Summer can be a great time to focus on boosting your mental health. Warmer weather, longer days, and brighter skies naturally inspire and invigorate us, so why not use the benefits of summer to supercharge a healthy lifestyle?
Our mental and emotional wellbeing are intrinsically linked to our physical condition, routines, and daily habits. In the colder months, many people find they fall into unhealthy habits such as poor diet and reduced physical activity. The summer calls us to spend more time outside soaking up that vitamin D, being more socially active, and spending more time doing the things we enjoy.
Perhaps you’ve been struggling with your mental health, or you’re just looking for a springboard of ideas to help you improve your wellbeing this season. Whatever led you here, read on to discover five ways to boost your mental health as part of a healthy lifestyle this summer.
Take a restorative mental health day
If you’re feeling dissatisfied with your mental health and other aspects of your life, it’s a great idea to book a day in which you focus on yourself. This day shouldn’t be taken on a whim. Be sure to plan exactly what you want to accomplish in that time so that you don’t waste it by becoming distracted and cleaning the house or running errands instead.
Whether you need to enjoy a long soak in the bath and pamper yourself, or spend some time journaling your thoughts and goals, tailor your restorative mental health day to your needs. If you have specific goals such as to lose weight, improve your diet, or increase how much exercise you do, make a few achievable goals to focus on.
Practicing mindfulness can help us to look inward and discover what we need to do in order to repair our mental health. The truth is, you already know what you need, you just need to make the conscious decision to strive for it.
Start moving
Some truly amazing things start to happen to us on a biochemical level when we are active. Once we overcome procrastination and that little voice in our head begging us to stay comfortably on the sofa with a bag of crisps, we can begin to achieve our goals.
Physical activity looks different for everyone, and the exercise you choose to focus on this summer will be determined by your individual goals. So why not have some fun? Try yoga, running, martial arts, rock-climbing, weightlifting, swimming—anything that gets you to move more. Finding an exercise that you can fall in love with will help you to keep active on days where your motivation is lacking.
Regular exercise, even as basic as walking, boosts serotonin levels within your body and positively impacts mental health. In fact, exercise is 1.5x more effective than medicines or therapy for improving mental health.
Fine tune your diet
One of the most effective ways to start boosting your mental health as part of a healthy lifestyle is to fine tune your diet. Consuming too much sugary, processed foods wreaks havoc on our energy levels and makes us feel lethargic, bloated, and mentally clouded.
To start having more clarity and to feel better physically and mentally, start by eating more fresh fruit and vegetables each day. Look for ways to incorporate more whole grains into your diet by making simple swaps to your usual recipes to boost your fibre and protein intake.
Protein is an important part of our diet that many people misunderstand. The body uses protein as building blocks both to repair our muscles and to produce enzymes and hormones. Especially for those who eat a plant-based diet, our protein consumption can often fall short of the recommended daily requirements. But there are many plant-based protein sources such as beans and legumes, tofu, tempeh, chickpeas and quinoa that make delicious alternatives to meat and fish.
Spend time with your loved ones
When we feel down and are struggling with our mental health, we can often begin to isolate ourselves. Feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem and low energy can make us want to hide away from family and friends. But by pushing ourselves to attend those social engagements and spend time with the people who care about us the most, we can massively improve our state of mind and wellbeing.
You may have heard the saying, “laughter is the best medicine,” and it’s true. With warm sunny days ahead, make plans to go and see your loved ones and spend some quality time enjoying their company. Whether you choose to sit in the garden and share some delicious and nutrient-rich summer salads with your friends or to take the dog for a walk in the sun with someone you haven’t seen for a while, you’re sure to feel a tangible boost to your mental health.
Declutter your home
A great way to boost your mental health and wellbeing is to make your home a place where you can relax and rejuvenate. Clutter can sneak up on us and build up around us silently until suddenly we feel overwhelmed and stressed at home. A good spring (or summer) clean out can make a world of difference to both your happiness and your energy levels. If you share your home with family members, make it a fun weekend task that everyone can help with and enjoy. Press play on your favorite music and set out three areas: things to keep, things to bin, and things to donate.
Start by focusing on one small area at a time, as it can feel overwhelming and impossible if we try to reorganize the entire house, garden, and garage in one hit. Spend a little time contemplating each item you own and consider if it serves a purpose for your family and if it brings you joy.
Holding a garage sale or taking a boot full of stuff you no longer need to a charity shop or car-boot sale is a good way to sustainably make more room in your home. After all, the less stuff you own, the easier it is to stay organized and keep your home a clean and welcoming place.
Be kind to yourself
Much like in the New Year, the start of summer can spur an anxiety to suddenly fix every element of our lives. Be kind to yourself when making changes to your lifestyle, and focus on small, achievable goals that are sustainable. To effectively boost your mental health, you’ll need to take your goals day at a time and focus on building habits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle one at a time, to avoid becoming overwhelmed and falling back to square one.
About the Author
Evelyn Reynolds has struggled with and overcome mental health challenges herself. Evelyn recognizes the importance of prioritizing self-care and a healthy lifestyle. By compassionately sharing tips for living purposefully and in a more healthy way, she hopes to encourage others to improve their wellbeing.