Few things in life are as important as our health and wellness. Without our health, it can be difficult to accomplish daily tasks, work, learn, and participate in the activities we enjoy. Poor health can impact our relationships and reduce our peace of mind and overall quality of life. For a few tips on ways to keep your health and spirits up so that you can be at your best, read on.
Start with your mental health.
Anyone who’s experienced signs of depression or had suicidal thoughts can tell you that mental health can have a serious impact on more than just daily activities. It can even impact physical health. In the middle of a global pandemic, child, adult, and teen depression and anxiety are at all-time highs. Feeling a lack of social connection, many people are experiencing irritation, low energy, a lack of physical activity, and signs of mood disorders. If this is you, an important thing to do is to reach out to a counselor who can help build a treatment plan to get you back on track. With our without mood disorder or antidepressant medication, a therapist can help work through major problems or general feelings of distress common for many during the pandemic.
Some people believe they need to have a major depressive episode for their mental health to be serious enough to see a therapist. Sadly, by the time someone is having suicidal thoughts and has lost interest in hobbies and more, their lives can be in a place where it’s more challenging to bounce back. By seeing a therapist at the first symptoms of depression, you’ll have tools to deal with the downs of life and reduce future discomfort more easily.
Don’t neglect chronic pain and ongoing issues.
Having your mental health under control is step one in better overall health. The pandemic has caused many people to push off regular doctor visits or get off track when it comes to handling chronic pain or chronic illnesses. If you’ve fallen behind in seeing your regular care team for a neck injury, for example, you’ll want to pick up that cervical neck surgery recovery guide and reach back out to physical therapists and others who were helping you in your recovery. This could make a big difference in your overall outcome and help with pain management in the future, too.
Whether you need the help of spine experts for an ongoing condition like back pain or trouble with your nervous system or need to check in with your family doctor and rheumatologist about soreness, compression, and swelling, taking the time to revisit lingering health problems is one way to get your health back on track. When meeting with your health care teams, be sure to ask about diet, regular activities, and things you could be doing to improve your mental and physical wellness in spite of your chronic condition. Something as simple as creating new, healthy habits like daily walks could add up to better overall health.
Build a support system and accountability partners.
It can be difficult to maintain new healthy routines. For this reason, it’s a great idea to make a plan with an accountability team. Whether a best friend, co-worker or family member, taking the time to identify a team of people who can help you get your health moving in the right direction is a great way to start fresh. Think about people in your life who might have similar goals to you. Perhaps you know people working to lose weight, eat healthier, or work on their mental health. These are all people you could talk to about teaming up to make regular plans for healthy activities and more. Don’t be afraid to reach out.
For some of us, the global pandemic has caused us to feel isolated, and we’ve lost the natural ability to ask for help from others. If this is you, even joining a virtual support group could be a great way to slowly work on building back healthy habits and reentering the outside world.
Create self-care routines.
While eating healthy, daily exercise, taking the right medications, and staying in close contact with your health care team will help your general health, it’s also important to spend a good amount of time on self-care activities you enjoy like taking long baths, reading favorite books, making crafts, and more. Think about things that help you relax and build them back into your daily routine. After a few weeks of these self-care activities, you’ll be surprised at how much better you’re feeling.
Being in good overall health can make a major difference in how we experience the world and our daily lives. Whether you’re experiencing signs of depression and have lost interest in hobbies or you have a physical condition that is hurting you, it’s important to do what you can to advocate for yourself and get the help you need. Start by making an appointment with your physician for a regular check-up and bring a list of things that have been bothering you. By making your health a priority now, you’ll put yourself in a great position for a happier and more productive future.
