At Laverdure, not only do we want to provide stylish and elegant accessories of beauty, but we also believe that feeling good is the most important aspect of your life you need to prioritize.
What is the definition for mental health ? How to feel better ? We all hear everywhere that your mental well-being is super important to preserve but what exactly is it? And how does it fit inside our increasingly stressful society?
Mental well-being is a complex yet vital part of mental health that allows us to function positively in our daily lives. We are all susceptible to being affected by negative outcomes in our lives which could translate into a permanent way of being and feeling inside.
Our world is moving fast, from technology to transportation, results, expectations, goals or even relationships, we can all sometimes feel that everything is moving too fast for us to comprehend, let alone feel included.
Because every single action starts from your core, here are seven ways to increase your feel-good currency supply. Mental health matters.
Note: Always seek the help of a professional when in need. These guidelines are for friendly informational purposes.
1. Be present and mindful
It is no secret that mindfulness techniques can positively impact your state of being. Activities such as meditation or relaxation practices automatically raise your self-awareness and reduce your negative perception of a situation. By focusing on your breath or other focal points, you realise that nothing else matters at that moment in time and you are here alive and well.
There are so many health and psychological benefits to losing yourself in the present moment.
You might even reach Nirvana!
2. Be more active
Speaking of health, as the Latin saying goes “a healthy mind in a healthy body” is not just a random quote. According to the World Health Organization, insufficiently active people have 20 to 30% more risk of early death compared to sufficiently active people and regular physical activity has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The most important is for you to feel comfortable and not overdo it. You are the only person who knows how far you can push your physical abilities, a simple brisk walk into nature can do as much wonder as a cross-fit training session to your mental health. Move your body!
3. Seek connection with other people
As human beings, we are social creatures. We have never been designed to cut ourselves off from others. Throughout history, we have always engaged in cultural collaborations, exchange, trade or even strong disagreements.
The more you connect with other people, the more you increase your self-esteem. There are tons of ways to engage with people, just have a chat with a family member or a neighbour, contact an old friend or if you feel like it, join a social group online or in your local community.
4. Stuff can always wait, take your time
If you are reading this, I would like to congratulate you! You have survived every single challenging day of your life! And do you know why? Because time was on your side.
In our society, everything seems to be urgent, we have become champions of productivity even when not necessary. It won’t hurt to postpone a few tasks if you feel overwhelmed, you are already doing great at prioritising, remember that things will always fall into place in due time.
5. Have fun learning new things
“ The greatest virtue of a man is perhaps curiosity “ — Anatole France
Learning new things is without a doubt one of the most brain-stimulating actions you can perform. Learning changes your brain and makes you feel better.
Whether you take on a new hobby, learn a new language, visit new places or even acquire new skills for work, make those discoveries and produce that grey matter, your happiness will thank you for it.
6. Recognise you are enough
For a very long time, when I was younger I used to care a lot about what other people thought of me. This significantly affected my mental health at times but fear not, as you gain more experience in life, you will realise that other people’s opinions of you are out of your control and that they should not matter at all.
The more you work on your self-esteem, the more your personality will shine although modesty is of the essence, there is no competition with others. One book I highly recommend on this subject is this one.
7. Help others
“ We rise by lifting others “ — Robert Ingersoll
Feeling good can actually be measured by Science. The levels of serotonin and dopamine present in your brain can determine your anxiety and stress. Decreasing the amount of these chemicals literally improves your mood. Helping out others is another way of making you feel great, you are also contributing to the happiness of the person you are helping.
Volunteering is a prime example of donating your time and efforts to a good cause and positively change a situation, but it can also just be a matter of helping your neighbour with the grocery shopping or even mentoring in your community. Your service will always be appreciated and you’ll feel awesome for it.
There are of course plenty of ways to make you feel better instantly, and others that might take a bit longer and more work from you. The way I like to see mental well-being is like a bank account in which you possess your own currency ( a.k.a happiness ) and it is up to you to spend as you wish but also to make sure you replenish that account by doing more of what makes you feel amazing.
Our societies are heading in the right direction by acknowledging the problems and tackling the issue by raising awareness and offering medical and alternative solutions to people, but we also have our own individual parts to play and then positively influence the collective.
Cheer up, feel better about yourself and have a little dance and talk to your neighbour, you might be richer than you think!
