I have just finished reading an article that reports that nearly half of all adults will at some stage be affected by a mental illness. And 1 in 4 adults, and 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable mental illness – with the top three being depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

So what can we do about this increasing global issue?

Well – it starts with you.

Being mentally healthy, just like being physically fit takes action.

So here are my top ten very doable tips.

1. Grow and learn.  Learning improves mental fitness, and keeps our beautiful minds expanding, light and interested.
2. Participate and share. Join a class, club or group who share an interest to increase your sense of belonging and connection. Perhaps a night class, sports club, theatre group, dance class.
3. Contribute.  Volunteering your time and energy for a cause or issue you care about or helping out a friend or colleague helps you to feel good about yourself. We all have a need to give and gee it makes this world a much nicer place.
4. Connect. Develop and nurture strong relationships with like-minded people around you who champion you and enrich your life. The quality of our personal relationships has a great effect on our wellbeing, remember we are relational beings so be sure time and energy into building strong relationships.
5. Take care of YOU. Be active and eat well. The mind and body are one system and they have a direct impact on each other. Nurture your body and you will automatically be nurturing your mental health too.
6. Stress Less. Take action to keep your cortisol and adrenalin low. Take a walk in nature, hug a tree, mediate, listen to soothing music, enjoy some yoga.
7. Be mindful. Make time to notice each of your senses every day and be in the moment. Breathe and notice you your breath – what does it sound feel, sound, taste like? Make a conscious choice to be aware of your inner and outer world is important for your mental health.
8. Rest and rejuvenate. Get plenty of sleep and make a habit of going to bed at a regular time as often as possible.  Sleep restores and refreshes your mind and body so does allowing yourself to have daydream time and to have ‘DO NOTHING’ on your to do list.
9. Ask for help. When you need help ask for it. We all have ups and downs and remember asking for help is valuing YOU.

ART Your Life runs programs to help women love themselves, their bodies and their lives from the inside out. Over 500 hundred women have participated in our programs, many of whom have experienced poor body image and eating disorders. If you’d like to know more about our programs in Darwin or online contact us at sparkle@artyourlife.com.au or phone 0411 383 761.