Goals to look after your wellbeing

One in four people in the United Kingdom will experience a mental health problem according to Time to Change.

A lack of ambition creates the feeling of hopelessness of not having a purpose in life.

Although mental health can be complex actions can be taken and having goals can be key in taking greater care of your wellbeing.

From a mental health perspective it gives something to aim toward, creates good feelings and encourages continuous growth in a positive direction.

If you don’t have goals, this post may provide you with inspirations to work on your personal well being.

Workout & eat healthy

Obesity, as well as causing physical health issues, is linked to a number of mental health issues such as depression, eating disorders and low self-esteem.

Being physically active can lead to a happier life – by exercising this release chemicals to improve your mood and also has the social benefits, such as reducing the feeling of isolation.

It’s important not to underestimate nutrition as what we consume on a daily basis has an impact on the brain, our choice of food can impact how a person feels and makes them susceptible to certain illnesses.

Goal: look into altering your habits – make yourself more active with consistent exercise and chang your diet for better nutrition.

Talk with friends

With a mental health problem you may have less desire to see friends – maybe because you don’t want to be a burden, want to sort the problem out by yourself or just generally want to keep to yourself.

Keeping friendships going is essential as you may feel more comfortable talking to a trusted friend

It’s easy to take friendship for granted and sometimes they can just end or fade away.  Digital technology can assist, simply sending an old friend a message helps maintain contact.

Just the act of talking to someone can help as it makes you understand your feelings, releases tension and puts things into perspective.

Goal: challenge yourself to meet a friend and ring/message a loved one on a more consistent basis.

Find new hobbies and interests

If I asked you to name your hobbies and interests beyond watching TV, playing video games and browsing the Internet how big would your list be?

Having some sort of hobby is a great way to relieve stress, get you meeting people and learn new skills.

When I had nothing going for my life, I took up karate, my new hobby forced me to stop isolating myself, there was a sense of social duty to attend.  This didn’t extend into a lifelong passion but created the habit to always try new things.

Creative outlets also help, if you work in roles that is all process driven, with no opportunity to be innovative, being creative helps express yourself.

Goal: set yourself the goal to keep trying new activities, reducing sedentary activities and try to be creative for at least ten minutes a day.

Think positive

Studies show how positive thinking can impact our wellbeing.  A favourite saying I like is:

There is no such thing as a good or bad scenario, it’s all down to how the individual chooses to view the situation. 

It’s important to be positive as negative attitudes can have impacts on your friends, relationships and yourself.

Carrying out simple exercises can adjust your mindset to think more positively and benefit your outlook on life.

Goal: practice positive thinking – use affirmations, positive self-talk or whatever approach you desire to encourage positivity.

Take time to yourself

It sounds really hard to do this with a busy life, , but taking time out to focus on yourself is invaluable.

It may be hard to take time away from responsibilities, I always feel selfish if I am using free time to focus on myself, but it pays off for your loved ones as the break away gives you time relax, get in a better mood and grow.

It is counter productive to be fully involved with your commitments if you are not performing at your best.

Goal: set time aside to focus on yourself – the idea is you are doing the activity for yourself and no one else.

Switch off

Our modern world makes it near impossible to switch off – full of distractions to keep our minds busy.

This impacts our time to reflect – important for growth, problem solving and clearing the mind.

I make a point to unplug myself, with a pen and pad to just write – it’s what works for me.

If you don’t know how to switch off.  The video below is quite a good introduction to doing simple one minute meditations

Goal: spend time everyday in total isolation, switch off your phone and all other electronic devices, focus on thinking your own thoughts or using the one-moment meditation approach.

Yourself is your wealth

Hopefully this post gave you inspiration on investing in the most important commodity in your life – you.

Efforts to understand yourself is beneficial and can make you a more effective person when you work on this self-awareness.

Good luck in your continued journey, feel free to comment below or contact me on averageperfect@outlook.com if you would like to discuss something more privately.

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