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We all want to have good mental health. We all want to feel as happy, content, and fulfilled as possible.
None of us would like to think that we are actively making our mental health worse, but many of us are, often without even knowing it.
Find that hard to believe? Check out these very common ways you could be sabotaging your mental health.
1. Drinking too much
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a drink now and again, and doing so with good company can be a lot of fun and even boost your mental health.
However, alcohol can be bad for your mental health due to the fact it causes the body to release cortisol into the bloodstream, which can cause stress, fear, and other negative states of mind.
Not only that, but it can make it harder for you to get a good night’s sleep, which, as you will probably know, also has a negative impact on mental health.
The bad news is, it’s impossible to know how much alcohol will negatively affect your own mental health, which means you may just need to experiment and see how you feel.
If you struggle with drinking excessively, getting help from a good alcohol rehab place will do wonders for your mental health, and if things aren’t that bad, cutting back just a little should be very beneficial too.
2. Sitting too much
You might not think that sitting, rather than standing or moving around could have any impact on your mental health, but unfortunately for those of you who work a desk job or prefer the couch potato life to the active one, it really can.
Sedentary behaviour has been shown to increase anxiety, which means getting up and about as often as you can could really help to boost your mental health.
Even if you just stand up and walk around or jog on the spot for 5 minutes during every 60 of sitting, you should see some benefits.
3. Overexercising
Conversely, if you exercise too much, you could end up increasing your stress levels and messing around with your moods in a negative way.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise, because as mentioned above, a sedentary life is not good for your mental health, and a moderate level of exercise is amazing when it comes to fighting anxiety and depression.
Aim for 30-60 minutes five times per week and you should strike the right balance.
4. Being glued to your phone
You may get a lot of joy out of your phone, whether it’s reading a great article or interacting with friends on social media, but numerous studies have shown that the overuse of smartphones can lead to poorer sleep, higher anxiety, and low self-esteem amongst other things.
That’s why you might want to think about shutting it off at least one hour before bed, and more carefully curating the content you consume, to ensure it’s all good, mood-boosting stuff.
Are you doing any of these things? If you want to feel as good as possible, it might be time to make a few changes!
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