How to Cope With Mental Health Problems

It is thought around 54 million Americans suffer from some kind of mental health problem in any given year, according to statistics provided by the Mental Health America website. Mental health problems can affect anyone --- despite their sex, age or background. The usual treatments for mental health problems range from conventional medicines to alternative therapies. However, developing coping strategies is just as important for a person dealing with the day-to-day effects of a mental health problem.

Instructions

• 1

  Try to follow a regular healthy eating plan. Missing meals and eating the wrong kind of food will affect a person's mood. Foods containing refined sugars and starch, as well as a high intake of caffeine and alcohol, all affect a person's mood in a negative way, according to Dr. Susan Kleiner and colleagues for the American Dietetic Association. Fruits, vegetables and fish are part of a healthy diet and serve to boost a person's mood and fitness level.

• 2

  Make an effort to exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes every day if you can manage it. As well as lifting your mood, exercise will keep you physically fit and your mind occupied. If possible, exercise outside of your home --- either jogging or walking. Getting a small amount of sunlight each day is also said to make a person feel happier.

• 3

  Identify your stress triggers --- for example, a particular individual or overwork at the office --- and aim to either reduce or avoid them all together. You need to avoid anything that brings your mood down. If you are doing too much at work or feel overstretched with family commitments, do not worry about asking for support.

• 4

  Do something you enjoy on a regular basis. Taking up a new hobby or enrolling in a class are both ways to enjoy your free time, and it gives you a sense of achievement. This is a good opportunity to meet new people and socialize. You need to focus on the things you enjoy doing, rather than anything that will add further stress to your life.

• 5

  Establish a positive support network consisting of positive family and friends, recommended the Mental Health America website. Surrounding yourself with people who make you happy and who are supportive of the things you do is important. Talk to family and friends you trust and who understand your mental health problems when you are feeling particularly low. Avoid associating with people who are negative, who are not understanding of your mental health or who cause you extra stress.

• 6

  Stay realistic, understand your limits and do not push yourself beyond what you know you are capable of doing. It is not uncommon for people to set themselves either incredibly difficult or completely unattainable goals. This is setting yourself up for failure, and it will only add to feelings of inadequacy. By sticking to what you know you can achieve, you will increase your confidence as well as your positivity. Celebrate small successes, and if something goes wrong, put a positive spin on it.