One in five American adults experiences a mental illness. But in far too many cases, Americans don’t seem to realize that they’re sick and fail to take serious action.
Many people just keep working hard and driving themselves further, failing to take the time and effort to go see a mental healthcare provider. You surely wouldn’t avoid seeing the doctor if you were to fall ill, but when it comes to mental health, people do this sort of thing all the time.
Something needs to change. Whether you’re dealing with a serious case of depression or are just feeling a little stressed out lately, you need to take action to prioritize your mental health. Protecting and improving your mental health will go a long way toward building a better future for you and your loved ones. Here’s how to go about doing it.
Demand work-life balance
In many other countries, workers take lots of vacations. In America, people tend to leave vacation days on the table at the end of the year. But Americans are about as productive as those other countries, so what’s going on?
One big factor is work-life balance. As it turns out, taking breaks and caring for your mental health isn’t just good for your health and personal life — it’s also good for your productivity and your career. So there’s no reason not to prioritize your mental health and focus on work-life balance.
That’s why you should take a vacation. A week on the beach in Miami will rest you up, and the adrenaline rush of parasailing in West Palm Beach will give you a thrilling memory to treasure for years to come. And when you come back to work, you’ll be working faster (and with less stress) than you would be if you never took that vacation.
Fuel your mind
“You are what you eat,” as your parents always said. What you eat, drink, and otherwise consume can have a huge impact on your mental health. Make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet of nutritious foods. Ideally, you want to have a diet that focuses on whole foods (especially vegetables) and avoids processed foods like chips and snack cakes.
Don’t forget about supplements, either. Supplements like CBD, which is known to help people who suffer from anxiety, can be great additions to your daily health routine. Grab some CBD edibles or CBD oil products and start taking CBD regularly; you might find that it helps you relax. Combined with a healthy diet, CBD and other supplements can make a big difference.
It’s also important to remember what not to eat and drink. Alcohol is a depressant, and excessive alcohol consumption can be very bad for your mind (not to mention your body). Drugs, unhealthy foods, and other poor choices will all drag you down.
Get professional care
There’s one obvious way to prioritize your mental health that not nearly enough people take advantage of: go see a mental healthcare professional. There are many wonderful psychologists, psychiatrists, and other trained and licensed mental health professionals out there for you to choose from.
Prioritizing your mental health means treating it like the important part of your overall health that it is. If you wouldn’t go years without visiting the doctor, then why would you do the same thing with your mental health? Overcome the stigma, set your priorities straight, and call a trusted mental healthcare provider to make your first appointment. This might be the single most important thing that you can do to properly prioritize your mental health.
