Your mental health is something you need to take seriously. Yet, there are various factors out there that can be a detriment to it. This guide will go over the ten different things that may destroy your mental health and energy.

We will discuss the ways you can overcome each one. It can be a challenge at first. Yet, you’ll want to understand why these things are harmful to one’s mental health so you can be able to take the necessary steps to rise above them.

If you need any additional information regarding your mental health, Absolute Awakenings will be able to help. Let’s take a look now at the 10 things that may be destroying your mental health and how you can conquer them.

Not sleeping enough

Needless to say, a good night’s rest is great for the mind. If you aren’t sleeping enough, it can be due to several factors. Something may be keeping you up at night and you won’t be able to get any shuteye.

It may be something concerning and weighing on your mind. You’ll find yourself finally going to sleep later in the night only to wake up a few hours later and have to get ready for the day. You’ll want to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

It’s important to worry less about things that may be stressing you out. Perform mindfulness exercises each day to calm your mind. Wait until the next day to find out a solution to what may be bothering you to the point where you’re losing sleep.

Hanging around negative people

It’s been said that you are the sum of the five people you’re closely associated with. As such, you may be surrounded by negative people. This can also get you in the mindset of thinking negatively.

If they are friends of yours, you may want to hang out with them less. You may need to cut them out completely if things get too dreary. With family, it’s even more difficult.

You may need to distance yourself from them. You can cut them out, but extreme situations may be required such as abuse. You can surround yourself with more positive people that will inspire you to improve yourself and adopt a mindset of ‘I can’ rather than ‘I can’t.

You’re in a toxic relationship

Tying it to the previous point, you may be in a toxic relationship. The person you are with is negative and you might be on the receiving end of something bad. You may also be facing mistreatment and abuse.

Note: If you are a victim of what might be domestic violence or abuse, seek help immediately. This may include getting law enforcement involved. If you live in the United States, call 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

The best thing you can do is consider getting out of that relationship as soon as possible. Not only is your mental health in danger, but your overall safety might also be as well. It may be to the point where there is no point in repairing it.

Comparing yourself to other people

It might seem like a normal thing. To worry about who may be better or worse than you. The issue here is comparing yourself to other people does more harm than good.

You may find someone who you think may be better looking than you. Or maybe living a life that might be better than yours. You might feel resentful or negative towards that person because you feel that you have something you don’t.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t worry about whether you are enough or not. You are your own unique person and you shouldn’t worry about who may be better than you or not.

Stop this destructive behavior and you’ll feel more confident than ever. You may care less about what others may say about you (even if it’s themselves that are doing the comparisons).

You’re not managing your stress well

Stress can happen at times. Yes, it’s not completely unavoidable. The best thing you can do at this point is to manage it to your advantage.

Stress can happen at work or even at home. No matter where you are, something may trigger it. The important thing to do is practice regular mindfulness. Give yourself a bit of space and time to relax, breathe, and build awareness that you may be in a stressful environment.

Keep focused on the tasks at hand (if applicable). Don’t think about the things that may be stressing you out. Take a break if you need to.

Stress that goes unmanaged will deteriorate your mental health. Don’t allow this to happen.

Self-isolation

If you are an introvert that can handle a small number of people, that’s one thing. However, isolating yourself from any kind of social interaction will do more harm than good. It’s important that you communicate regularly with people, even if it’s your family or friends.

Make sure to keep those relationships as healthy as possible. It’s also OK to be selective with who you socialize. There are people that won’t be as positive as others (even if it’s all the time).

Not exercising regularly

While you don’t have to be religious about it, not exercising at all might be a boon for your mental health. You can take a walk every day and it can be the perfect mood booster for you. Otherwise, if you want to live an active lifestyle, invest at least 150 minutes per week in exercise.

You can exercise at the gym, at home, or outdoors. No matter where you are, there are plenty of opportunities.

Overconsumption of social media

Social media can get to be a bit much. Especially when people are ‘liking’ or commenting on posts. Most of the social media materials may even be revolving around beauty standards and the like.

You may want to not use social media as a tool for seeking validation. Instead, use it to contact your friends or family (if and where applicable). Be careful with who you follow as well since they may set a negative example.

Perfectionism

Here’s the thing about perfectionism: it’s a waste of time. Nothing will ever be perfect no matter how many attempts you make. Some say perfect is ‘good enough’ and anything less won’t be.

It’s important to stop worrying about failure or things being right the first time. As the old saying goes, at first if you don’t succeed, try try again’.

Not taking the right action

By this, we mean taking specific actions to get rid of the habits that are destroying your mental health. Don’t be too hard on yourself when things aren’t going your own way. Don’t sacrifice your mental health for the sake of other things.

Taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do. Make an assessment of the things you might be doing that can harm your mental health. From there, come up with healthy solutions that will help you improve over time.