3 Daily Mistakes that Harm Your Mental Health
Every day we make dangerous mistakes that could be harming our mental health. If you knew a simple fix to boost your mental health, would you make the change? Read this article to find out how you can do just that.
Our daily routine and how we choose to spend our time during the day matters in terms of mental health. How you take care of yourself and monitor your thoughts, behaviors, and feelings as you experience them is essential for mental health, happiness, and success. Mental health is vital to every aspect of your life, so make the right daily choices that set you up for quality of life. Here are three mistakes to avoid in everyday life that can be harmful to your mental health.
1. Neglecting Sleep Quality
Sleep neglect and related issues are a big concern for the United States. A 2016 study showed that nearly a third of Americans don’t get a minimum of seven hours recommended sleep.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not getting enough sleep…or even too much of it. Both can be a sign or cause of depression. Mental illnesses like depression and bipolar can cause a disruption in sleep patterns; however, a lack of sleep can also exacerbate mental health conditions.
Regardless, sleep deprivation is a big no-no if you are trying to take care of your psychological health, where there are consequences. Our bodies accomplish a lot through sleep, like for example, solidifying and consolidating memories to record in long term memory. A lack of sleep can cause depression and memory loss, among physical ailments like heart disease, cancer, and weight gain, so you should take your sleep seriously.
Share this post
2. Isolating Yourself
Isolating yourself from the people that love you can have an impact on your mental health as well. It’s easy and understandable when you are depressed to want to withdraw; however, social isolation only makes things worse, including how we feel.
Social contact helps mitigate the brain’s stress response. According to WebMD, being social is one of the best things you can do to combat depression, so get out there! Ruminating, drinking, skipping exercise, and negative thinking are all daily traps of depression that are related to isolating yourself.
When you are depressed, it is easy to think that being around other people will be overwhelming and that you don’t have the energy for it, but being around people helps you be balanced and avoid slipping into withdrawal symptoms like loneliness, misunderstanding, and distorted thinking.
What’s also important is realizing when it is time to reach out for professional health, even though that can be hard when you are at an all time low. Just remember that the right medication and right therapist can make a world of difference.
3. Allowing stress to take over
According to the APA, stress among younger generations is on the rise, where younger generations experience higher stress levels than older generations. Stress can lead to trouble sleeping and depression.
Even though stress is thought to improve performance, that is for the short term. Over time, stress causes people to make more and more mistakes. Stress also causes you to lose control over emotions, can impact your love life, and can even lead to long-term disability.
The answer is to make life choices based on your stress levels. Perhaps narrow your daily activities and responsibilities to only the ones that truly matter. Avoid over commitment and allow yourself free time during your day for you. Evaluate your level of workplace stress and consider remedies.
The role your mental health plays at home and at work is just too important to be ignored. You must acknowledge this importance and take care of yourself, which is an act of self-love and investment in your own quality of life.
Research-based, personalized therapy.
At My LA Therapy, our warm and experienced therapists specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, & relationships.
Share this post
Guest Writer Bio
