Three Factors That Affect Your Mental Health And How To Improve It

There is more awareness and understanding of mental health now. Perhaps more than ever in history. This is a positive thing as your mental health is crucial to your well-being, as much as your physical health. Understanding the factors that affect your mental health can aid you in identifying them and improving them to foster optimal health and well-being.

In this article, we will explore three crucial factors that inform your mental health. By increasing your awareness and understanding of these factors, you can work toward better mental health and well-being.

3 Factors That Affect Your Mental Health

Chronic Stress and Life Pressures

Stress and life pressures are not considered to be mental health disorders in themselves. Yet, when they become prolonged and ongoing, they can contribute to physical and mental health problems. For instance, they can weaken your immune system, lead to fatigue, and give rise to anxiety, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder.

On the other hand, mental health conditions can add to stress and life pressures, so this becomes a vicious cycle that takes a toll on your mind and body. Some might even develop substance use disorders as a form of self-medication to numb this kind of pain and suffering.

Substance Use and Addiction

Very often, substance abuse and a mental health condition occur together. This is referred to as a co-occurring disorder. Now, it cannot definitively be said that one leads to the other, but experts have suggested the following three possibilities:

Mental health conditions and substance use have similar risk factors, which can increase the likelihood of both.

Mental health conditions can lead to substance use, specifically a tendency to self-medicate.

Substance use affects mental health, as it changes the brain’s structure, chemistry, and functioning.

Technology and Social Media

In this digital era, technology and social media have become powerful tools in shaping the world. They are designed in a way to give you a dopamine rush. Now, to elaborate a bit, dopamine is a feel-good chemical in your brain. Technology and social media can increase this chemical, inducing feelings of happiness and well-being. For instance, every time you view or read the content you like, see a like on a “pic” you post or purchase something online, you feel a dopamine rush.

On the flip side, social media can increase feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation as well. It creates an insulated world that is at your fingertips, the one you do not want to leave for reality. It also creates constant feelings of social comparison, where you evaluate yourself in comparison to others and feel worse for it. Over time, these factors can lead to mental health conditions.

How to Improve Your Mental Health

Stress Management

Stress management involves identifying the reasons for your stress and using coping mechanisms to handle them. Coping can be of two types: problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.

Problem-focused coping is when you actively mitigate the reason for your stress. For instance, if your job is a reason for your stress, then problem-focused coping will involve changing jobs. 

Emotion-focused coping is when you minimize the negative emotions your stress is leading to. This is quite useful when the reason itself cannot be mitigated. For instance, engaging in mindfulness or meditation is a way you can reduce negative emotions and relax.

Some other ways you can manage stress effectively in your life are:

• Engage in self-care.
• Eat healthy and stay hydrated.
• Physical exercise.
• Use relaxation techniques.

Limit Harmful Substances

Substance use can wreak havoc on your mental health. Therefore, you must seek to limit any harmful substances you consume. This can be alcohol, tobacco, prescription medication, and illicit drugs. However, when you begin to use these substances in a harmful manner, know that things can easily get out of control.

If you are struggling with controlling your substance use, there is a way you can get your life back on track. Residential or outpatient rehabilitation (rehab) offers intensive programs that are holistic and personalized to enable you to reclaim control of your life from these substances. There is hope for recovery and sobriety. However, you will have to take proactive steps toward creating a sober life and sober living environment for yourself.

Develop Healthy Technology Habits

It is close to impossible to keep away from technology and social media. Most of your life is on it. Yet, there is a way you can develop healthy technology habits:

• Set limits on technology and social media use. For instance, you can set limits on your phone for social media apps. You can also engage in a digital detox hour every day, where you stay away from any kind of digital devices and engage in healthy living practices instead.
• Designate specific hours for technology and social media use. Stringently stick to it. You can set a timer if it helps.
• If there are specific sites, pages, or persons that are making you feel bad about yourself, then you can block these sites and persons so that they will not show up every time you use your digital device or social media apps.

Mental Health Treatment

The power of mental health treatment can never be disregarded. It is a myth that mental health treatment is only for those who are struggling with severe mental health disorders. No. You can avail yourself of mental health treatment even if you are struggling in your day-to-day life with stress, life pressures, technology/social media use, and so on. Supportive counseling and therapy can do wonders for your life and positively contribute to your mental health.

If you are struggling with mental health conditions or substance use, know that many treatment options can be personalized just for you. For instance, a PHP mental health program or IOP mental health program are some intensive treatment options you can opt for in your healing and recovery.

Final Reflections

Prioritizing mental health in this busy world is crucial to yourself and your well-being. Take time out and evaluate how the different factors in your life are affecting your mental health. We have listed three factors that can affect your mental health, even if they almost feel like second skin to you. Take note, become aware, and proactively engage in healthy practices that will contribute to your mental health.