5 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health

Feeling stressed? You're not alone. Nearly 1 billion people across the world are dealing with mental health challenges, reports the United Nations.    

In the U.S., mental health is consistently among the top five issues prompting people to call, email, text or web chat 211, the 24/7 resource that connects people across the U.S. and Canada to locally available resources. Last year, U.S. 211 Community Resource Specialists made 938,000 referrals for mental health and substance abuse disorder assistance. If you need help, connect with 211 now.

There is hope. And there are self-care and coping strategies all of us can use. Here are five ways you can help protect and improve your mental health:

1. Put yourself first. Treat yourself as kindly as you would treat others. Make time for the things you love to do.
2. Take care of your body. Good nutrition and physical activity can go a long way to protecting and improving mental health.
3. Keep good company. A strong family or social network predicts good mental health. Make plans with others – even if you need to wear a mask and keep a physical distance – and make new friends through activities you enjoy.
4. Set some goals. Make them modest and manageable and enjoy the mental boost as you accomplish them.
5. Mix it up. Routines are good for efficiency and feeling secure, but trying a new bike path, hobby or project is good for our brains.

But you can do all these things at once! How? Volunteer your time and energy to help someone else. Research suggests that people who volunteer experience a boost in their mental health. You'll feel good – mentally and physically – and odds are you will enjoy your fellow volunteers, who have chosen to serve for the same reasons.