How Does Self-Worth Affect your Mental Health and What Can You Do About It?
Questions about your self-worth are always there throughout life. Youngsters find it harder to answer these questions while trying to figure out their lives. Doubts about their value trouble them, impacting their motivation and mentality.
More often than not, their opinion of themselves is affected by the expectations and approval of others. According to psychologist Carl Rogers, when people start seeing the gap between who they are and whom they want to be, their self-esteem drops. They start feeling like failures and are at more risk of getting mental illnesses. However, it is possible to reduce this. Here’s what can potentially help:
- Step out
Contact with nature can be incredibly therapeutic. Since the beginning of time, nature has been believed to have healing properties. Nature can make us feel like we are a part of something greater than ourselves. Including nature into your lives can help better your mood, memory and concentration.
- You need relationships to survive
This age-old philosophy is somewhat true. Healthy relationships can make you happier and more resilient. It is essential to build strong connections with others because the trust and support that comes with them can be therapeutic. But be careful of toxic relationships! They can leave you worse off.
- Do what makes you happy!
Taking part in activities you enjoy can uplift your mood and help you de-stress. It can help you take a breath and break away from your routine. Taking care of yourself in these ways makes you more mentally and emotionally stable.
- You’re only one workout away from a good mood!
Exercise can provide tons of benefits for your mental health like improving self-esteem and mental performance. It can act as an outlet to relieve stress and focus your energy away from depressive thoughts.
3 simple ways you can incorporate excising while studying
When sitting and studying for long periods of time, it is important for us to take frequent breaks to properly relax.
Research conducted by the University of British Columbia suggests that exercise, is the perfect form of relaxation, especially when studying, as it helps improve your memory. Not only will exercise keep you healthy and physically fit, but it will help keep you in tip-top shape mentally as well.
As students, we know that it can be difficult and sometimes impossible to set aside time to exercise. This is why we have compiled a few ways you can sneak in some exercise into your daily routine without having to make a trip to the gym.
- Chair squats
Studying requires a lot of sitting, and while it is important to get up and walk around, especially when sitting for long periods of time, it can easily distract you and invite procrastination. This exercise helps you to stretch properly without causing any distractions. All you have to do is stand up from your chair and squat halfway – hovering over your chair. Hold this for ten seconds and then repeat about twenty times.
- Abdominal Lifts
Sneak in some upper- body workouts when reading through long paragraphs, but keep in mind that this only works if your chair is not a swivel chair and if it has handles. Crisscross your legs on the seat and lift yourself up using your arms for support. Hold for ten seconds and then gently lower yourself back into the seat. Repeat fifteen times.
- Trapezius Squeeze
For those of us who sit hunched over our textbooks and computers, try working out your posture and exercise your back safely. Start by sitting upright with your arms spread out to either side. Bend your arms at a 90 degree angle, and ensure your fingers are pointing forward. Pull your elbows back and pinch your shoulder blades together. Hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat ten to twenty times.
Remember, just because you’re a busy college student, does not mean your physical and mental health should suffer! Incorporate these exercises, continually stay hydrated and keep a well-balanced diet (eat those fries but maybe sneak in some fresh broccoli as well!). Most importantly, take some time out of your busy schedule to set aside for yourself to solely focus on your mental health. These small changes will help keep you keep fit both physically and mentally and will leave you feeling energised enough to read that forty-page chapter.
