Oftentimes, when we think about what could harm our mental health, our minds go to major life events—the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or the death of a loved one. But small habits that often go unnoticed can also play a major role. Below are three common habits that could be negatively affecting your mental health:
1. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep impacts your mental health in numerous ways—it can affect your cognitive skills, mood, and behavior. As such, failing to get enough sleep can increase your risk of anxiety and depression and make it more difficult for you to focus, solve problems, make decisions, remember things, and control your emotions and impulses. Try sticking to the same sleep schedule, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, and performing a relaxing activity before bed (e.g., taking a warm bath or reading).
2. Being Inactive
In today’s busy world, it can be difficult to find time to exercise, but it’s important to stay active. Not only can exercise improve your physical health, but it can also boost your mental health. In fact, studies have shown that regularly exercising could reduce your risk of depression.
3. Scrolling Through Social Media
Social media can be beneficial—it can help you stay connected to long-distance family and friends and keep up with current events. However, research suggests that spending too much time on it can lead to anxiety and depression. Some suggest it is because we compare ourselves with others that are in a different season of life. So if scroll leaves you feeling ” less than” or “not good enough” or worse- like somehow “I am a failure because I am not where ___ is with career, relationships or other milestone” taking a break from social media may be helpful to recenter yourself. To reduce your screen time, try setting a timer, turning off notifications, or deleting apps from your phone.
Start Improving Your Mental Health
In addition to breaking the negative habits described above, another option to boost your mental health is speak to a therapist. If you would like to explore negative habits or need help building healthy thought and behavioral patterns, give my office a call today.
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