Psychische Gesundheit – das können Sie für Ihr seelisches Wohlbefinden tun

With more serenity through the day: If we are healthy and mentally stable, we do not let ourselves be thrown off track so easily and can face everyday challenges in a more relaxed manner. We feel good and secure. But what if this security starts to falter?

Mental health - what does that mean?

Mental health means feeling good in your current life situation and coping well with your everyday life. This includes productive work as well as fully using one's abilities and contributing to society. The mental state therefore reflects the well-being of a person and is the prerequisite for a high quality of life. If you feel well, the tasks almost seem to do themselves. If you feel bad, even the smallest things can be a burden.

Numerous factors influence our psyche: family, relationships, school, work and our personal attitude. What is your self-perception like? Is one satisfied? How do other people influence you? In order to be mentally strong and balanced, it is important to take care of yourself and to take psychological sensations as seriously as physical ones.

What influences mental health?

Every day we experience many things that have both positive and negative effects on our mental health. But there are three factors that increasingly determine our daily life and challenge our mental strength:

1. Stress

Too much stress burdens the soul and body. While short-lasting stress can even have an invigorating effect, long-term stress can make us ill. We feel mentally and physically exhausted, become increasingly unfocused and our performance decreases. Above all, permanent professional pressure has an impact on mental health. Ignoring the first signs of overstress can lead to serious mental illness. Burn-out, anxiety states or depression can develop. That is why you should pay attention to a good work-life balance and reduce your workload in order to regain your strength.

2. Everyday life and family

Everyday life also has its pitfalls and makes our thoughts spin. Keeping a relationship or marriage going, managing the family and the household, and then spending our free time: All this challenges us parallel to our job. Unlike at work, there is no end of work in everyday life and in the family. We are called upon around the clock, without fixed break times. That's why it's especially important to take time out and find moments for yourself. In other words, to create a balance in order to be able to act in a balanced way within the family again. Whether sports, music or knitting - there are many ways to relax.

3. Physical impairments

The third factor is the least influenceable. Physical limitations put a strain on and weaken mental strength. Often people with illnesses in particular show us how important it is to approach life in a positive way and enjoy moments more. Accepting one's impairments and actively shaping one's life with them is an important point here in order to remain mentally healthy.

Five tips for mental strength

1. To perceive oneself consciously

Mental health starts with personal perception. In order to feel good, you need to give space to your feelings and be aware of them: the positive and the negative ones. There is no point in repressing unpleasant emotions or ignoring them completely. On the contrary, they usually accumulate and can become serious problems. It is better to accept that they are there. Ask yourself why you have these emotions. There is no right or wrong. Always be honest with yourself and listen to yourself. A satisfied look in the mirror also helps you to come to terms with yourself and stabilise your mental health.

2. Be careful with yourself

If you are mindful, you are not only doing yourself a favour, but also those around you. Mindfulness means to consciously deal with oneself and one's environment.

Mindfulness exercises can also be well integrated into everyday life. In this way you learn to become more relaxed and to go through your life with more serenity. Your quality of life will increase increasingly.

An example: The alarm clock rings and you want to doze off for a moment. Do that, but this time you will actively feel inside yourself. How did you sleep? Do you remember what you dreamt? Are you cold or warm? Take a short moment to consciously relive the night before.

3. Keep moving

More exercise strengthens you physically and mentally. Being active in sports frees your mind and is good for your mental health. Whether indoors or outdoors: the main thing is that you feel comfortable. Exercise does your body good and also has a positive effect on your mental health. If you're not into sports, you might want to try it as a team: Together, things usually work out better. Because social contacts are really good for you.

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4. Deep and firm sleep

People who have slept in are more concentrated, more powerful and usually have stronger nerves. So go to bed early and sleep in whenever you can. Avoid distractions just before. Sleeping through the night is a prerequisite for mental health. Create your own night routine: perhaps meditate just before going to bed or read for another half hour. Put your body and mind into sleep mode so that you can recover in your sleep and the batteries are properly charged. You will notice the difference immediately.

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5. Getting help when you cannot do it alone

Have you tried everything and don't feel well? Do you notice that you can't get ahead on your own? Then do not hesitate and get help. This is the only way to avoid getting worse and possibly getting sick. Talk about your situation with someone who knows about it - that is the first step to recovery.

Meditation as a tool for mental health

Meditation helps to calm and collect the mind. There are numerous meditation techniques, including concentration and breathing exercises. The aim is to achieve a state of consciousness that is free of judgement and allows complete relaxation.

An example: Breathing in and out for 5 seconds and that for one minute. During this time, calmly close your eyes, make yourself comfortable. Whether you sit, lie or stand is entirely up to you. The important thing is that you do not force anything and do not put any pressure on yourself, after all you want to get rid of any pressure. Your thoughts will certainly circle at first, let that happen. Look at your thoughts, what is going on in your head, what does it do to you? Breathe calmly and in a controlled way. You can integrate this breathing exercise during the day as soon as you have a moment to yourself or want to get some rest.

Vital substances for strong nerves

Besides a healthy mental attitude, mental health also needs valuable vitamins and minerals. They give your body energy and are essential for your well-being and a good quality of life. You can find vitamins and minerals in healthy food. Eat lots of colourful fruit and vegetables: the more colourful, the better.

With the B vitamins you contribute to the normal functioning of your psyche and nervous system. They help with fatigue and boost your energy metabolism. Biotin also strengthens your nervous system and also maintains healthy skin, hair and nails. High-dose multivitamin capsules contain many valuable vitamins and minerals that the body needs to be mentally and physically fit. From vitamin A and B12, magnesium to iron and zinc, you will find everything you need: with one capsule you can effectively counteract a wide range of deficiency symptoms.

A healthy metabolism is just as important as acid-base metabolism, carbohydrate, fatty acid or vitamin A metabolism: all of these are essential for survival. To regulate them normally, your body needs above all the trace element zinc. Together with selenium you protect your cells from oxidative stress and strengthen your immune system. If you are well supplied, nothing can throw you off track.

For your mental health, it is therefore particularly important that you take care of yourself and look after yourself. Because sometimes you forget your own needs in the daily hustle and bustle. If you create space and time for this, you will gain the composure and mental strength to feel really well.