How to Start Working on and Improve Your Mental Health Today

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Wondering what realistic ways to improve your mental health will actually help you to become mentally happy and healthy? I’ve got a bunch of habits, activities, and tips to boost mental health for you today.

Importance of Mental Health

I honestly cannot speak enough on the importance of mental health.

Considering acknowledging my own falling mental health saved my life, you can likely imagine why.

But it hasn’t come easy.

I was forced into working on and told it was time to improve my mental health in high school by my parents, but the truth is, you can’t force someone into caring for their mental health no matter how dire it might be.

Throughout high school, I tried a variation of medications for my mental well-being. I’d give them a go for a few weeks before deciding “ehh, I don’t want to anymore”. I never saw a point in helping myself. I didn’t care about my mental health. Well, not enough to consistently work towards helping myself.

If I would have taken my mental health more seriously before 2019, I might have been diagnosed with my mental health disorder earlier in life. I find myself thinking about that often and what it could have meant or how I might have experienced life differently. But I can’t go back and change the past, I can only focus on working towards the future.

That is why I wanted to share my take on how to improve your mental health.

I started taking my mental health seriously after my twins were born.

And I want this to be your sign, maybe, that right now might be the time to take your mental health seriously too and work to improve your mental health.

There are several big reasons why working on your mental health is important.

Caminar.org suggests that working toward good mental health can help:

The ability to learn
The ability to feel, express, and manage a range of positive and negative emotions
The ability to form and maintain good relationships with others
The ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty

You can read more here.

The Truth About Working On Your Mental Health:

Working to improve your mental health, however, can be extremely challenging.

Especially when it comes to one of the hardest parts.

Medication management.

If you choose to go to medication route with your mental health, it can take a while to figure out the best medication/medication combination to help you become your best self.

It took quite a while for me and I ended up being left with tons of medications that I had no use for.

What are you supposed to do with medication you don’t need?

Well, one great resource here in Oregon that I have been thankful for is the LifeInCheck Consumer Drug Take-back ™ located in various locations near me.

Patients of unwanted medications today take many forms, from flushing down the toilet or pouring in the drain, to throwing in the garbage, or worse. More often than not, the end result is damage to our environment, drug diversion, or the drug being abused by others.

In an effort to assist in reducing these issues and bringing awareness to the massive opioid crisis that is plaguing many families, LifeInCheck created a Consumer Drug Take-Back program created 2 ways that provide consumers with a safe option to discard their unwanted or outdated prescription medications in secure kiosks located across the US.

LifeInCheck has created these receptacles to help you safely dispose of unwanted or expired medications. The receptacles offer a safe and easy way to dispose of your medications. You also have a mail-back option. You can request an envelope and place your unwanted or expired medication in the pre-addressed, pre-paid mail-back envelopes. Both are simple ways to use the Drug Take-Back Program. You can request a mail back envelope here.

Just be sure not to drop in any sharps or pet medications in the receptacles.

October 23, 2021, is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day so go ahead and get ahead by clicking here to find a location near you!

Keep scrolling for ideas on how to realistically improve your mental health!

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How to Realistically Improve Your Mental Health:

I know we have all seen the typical “take a bath, eat healthily, exercise 30 minutes a day” mental health tips, but as someone who also genuinely struggles with their mental health, I have a few ideas beyond those.

Ideas that actually help improve your mental health.

Let’s dive in!

Start with a Therapist and Get Evaluated

I know you might not WANT to do this, but I think it is essential if you truly want to improve your mental health.

You need a starting point even if you don’t want to keep up with therapy.

You need to better understand yourself, and honestly, a professional is who needs to help you with that.

Not Google. Not TikTok. Find a therapist that works for you.

Daily Habits for Your Mental Well-being

Set timers to remind you to drink water/eat
Ask a friend to write you an affirmations list & keep it close
Vent into a voice note in your phone and make sense of it when you’re feeling better on the harder days
Simple day reflection journaling
Figure out a routine that works for you and stick with it
At a minimum, open up your windows to get some daily fresh air
Instead of a todo list, sit down at the end of your day and write out a “done” list with everything you DID do that day
Work on yourself in some capacity, whether that be an activity you enjoy, reading, or learning
Do something that makes you laugh (facetiming a friend, scrolling through funny Reddit threads, etc)
Get what’s bugging you out in a notebook or your notes app

Activities for Improving Mental Health

Make a “happy wall”
Tidy up the area of your home that bugs you the most
Write out all of your small accomplishments over the last year
Revisit your dreams and work on a dream board
Buy a fun home gadget and use it (like a cool cooking item!)
Doodling
Getting out of the house
Do something that works your mind like a puzzle
Make a happy list (list out everything that makes you happy)
Make a gift for someone
Plan a trip or event
Do the typical self-care activities
Watch a feel-good movie
Make comfortable plans with a friend
Cook/bake something fun

And the list goes on and on friends.

Remember, you can’t be your best self if you aren’t taking care of yourself.

And remember to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medications properly. October 23, 2021, is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Click here to find a location near you!