like great boosts for your mental wellness. (Please note the sarcasm.)

Have you ever bullied yourself to exercise? Bullies are not conducive to improving mental wellness, so why would bullying yourself to exercise be conducive to improving your mental wellness?

When it comes to maintaining and improving mental wellness, exercising is not as important as the state of your mind and your attitude while exercising.

Let’s make “get exercise” more specific.

   Celebrate the ability to move your body and love yourself as you exercise.

2. Get rest.

It is known that adequate sleep is extremely important for mental wellness.

But there are other forms of rest to consider here.

Watching tv is considered “resting”. But when it comes to improving your mental wellness, what you watch, or more accurately, your response to and your attitude towards what you watch is even more important.

If you feel angrier, more afraid, more confused, more anxious, or more overwhelmed after watching or reading something than what you did before watching or reading, then that “rest” is not helping to improve your mental wellness.

If what you watch or read while you are “resting” supports your attitude that “the world is going to hell in a hand basket”, then this “rest” is also not improving your mental wellness.

Let’s make “get rest” more specific.

   Spend quality time rejuvenating yourself with rest.

3. Eat healthy.

Obviously, getting your daily doses of vitamins and minerals optimizes your brain and body functions and sets you up for mental wellness.

But if you hate the food you eat and take no pleasure or enjoyment in nourishing yourself, the vitamins and minerals you ingest are limited in their ability to improve mental wellness.

When it comes to improving mental wellness, your attitude towards your food is almost as important as what you are eating. It’s not about eating only kale and quinoa and whatever else is currently deemed as “healthy”. It’s about eating for fuel, in moderation, and with pleasure.

Eating one piece of chocolate cake now and again can be vital to your mental wellness!

Let’s make “eat healthy” more specific.

   Enjoy eating nourishing food that fuels your body and soul.

As you have probably gathered, when it comes to improving mental wellness, your attitude and internal responses to your life events are of paramount importance…perhaps more important than the what you are doing.

In summary, here are 3 specific ways to improve mental wellness:

1. Celebrate the ability to move your body and love yourself as you exercise.
2. Spend quality time rejuvenating yourself with rest.
3. Enjoy eating nourishing food that fuels your body and soul.

Here’s to conquering stress.

Improve your mental wellness and have more happiness, one day at a time. Check out The 42 Day Choice Challenge. Learn more.

With heart,

The Stress Experts