Posts Tagged ‘Self Help’
Want to Improve Your Mental Health? Volunteer!
Does volunteering sound stressful? Think again! There are so many reasons why volunteering can help improve a person’s mental health. For starters, just getting out of the house can boost your mood. So can hanging out with other people, especially when you’re making lasting social connections. Volunteering also gets your mind on something else besides your problems and anxiety.
For more information about the possible benefits of volunteering, check out this article:
At a loss for where to volunteer? Here are some ideas!
- Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, such as the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce.
- Check Web sites that match volunteers with opportunities, such as VolunteerMatch.org (note: these Web sites may gather personal information like your e-mail address, so please be cautious.)
- Google it! Use Google to search for volunteer opportunities in your area or regarding topics you’re interested in. For example, if you like horses, try Googling “horse volunteer MyCity.”
- You may even find entire lists of volunteer opportunities like Teen Life’s list of community volunteer opportunities.
- Or AARP’s list of community volunteer opportunities.
- You can also search Yelp listings for your area.
- Check Web sites of your favorite organizations for volunteer opportunities. Think about those that you admire or donate to. What causes are important to you?
- Look for upcoming events in your city. Many events rely on volunteers, including concerts, street fairs, and school events.
- Ask around. Check with friends and in online forums for places they like to volunteer and for suggestions suited to you. Are you part of a Facebook, Google, or Yahoo group? Your fellow group mates may be able to help.
- Check with your church, synagogue, mosque, guild, or other community organization.
Where do you like to volunteer? How does volunteering improve your mental health? Feel free to comment below!
Want another boost? Play a video game!
My last blog talked about how reading is generally good for you. Even reading fiction. But what about playing video games?
An article in Reader’s Digest summarizes some of the beneficial effects video games can have on your health. Unfortunately, it’s titled, “8 Reasons Video Games Might Just Be Better for You Than Books,” and many of the studies don’t actually compare playing video games to reading books. I’ll chalk that up to Reader’s Digest trying to create a click-bait title and excusing itself by using the “might just” phrasing. (The click bait worked for me; I did click on it, after all.)
While I don’t have access to all of the studies cited and can’t comment on their validity, many of their findings make sense. Often for the same reasons reading fiction can be good for your mental health.
In case you need a reason to justify taking a break and playing a video game, check out the Reader’s Digest article below.
Just keep in mind a few things:
- For optimal health benefits, use common sense and moderation. Spending too much time playing games can cause problems for some people, including eye strain, tendinitis, and consequences resulting from shirking certain responsibilities.
- Some benefits in the article call for specific types of games, such as ones that are “visual-heavy” like Tetris.
- Your mileage may vary. If you find a game frustrates you rather than makes you happy, try other games.
Here’s the article! Enjoy!
https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/health-benefits-of-video-games/
And in case you’re wondering whether reading fiction is good for you, here’s my blog about an article discussing the health benefits of reading.
Want a boost? Read a book!
It’s probably no surprise that reading is generally good for you. But what about reading fiction?
This article doesn’t go into the research in depth, but it does contain some surprising research facts about the benefits of reading, including comparing reading fiction to reading non-fiction. (Hint: fiction has benefits!)
Read the news article to encourage yourself to read more books!
Online Mental Health Screenings
There are many online tests out there, including mental health screenings. Some online mental health screenings are meant to sell you things. Not necessarily bad things. For example, some online memory tests are designed to sell you brain training software, some of which may assist people with retaining brain capabilities as they age.
Other online screenings are meant to expose you to advertising. Still others just want to make you aware of a condition and its symptoms. While the latter is a good goal, it’s important to remember that online screening tools are no substitute for seeing your doctor, psychologist, or neuropsychologist. If you’re having any sort of symptoms, seek medical help.
Still, since screenings can be educational, and scoring an interesting result on an online screening can encourage people to see their doctors, psychologists, or neuropsychologists for professional screening, I’m posting this link to Mental Health America’s online screenings. They include screenings for:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Psychosis
- Eating Disorder
- PTSD
- Alcohol and Substance Use
- Childhood Emotional Disturbances
Please use these screenings responsibly and do not assume that if you score well on a screening that you do not need to speak to a professional. If you have any questions, please see a professional.
Finding out you have a mental health issue may seem scary at first, but it is better to find out early, so you can get help early. Often doctors and psychologists can help prevent a condition from stopping you from reaching your true potential in life.
Check out the screenings here:
Kick Your Mental Health Up a Notch
If you read through my blogs, you’ll find various tips for improving your mental health. Things like:
- Find a therapist who is right for you.
- A few tips for adjusting your diet.
- Seeking early neuropsychological screening if possible.
But these tips are all inside articles dealing with other, more specific topics. I’ve been wanting to take some time to add more tips to help people cultivate mental health in general. Some of these tips may seem like common sense to some people, but for others, they might be surprising. For example:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Spend time with friends often. A strong social support network (in person, not in social media) has been shown to boost mental health
- Take breaks regularly to refresh your mind
- Do a hobby or something else you enjoy at least once a week
- Take time to enjoy small moments, or “live in the moment”
Tips like that. Helpful reminders. And then I saw this article, which does a great job of summarizing many ideas for encouraging mental health. So I thought I’d share it. I hope you enjoy it!
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/31-tips-boost-your-mental-health