Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Good Mental Health

One of the TV series we’re watching currently is 3 Body Problem on Netflix and there was a dialogue in it that gave an interesting insight into our existence. 

According to archeological science, the modern-day homo sapiens, or human beings have been in existence for around a hundred and sixty thousand years. We started agriculture around ten thousand years ago, which means it took us around a hundred and fifty thousand years to shift from hunters and gatherers to farmers.

It took us around ten thousand years to shift from farming to industrialization. We developed atomic power around a hundred years ago, computers were invented around 50 years ago, and we now live in the era of social media and artificial intelligence. 

The pace of evolution is so fast that it sometimes seems scary if you take a moment and think about it.

We humans have not been able to cope with this pace and the recent advancement in technology and changes in our everyday lifestyle have taken a heavy toll on our minds and bodies.

One of the most significant impacts of this fast-paced and interconnected world can be seen in the world of mental health. This past decade or so has seen a tremendous shift in how we perceive and prioritize mental health. People have become fairly open with the conversations around it. 

From athletes to celebrities, people have become vocal advocates for mental health awareness by sharing their personal journeys of overcoming mental health problems through professional help. Their openness has not only reduced stigma but has also encouraged millions to seek support and prioritize their mental well-being.

Take Simone Biles, for example, the most decorated American gymnast in history. Despite being at the peak of her career, she shocked the world by taking a break from competition to prioritize her mental well-being.

Her decision made people think and talk about the pressures athletes face and the importance of prioritizing mental health above everything else. 

Beyond the spotlight, people are facing mental health problems every day in their lives. Physical health problems have been there forever but mental health problems are fairly new. The recent few years have brought mental health to the forefront of public consciousness. 

While we’re still trying to understand and figure out the cause and cure of mental health problems, a growing emphasis on healthy lifestyle habits has emerged as a beacon of hope and resilience.

As we have come to terms with the fact that mental health is not just about the absence of any illness, our understanding and how we approach self-care and mental wellness has changed profoundly.

And while genetics and life circumstances have a deep influence on our mental well-being, modern-day mental health problems are mostly because of our lifestyle choices and habits. 

In part four of our “Healthy Lifestyle Habits” series, we’ll try to understand the exact reasons behind mental health problems and we’ll talk about the multifaceted relationship between lifestyle choices and mental well-being. 

But first, let’s understand what exactly mental health is.

What is Mental Health?

In simple words, we can think of mental health as our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

It includes how we think, feel, and behave in different situations, and how we adapt to challenging situations by managing our thoughts and emotions. 

It plays a very important role in our lives as it impacts how we navigate relationships, handle stress, and make decisions.

It is not about being happy all the time, but managing emotions effectively and maintaining a sense of balance and well-being.

As humans, we have the gift to experience a wide range of emotions, from joy and excitement to sadness and anxiety. But when these emotions become overwhelming and interfere with daily functioning, that’s when we need mental health support. 

What Are the Reasons Behind Mental Health Problems?

Apart from genetic predispositions, traumatic experiences, and some biological factors, several lifestyle factors contribute to our mental state. Let’s explore some key lifestyle elements that can either exacerbate or mitigate mental health challenges:

1. Our Thought Process

Our mental health is deeply influenced by our thoughts and emotions. Every feeling we experience, whether it’s sadness or happiness, originates from the thoughts we have.

When we experience sadness, it often comes from dwelling on negative thoughts or situations that make us feel down. 

On the other hand, feelings of happiness usually arise from positive thoughts and experiences that uplift us. This shows that our minds play a significant role in shaping our emotional well-being.

Our upbringing has played a significant role in shaping our mindset and expectations. As a generation, we have been nurtured with care and abundance.

We’ve been accustomed to receiving care and fulfilling our desires easily. This has led many of us to believe that we deserve the best outcomes in every aspect of life.

But when we grow up and move into real life, we face the complexities and unpredictability of life. The gap between our expectations and reality can sometimes leave us feeling emotionally vulnerable.

We may find ourselves struggling to cope with challenges and setbacks because we feel entitled to the best outcomes. We come to realize that life can be tough and unpredictable.

We must accept the reality that life is about positivity and negativity. Just as there are happy moments, there will also be moments of sadness.

If there is sweetness, there will be bitterness. Life has a dual nature and we should understand this.

Other than this generational shift we’ve experienced, social media has played a very significant role in developing this mindset, which brings us to our next point.

2. Overindulgence and Instant Gratification

We live in a world where social media paints a picture-perfect world of constant happiness and success that makes us believe that we deserve nothing less than the best in every aspect of our lives.

This mindset sets high expectations that life should always align with our desires and wishes. 

The overuse of social media and constant digital simulation has changed the way we perceive ourselves and others.

The perfectly curated online personas, combined with constant comparison and the fear of missing out (FOMO) lead to feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and low self-esteem. 

Overindulgence and the pursuit of instant gratification are very common in modern society. With access to instant rewards and pleasures at our fingertips, there’s a temptation to seek immediate fulfillment in all aspects of life. 

Whether it’s material possessions, experiences, or validation from others on social media, the desire for instant gratification can lead to a sense of entitlement and emotional fragility.

When we get anything we need, our mind turns to the next thing because our dopamine needs something more to stimulate it. 

This culture of instant gratification distorts our perception of success and fulfillment. We compare happiness with some material possessions or external validations.

We tend to overlook the deeper aspects of personal growth, meaningful relationships, and inner contentment. 

So, our mindset and thought process plays a very important role in shaping our mental and emotional landscape. Having explored these aspects, let’s now look at some lifestyle factors that affect our mental health.

3. Stress and Coping Mechanisms

Stress is one of the most common factors that negatively impact our mental health and it has become a constant companion in today’s world. 

The blurred boundaries between work and personal life have become a significant stressor for so many of us.

Digital connectivity and remote work have made it harder for people to disconnect and recharge, which often results in burnout, anxiety, and chronic stress.

Although we are more connected digitally, so many of us still feel isolated and lonely.

The lack of meaningful connections, very little or no support networks, and a sense of not belonging have led to feelings of depression, anxiety, and poor mental health. 

On top of all this, our stress-coping mechanisms are also unhealthy.

Most of us turn to alcohol and overeating in response to stress, which exacerbates mental health issues even more and might even lead to addiction and dependency. 

4. Sedentary Lifestyle

One of the major changes we’ve seen as a generation over the past couple of decades or so is the change in our day-to-day lifestyle, which has become sedentary.

We spend most of our time indoors sitting for long hours with very limited or no physical activity at all. 

Our diets have changed from wholesome and nutritious meals to processed and fast foods that are full of sugar and unhealthy fats. 

Our sleep patterns are irregular and we stay awake for long hours at night, spending most of that time in front of screens. Most of us either don’t get adequate sleep or get poor quality sleep.

The meaningful social connections we used to have are now replaced with social media interactions and virtual reality. 

We may not realize it but these changes in our lifestyle are the major contributing factors behind growing mental health problems. 

What Is a Healthy Lifestyle for Mental Health?

As we’ve learned in the previous sections the world is evolving at a very rapid pace and our lifestyle is also changing along with it. It is becoming more and more sedentary and the focus is not on our well-being. 

A healthy lifestyle includes practices and habits that prioritize physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

It is about taking proactive steps to take care of your mind and body and creating a harmonious balance between all aspects of your life. 

Why Is Lifestyle Important to Mental Health?

The lifestyle we lead has a profound impact on our mental health and well-being. Our daily habits and choices significantly influence how we feel emotionally, how well we cope with stress, and our overall psychological resilience. 

Our entire body is a very complex and sophisticated machinery and what we need to understand is that all aspects of our well-being are interconnected to each other.

The lifestyle habits that positively impact our physical health also have a positive effect on our mental health, and vice versa. 

Stress is the most common trigger for most lifestyle-related mental health issues like anxiety and depression and our lifestyle plays a crucial role in managing stress. 

Certain nutrients are required for our brain and hormones to function optimally, and whether we’re getting enough of those nutrients depends on our lifestyle choices in terms of what we eat.

Those nutrients will support cognitive function and mood regulation. 

Another crucial aspect of good mental health is getting adequate high-quality sleep. If our bodies are deprived of sleep, it will impair our brain’s cognitive abilities, exacerbate mood disorders, and weaken emotional resilience. 

If most of our connections are with screens instead of real human beings, it will lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness which will in turn have detrimental effects on our mental well-being. 

The lifestyle we lead also affects our ability to cope with life’s challenges and setbacks.

Adopting healthy coping mechanisms, such as problem-solving skills, emotional regulation techniques, and positive reframing can increase resilience and promote adaptive responses to stressors.

Moreover, our lifestyle choices also influence self-perception and self-esteem.

If we engage in activities that align with our values and aspirations, it will give us a sense of purpose and fulfillment, which will increase self-confidence and overall life satisfaction.

So, lifestyle plays a critical role in mental health by supporting physical well-being, stress management, brain function, sleep quality, social connections, coping skills, and self-esteem.

By prioritizing these healthy lifestyle habits, we can cultivate emotional resilience, enhance mood, and improve overall quality of life.

What Are the 3 Components of Mental Health?

Mental health consists of 3 components that are interconnected with each other and that contribute to our overall well-being and quality of life.

If we understand these components, we get some insight into the complexities and how we can take care of mental health through holistic self-care practices. 

1. Emotional Health

Emotional health is about our ability to understand, express, and manage our emotions effectively. It is about being in tune with our feelings, acknowledging them without judgment, and developing healthy coping mechanisms. 

Emotional health contains a wide range of emotions, from joy and gratitude to sadness and anger. It’s about having emotional resilience and adaptability so that we can navigate life’s challenges with calmness and grace.

2. Cognitive Health

Cognitive health refers to our mental processes and abilities like memory, attention, reasoning, and problem-solving.

It is about how we perceive and interpret information, make decisions, and interact with the world around us. Cognitive health is influenced by factors such as brain function, neural connectivity, and lifelong learning.

3. Behavioral Health

Behavioral health is about our behavior and habits that we do in our day-to-day lives and the impact they have on our mental well-being. It includes our lifestyle choices, habits, and behaviors. 

By addressing these three components — emotional health, cognitive health, and behavioral health, we can develop a comprehensive approach to mental well-being.

With that said, let’s take a look at some healthy lifestyle habits that contribute to good mental health. 

5 Positive Mental Health Habits

1. Find Joy in Your Work: Turn Passion into Purpose

One of the most fulfilling habits for improving mental well-being is doing activities that bring genuine joy and satisfaction.

This habit is about finding a passion or hobby that resonates deeply with you and integrating it into your daily life. When you engage in activities that bring you joy, it can give you a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Many of us fall into the trap of seeking instant gratification through fleeting pleasures. Our dopamine receptors crave continuous stimulation which leads to a cycle of temporary highs followed by emotional lows.

Instead of constantly searching for new sources of stimulation, try focusing on something that brings sustained joy and meaning.

We both have found immense fulfillment in creating content on lifestyle and personal growth that we share on this platform.

Although we juggle our demanding 9-5 corporate jobs, working on this blogging website brings a profound sense of satisfaction. Each post we write is like a small success that adds meaning to our lives.

Think about how you can turn your passion into something you do every day. If you love singing or dancing, you can start a YouTube channel to share your talents with the world.

If you’re good at drawing or painting, create a website to showcase your art and connect with others who appreciate it. 

When you focus on activities that match your skills and interests, your daily routine becomes more fulfilling and you don’t look for ways to make yourself happy.

The key is to find activities that truly excite you, make them a part of your routine, and work towards making that your full-time job.

When your work aligns with what you love, it feels less like a job and more like a source of happiness and motivation. This can lead to a positive mindset and a greater sense of purpose in life.

If you asked us for one thing that can improve your mental health, it would be to have something like this in your life. Something you think about the first thing in the morning when you wake up. Something that motivates you to get up and work on it. 

If you already have something like this in your life, you would know what we’re talking about but if you don’t, please consider working in this direction.

It will not only improve your mental health but also give you a purpose and lead you to a more fulfilling life. 

2. Practice Mindfulness

The next habit that we would like to suggest is to practice mindfulness.

As humans, we’re blessed with such evolved minds that have enabled us to achieve great things that we once thought were impossible. But we still don’t fully understand how it works. 

On average, our brain experiences around 6000 thoughts in a day, jumping from one thought to another. The problem arises when we start considering thoughts as facts, and allow them to shape our behaviors and emotions. 

Even if we dwell on a tiny negative thought for a long time, our brain will make it so big that it will significantly impact our lives in many ways and create a serious issue for us.

So, we must acknowledge that our thoughts are just thoughts and we don’t have to take each one of them seriously. That’s where mindfulness helps. 

It is a practice where we observe our thoughts from a distance without judgment. When you cultivate this practice, your negative thoughts won’t impact you because you’ll learn just to observe them passing by. 

We’ve written a blog series on mindfulness. If you’re curious to learn more, we encourage you to check it out. 

3. Live a Healthy Lifestyle

It is a no-brainer that living a healthy lifestyle is the foundation of good physical and mental health. There are three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, regular physical activity, eating wholesome and nutritious food, and getting enough high-quality sleep. 

We have detailed blogs on all these topics so if you’re curious about how these three pillars impact your quality of life, we invite you to read them further. 

4. Practice Self-Care

We live in a world that embraces fast pace and productivity, but such a hectic lifestyle leads to burnout which can eventually cause mental health problems. 

That’s where self-care comes in. Self-care is about listening to your body and giving it enough time, attention, and care it needs to function well. It is about taking proactive steps to nurture your mind and body.

5. Limit Screen Time

We live in a digital age where technology is interwoven into our everyday lives, and the amount of time we spend in front of screens and on social media platforms considerably impacts our mental health. 

With the rise of the internet, we have constant access to a wealth of information, news, and social interactions from around the world.

While this connectivity has its benefits, it also comes with challenges that can affect our mental well-being.

One of the key aspects to consider is the exposure to negative news and information.

We are bombarded with news about global issues, crises, and problems that are often beyond our control, and being constantly exposed to such content can lead to feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and overwhelm, which eventually leads to chronic stress. 

On the other hand, people who are disconnected from the outside world and don’t have a constant influx of information have better mental health.

It’s not that they don’t have stress in their lives, but their focus is primarily on their immediate surroundings and daily life challenges, which they can actively cope with. 

This limited exposure to external stressors allows them to maintain a more balanced perspective and manage their stress effectively.

Another significant factor is the impact of social media on mental health. We often see people living a perfect life on social media, showcasing moments of happiness, success, and adventure.

This constant stream of curated content makes us compare ourselves with them, and deep down we feel that our lives are not as happening as others.

We also face something called FOMO in urban slang, which is the fear of missing out. We see our social media feeds filled with people living glamorous lifestyles, traveling places, partying, and showing off their material possessions. 

It’s natural for us to compare ourselves with them, and this mindset leads to feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, and a distorted perception of reality.

We don’t understand that social media doesn’t show the full spectrum of people’s experiences, challenges, and emotions. 

We live in a world where we can’t survive without screens but we must be mindful of our screen time and social media use. We should take proactive steps so we don’t overexpose ourselves to social media and the internet in general. 

Wrapping Up – Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Mental Health

We all strive to be a better version every day and become successful in life but in the pursuit of success and happiness, we often neglect the thing that matters the most, our health.

We take it for granted and we assume that it will always be resilient.

However, the reality is that good mental health is something that needs a proactive and mindful approach, especially in today’s fast-paced and demanding world.

Mental health impacts all aspects of our lives, from our relationships and work to overall quality of life.  

If we’re not careful and neglect our mental well-being, we can face severe consequences that will not only affect us personally but also ripple into our professional and social spheres. 

We must understand that mental health is not a passive state but rather an ongoing journey that requires conscious choices and consistent self-care. 

The purpose of this blog was to make you introspect and be mindful about your mental health practices. It was to make you take a pause and think whether you’re investing enough time and effort into maintaining good mental health. 

By understanding the connection between a healthy lifestyle and mental well-being, we wanted to empower you to take proactive steps toward better mental health and create a culture of self-awareness, self-compassion, and resilience.

Your mental health is a valuable asset that deserves attention, care, and investment. 

Let us know if the insights shared in this blog were of any help to you, or if you want to share anything additional on this topic that can benefit the community. Namaste!