5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Daily Mental Health
Mental health plays a huge role in your overall health and well-being. It affects everything, including how we think, feel and act, and helps determine how we make healthy choices and cope with stress.
Because it’s such a crucial component of your health, it’s important to focus on maintaining or improving your mental health. Here are five simple ways to do so every day:
1. Express gratitude. Taking five minutes a day to write down the things that you are grateful for has been proven to lower stress levels and can help you change your mindset from negative to positive.
2. Get exercise. You probably hear all the time how beneficial exercise is to your overall health, but it’s true. Exercising regularly can benefit your brain function, reduce anxiety and improve your self-image.
3. Spend time outdoors. Getting outside, especially when it’s sunny, can greatly improve your mood, which in turn, benefits your mental health.
4. Be kind. Helping others and being kind not only helps the receiver of the act, but can also help you. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy—holding the door or giving a compliment can go a long way.
5. Get a good night’s sleep. Fatigued individuals typically experience drowsiness, mood changes, loss of energy and appetite, headaches, and a lack of motivation, concentration and alertness. Strive for seven to eight hours of sleep a night to improve your mental health.
Foods to Boost Eye Health
Salmon Red Bell Peppers Dark, Leafy Greens Lean Meat and Poultry Sweet Potatoes Eggs Squash Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Sunflower Seeds
Nutritional Information (per serving)
| Total Calories | 183 |
| Total Fat | 4 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 328 mg |
| Total Sugars | 6 g |
Source: USDA
Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup broccoli (chopped)
- 3 cups brown rice (cooked)
- ½ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- ¼ cup onion (chopped)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 eggs (beaten)
- 1 ½ cups evaporated milk
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Nonstick cooking spray
Preparations
- Heat oven to 350 F and coat a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, combine the brown rice, cheese, onion, broccoli, parsley and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, Worcestershire sauce and evaporated milk. Pour over rice mixture. Mix well.
- Pour into the baking dish.
- Bake until just firm, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.
Makes: 8 servings
For more information and helpful links, please download our May 2019 Live Well, Work Well Newsletter.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive, nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as professional advice. Readers should contact a health professional for appropriate advice.