Counselling Corner articles feature tips from George Brown College counsellors. This post features tips from Alan Choi.
June is Men’s Health Month, so it's a good time to reflect on how men, and those who care for them, can pay attention to their mental health, which is often overlooked and stigmatized.
Five tips for improving mental health and well-being
Take care of your physical health
Mental and physical health are intrinsically linked. If you feel good about your body and are physically healthy, it makes sense that your stress, anxiety and depression levels will be as low as possible. Try getting regular exercise (such as walking) while mixing in light aerobic activities (such as cycling) with more intense exercise (such as trips to the gym or playing sports like pickup basketball). If your exercises include being outdoors and/or with other people, you’ll increase the chances that you’ll maintain regular activity, too.
Make and connect with social supports
It’s been proven by studies that maintaining a positive social support system can improve mental and physical health. Make sure to keep in touch with friends, acquaintances and family members through regular contact and increase your social connections through work, volunteering or clubs and social opportunities. If you talk about any issues you may be having with your trusted support system, you may be surprised to find that people around you care about you and want to help.
Get a healthy amount of sleep
Practice good sleep hygiene techniques to make sure you get at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Sleep hygiene includes practices such as setting reasonable bedtime hours, turning down the lights and turning off electronics (such as phones, tablets, computers and televisions) an hour before bed to set yourself up for the vital rest and recovery time that sleep is.
Develop and maintain healthy recreational habits
Hobbies and pastimes can relieve stress and engage you in rewarding activities. Join a Student Association club and connect with like-minded other students. Learn to play an instrument or engage in other creative or artistic activities that can be rewarding and fun. Stay away from unhealthy habits such as gambling, substance use and other addictive activities which can suck the energy out of you in the long run.
Limit screen time and time spent on electronics when possible
Research has shown that social media and time spent on devices increase depression and anxiety. This is time better spent exercising, resting, engaging in hobbies or socializing.
Remember, making small gradual positive changes to your life is more likely to succeed and improve your mental health than trying to radically overhaul your routine and getting frustrated by difficulty maintaining your gains.
Various free and non-judgemental counselling supports are available to GBC students through the Counselling and Student Well-Being office and social supports can be found through Student Life or the Student Association. You may discover that improving your mental health is not as difficult as it seems.
