Protecting Your Mental Health During Trying Times

There’s an unfortunate stigma attached to many people who take measures to improve their mental health. Taking stock of one’s psychological well-being is often regarded as weak and/or unnecessary. Even one’s own friends and family members are liable to make them feel inadequate for tending to their mental health. The simple fact of the matter is that everyone stands to benefit from mental health assistance. Whether you’re suffering from pronounced psychological issues or are able to expertly conceal your mental health problems, there is absolutely no shame in seeking help. Anyone looking for tips on protecting their mental health during trying times should consider the following measures.

Setting Healthy Boundaries 

Boundaries are important in virtually every area of life, be it work, home or personal relationships. While some people will actively demand as much from you as they possibly can, others will do so without even realizing it. Unsurprisingly, people who have trouble saying no tend to have the most unreasonable expectations thrust upon them. Being consistently called upon to do favors and act as emotional support for various friends and family members can take a heavy toll on one’s mental health. Although tending to the needs of loved ones is important, your mental health is equally important – and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice one for the other. 

So, the next time you feel emotionally overtaxed, don’t be afraid to let the people in your life know that you’re unavailable for certain tasks. Setting healthy boundaries also extends to one’s professional life. For example, if you’re consistently saddled with workloads that are too daunting to complete within a reasonable timeframe, talk to the relevant parties about amending their expectations accordingly. If you’ve never spoken up, it’s entirely possible that people are unaware of how put-upon you’re feeling.   

Improving Your Sleep Habits 

Sleep habits and mental health go hand-in-hand. It should come as no surprise that individuals with poor sleep habits tend to experience more mental health issues than people who stick to consistent sleep schedules. So, if your current sleeping habits are far from ideal, now is the time to start improving your nightly respite. 

People who have grown accustomed to going to sleep at inconsistent times can benefit from assigning themselves bedtimes. Although many of us associate formal bedtimes with childhood, it can’t be denied that the bedtimes our parents imposed upon us served an important purpose: ensuring that we got enough sleep. With this in mind, give yourself a bedtime that allows for at least seven to eight hours of slumber. To help get yourself into the habit of going to bed at a specific time, adhere to your new bedtime on weeknights and weekends. However, once you’ve fully adjusted to this routine, you can cut yourself a bit of slack on weekends and during other periods of downtime.     

Seeking Professional Treatment 

There’s an all-too-common misconception that one must be suffering from severe mental health issues to warrant seeking therapy. Not only does this notion set the bar for therapy impossibly high, it’s also extremely misguided. Virtually every one of us stands to benefit from therapy, counseling and other forms of professional mental health assistance. So, if you feel that going to therapy would be to your advantage, don’t allow your opinion to be impacted by people who know little to nothing about mental health. 

Furthermore, when it comes to mental health assistance, many of us have more options than we think. Even if your current insurance policy doesn’t cover therapy, many communities have counseling centers that charge on a scale. In fact, depending on your financial situation, you may not even be required to pay anything.

If you’re not keen on traditional in-person therapy, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are a bevy of remote options. For example, Sagebrush State residents on the hunt for remote mental health assistance can easily find online therapy Nevada.

The unfortunate stigma attached to mental health problems can be difficult for many of us to overcome. Because mental health afflictions are widely regarded as sources of shame, many of us opt to conceal these issues, which only serves to exacerbate them. No one should ever be shamed into keeping psychological afflictions a secret and/or abstaining from seeking help for said afflictions. So, if you’re interested in giving your mental health the care and attention it deserves, put the previously discussed measures to good use.