Top Tips for Ultimate Mental Health Support in Daily Life: Part I
When living in a fast paced world and a society that glamorizes and praises busy-ness, it can be hard to not find yourself in a state of stress and increased anxiety. Despite knowing the benefits of attending to and taking care of your mental well-being, it can be challenging to find the time (and know what works). In this month’s blog Top Tips for Ultimate Mental Health Support in Daily Life: Part I, I will discuss what influences one’s mental health and the benefits in having mental health support in daily life. Next month, tune into part II of Top Tips for Ultimate Mental Health Support in Daily Life to gain skills that will help build daily habits; fostering regular mental health support.
Factors Affecting Mental Health
There are many things that can affect and influence your mental health. Because there are so many factors, it can be overwhelming and feel impossible to pinpoint what has impacted your mental health. For this reason, not too long ago I wrote a blog article covering what I believe to be the top 3 factors that influence mental health:
Environmental: I discuss how your childhood/upbringing may have influenced or affected your mental health. I also breakdown how your current living situation/home life, changes in life circumstances and work environment can all affect and influence your mental health.
Social Network(s): I believe it’s important to have both quality and quantity when it comes to a social network. In my previous blog article, I explain what I mean by quality friendships/connections and why quantity is important when it comes to social networks and mental health.
Society: because there are so many ways in which society can influence your mental health (and how it influences your mental health may look different for everyone), rather than discussing all the ways, (in the blog linked above) I guide you through a few questions that will allow you to identify for yourself how society has influenced and affected your mental health.
Please keep in mind, these three areas above can have a positive or negative affect on your mental health! It’s important to identify both. If you’d like to learn more, I encourage you to read the blog article linked above or you may schedule your FREE 15 minute consultation with me to learn how I can guide you in identifying the specific factors affecting and influencing your mental health.
The biggest question when it comes to mental health is, of course, is it biological or environmental? Nature vs. nurture? I say yes; to both! A biological component I talk with clients a lot about is predisposition which is the idea that if a mental health battle (addiction, depression, anxiety, etc.) runs in your family, you have a predisposition (or a higher likelihood or tendency) to struggle with that same battle; a predisposition lowers your tolerance window for stress and other factors that trigger mental health battles. The image on the right is a great visual to better understand predisposition and its affect on mental health.
Other biological factors that can influence mental health are neurotransmitter imbalances, hormonal changes or imbalances, and physical health issues (such as a chronic illness).
Benefits of Mental Health Support in Daily Life
So why strive for daily mental health support? There are a few different reasons you can benefit from engaging in daily mental health support:
Increased Emotional Resilience: when you are actively engaging in activities that support your mental well-being, you will also become better equipped to handle stress, navigate challenges, and recover from setbacks (which are a natural part of life and any growth process). Increased emotional resilience can show up in your personal and professional life; leaving room for the possibility to experience more job satisfaction and increased productivity.
Healthier Relationships: when you are prioritizing your mental well-being, you will be able to show up for others better. It’s the old saying “you can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself.” When you are able to better show up for others (because you are first showing up for yourself), you are fostering healthy relationships and building strong and safe support systems which are crucial during difficult times. Strong and healthy relationships can also instill a sense of belonging which encourages a reduction in feelings of loneliness and isolation; these can be precursors to poor mental health.
Positive Outlook: with improved mental well-being comes positive outlooks on life. A positive outlook can lead to improved self-esteem and confidence which, in turn, can improve motivation to pursue goals and aspirations.
I encourage you to take the above information into consideration and apply it to your situation. What areas do you feel strong in already? Are there any areas you want to improve through establishing mental health support in your daily life? If you’d like guidance in any of these areas and are ready to begin building daily mental health support for yourself, click below to schedule your FREE 15 minute phone consultation.
Here’s to living a better life as your best self.
Brittany Squillace, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Grief Therapist
