Things You Do that Ruin Your Mental Health

Lisa Franchi November 12, 2014

There are things we do every day that may actually be ruining our mental health. The worst thing is – we are unaware of them. This list contains some of the possible reasons why you’re always having a bad mood and what you can do to turn it around.

You take pictures of everything.

Visited a place for the first time? The first thing you probably want to do is to take pictures of everything you see, from the moment you go down from the airplane to your first meal, hotel reception, and your room. While your intention is to preserve the memories, research published in the Psychological Science suggests that snapping pictures may instead hamper how you remember those moments. Focus on your subjects when taking pictures. Or better yet, just enjoy the moments and keep your camera in your bag. It makes you mentally stronger and happier too!

You don’t exercise.

Working our three times per week can reduce your risk of depression by 19%, according to a study by the University College London. It involved 11,000 people born in 1958 up until the age of 50, whose depressive symptoms and levels of physical activity at regular intervals were recorded. Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the research suggests that people who were depressed were less likely to be active, while those who were active were less likely to be depressed.

You’re taking life too seriously.

Laughter is the best medicine. Several studies have shown that laughter can promote mental health, aid in anxiety and depression, and boost well-being. Try to seek out humour every day. Watch a funny film, play fun games with kids, hang out with your jolly friends, and surround yourself with cheery people.

You lack enough sleep.

Lack of sleep has a dramatic effect on your mental health. Not only does it make you feel grumpy, stressed and irritable the next day, sleep deprivation also exposes you to an array of mental health issues, from anxiety disorder to dementia.

You don’t let yourself be alone.

Finding time for yourself – just you alone – is critical for your mental health. Being alone allows you to connect with your body and to your inner self in a deeper level. Whether it’s just 10 minutes or an hour, try to find time to be alone. When you constantly juggle with your daily routines, stress, anxiety and depression start to creep in.

You don’t leave your mobile phone behind.

When you’re not sitting in front of your computer desk, do you hold your phone instead? When was the last time you were completely away from these devices? If you can’t remember it, you are in real danger. Computers and mobile phones tend to over-stimulate your brain. Don’t forget to have a digital detox from time to time to keep everything in balance.

You multitask.

Do you take your lunch in your desk? Do you have coffee while walking your way to the office? Do you browse Facebook while watching TV? Most of us are guilty of multitasking, and believe that it can actually help us do more in less time. But multitasking doesn’t make you efficient. It just leaves you feeling stressed out and detached from the present moment..

You procrastinate.

Are you avoiding doing a task because it makes you feel anxious or you think you might just fail? Procrastination can be detrimental to your mental health because it simply increases your stress levels and make you feel bad about not having accomplished anything in the end. When a task is making you feel overwhelmed, try to incorporate activities that can ease your mind, such as listening to music, or going for a short walk before your start working.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Therefore, you must take care of it and avoid doing things that can negatively affect it. By being aware of these certain behaviours, you can effectively guard your mind and well-being.