Boost Your Mental Health

• Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Include 3 things you were grateful for and 3 things you were able to accomplish each day.
• Start your day with a cup of coffee. Coffee consumption is linked to lower rates of depression. If you cannot drink coffee because of the caffeine, try another good-for-you drink like green tea.
• Set up a getaway. It could be camping with friends or a trip to the Galveston. The act of planning a vacation and having something to look forward to can boost your overall happiness for up to 8 weeks!
• Work your strengths. Do something you are good at to build self-confidence.
• Experiment with a new recipe, write a poem, or paint. Creative expression and overall well-being are linked. Show some love to someone in your life. Close, quality, relationships are key for a happy, healthy life.
• Sometimes, we don’t need to add new activities to get more pleasure. We just need to soak up the joy in the ones we’ve already got.
• Feeling anxious? Take a trip down memory lane.
• Take time to laugh. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.
• Go off the grid on the weekend. Leave your smartphone at home for a day and disconnect from constant emails, alerts, and other interruptions.
• Dance around while you do your housework.
• Relax in a warm bath once a week. Try adding Epsom salts to soothe aches and pains and help boost magnesium levels, which can be depleted by stress.
• Has something been bothering you? Let it all out…on paper. Writing about upsetting experiences can reduce symptoms of depression.
• Spend some time with a furry friend. Time with animals lowers the stress
• Try prepping your lunches or picking out your clothes for the workweek. You’ll save some time in the mornings and have a sense of control over the week ahead.
• Practice forgiveness – even if it’s just forgiving that person who cut you off during your commute. People who forgive have better mental health and report being more satisfied with their lives.
• Do something with friends and family – have a cookout, go to a park, or play a game. People are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days that they spend 6-7 hours with friends and family.
• Take 30 minutes to go for a walk in nature. Memorial Park has great trails.
• Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Hunton has the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is a resource to help with stress, depression, grief, etc. It is easy to access simply go to: www.unum.com/lifebalance or call 800-854-1446.