By: Melissa Howard
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According to the experts, 33% of people feel as though they are under extreme stress. If you are one of many who feel overwhelmed and like your mental health is deteriorating, you may need to turn your focus to self-care. If you want to feel and look your best, you need to give yourself adequate care, physically and mentally.
Let Self-Care Begin With Your Diet
How you eat can directly affect your mood and your energy levels. If you eat a lot of processed food or junk food, you may feel more sluggish and weighed down throughout the day. Likewise, when you eat a diet high in carbohydrates, you may have unstable blood sugar levels, affecting your mood and your ability to enjoy life.
If you want to feel better, start with what you put on your plate. Try to eat throughout the day and find food that you enjoy but is also satiating and healthy. Choose variety and color for your food, with fewer refined sugars and carbohydrates. Omega-3s and protein may help boost your mood.
In addition to diet, your activity level also affects your body and mood. Not only can working out give you a boost of self-confidence, but the activity releases endorphins, which enhance your mood and also reduce your sensitivity to pain.
Give Yourself a Break More Often
Everyone needs a break. Stress can weigh down on your mood and your physical health. You may find that you make less healthy choices and have little motivation to care for yourself. To reduce your stress, let yourself take breaks and relax when you can. You may want to consider a staycation in Los Angeles, to stay close to home, but also to let yourself feel like you are on vacation.
Instead of staying in a hotel, try out a vacation rental. You may have full access to a kitchen to prepare healthy meals for yourself. No matter the neighborhood, you can almost always find rentals available. If necessary, try a location that will provide you with information on local activities to keep you relaxed and healthy.
Allow Yourself to Heal
Your mental health can devastate your life if you leave it untreated. For those suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or OCD, psychotherapy may help — see how West Los Angeles Psychiatry and Psychotherapy can help. Your mental health affects every aspect of your life. Your mental health includes your emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Mental illness can make it difficult to leave your home, strip the joy out of your hobbies and make it difficult to feel confident or happy.
If you suffer from mental illness, you are not alone. There are various treatments available to help you feel more like yourself again. During times of crisis, there are also resources available to help. You can undergo psychotherapy and try natural remedies when it comes to treatment. To fight depression, give yourself a routine. Mental illness can steal the structure of your life, but a routine and schedule can help you bring it back.
All people deserve to look and feel their best. If you find yourself struggling with your mental health or are overstressed and burdened by everyday life, you may need to take a breath and focus on what matters the most. Your physical and psychological health is critical and deserves your attention.
After losing her younger brother to suicide, Melissa Howard felt compelled to create Stop Suicide. By providing helpful resources and articles on her website, she hopes to build a lifeline of information. Please visit her website at https://stopsuicide.info/