Studies show that 1 in 4 people deal with some type of mental illness. That statistic also includes children. According to research, mental illness has been growing drastically over the period of 20 years and, in correspondence, so has fast food restaurants, GMO foods, and the lack of cooking meals from scratch.

There is a direct link to diet being a cause of mental health, but overall health is the main reason behind it all.

If we look at today’s world, most person’s daily life consists of this:

Average ADULT: wakes up, getting coffee or an energy drink first thing to start the day, grabbing something packaged or going through a drive-thru for food (if at all eating), heading to work, eating at a fast food for lunch or from the work cafeteria, drinking coffee or an energy drink to get through the day, getting off work and picking something up for dinner, get home and sit on the couch, turn on the TV while surfing through social media on their phone until it’s late and past time for sleep.

Average TEEN: wakes up, eats cereal for breakfast, gets a big soda from the gas station on the way to school, eats school lunch, after school goes to the gas station with friends and gets another big soda, goes home and maybe does homework, sits on their phone the rest of the night and since their parents work full time they make themselves a bowl of cereal for food or warms something up in the microwave thats been pre-packaged, is on their phone the rest of the night till bedtime, and then continues on the phone till they pass out.

Average CHILD: wakes up, cereal for breakfast, goes to school, eat school lunch or a packed lunch with mostly packaged snacks and either a sandwich or lunchable, gets home and does homework, then plays on electronics and watches youtube videos, dinner is something usually microwavable, back to electronics, then bedtime.

Average BABY: eats and does whatever their average adult mom eats and does.

Now I know this doesn’t include everyone. But I collected data from many different random people and this is what most people said. So looking at this routine, what do you notice? Is there any sign of time given to yourself? Days are thought out to be something we have to get through and we have to do it fast, then once we get home thats when we think it’s time to shut off the brain and be entertained by something else. No freakin’ wonder there are so many people who suffer from depression or anxiety, or other mental illnesses… we don’t give our bodies the things it needs.

So here are 5 things you can do to self-improve yourself and stay away from or help cure mental illness:

1. Diet. Diet is EVERYTHING!!! If you don’t give your body the proper nutrients it needs to survive, how is it going to survive? You can’t expect a car to work with vegetable oil in the tank. You have to give it the proper fuel. Same with our bodies! We too often eat to temporary satisfy rather than to fuel ourselves for our day. Without the nutrition needed for our body, it’s forced to store foods that don’t have anything of value which causes weight gain, and blockage for future actual nutrients. Thus, the health problems come and if our physical body cant function, our mental “body” can’t either. So take action. Make a plan of healthy foods that will help rather than hurt your physical and mental state.
2. Exercise. If you keep a vehicle outside for a long period of time without using it, it depreciates in every aspect. Our bodies are the same. If we don’t put it to physical work, our bodies will begin to shut down. Exercising has been proven to work as effectively as antidepressant medication – along with losing weight, it relieves stress, improves your memory, boosts your mood, and gives you a better nights rest.  When exercising, your body releases endorphins that are chemicals in your brain that are for energizing your spirits and uplifts you. Get outside for a run, go to the gym, or do some workouts in your own living room!
3. Sleep. You have to make sure you’re getting the rest you need, otherwise how will you survive throughout the day? And you need a routine. Your body needs 8 hours of sleep. Not less, not more. Oversleeping causes problems just as much as under-sleeping. Make sure when going to bed you have your phone put away and TV turned off 30 minutes prior – this helps the quality of your sleep drastically. When you wake up, the screen shouldn’t be the first thing you see either. Get up and stretch, go to the bathroom and get some movement in first. Believe it or not, this is going to make a huge difference! Better sleep you get, better the day will be!
4. Me-Time. Me-time is SOOOOO important and most people don’t think of this as something they need to do or change, and if they do think to do it, 90% of the time it’s just a thought and never put into action. Well now’s the time to change. Do you have a hobby? And no, being on your phone does not count. If you don’t have one, you need to get one. Whether its going for a run, playing with your pet, singing, playing an instrument, dancing, sewing, doing crafts or art, it can be anything that gets you to do something other than sitting around or running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I’m serious! Its so vital we have a “me thing” that doesn’t consist of something everyone else is currently doing. Find something. It makes the world of a difference!
5. Aromatherapy. Out of all the 5 senses, smell is the #1 for transforming mood. We can smell a scent in the store and immediately be taken back to a childhood memory… all because of one smell. It can alter the way we think 100%. Essential oils are one amazing tool in helping with mental health and can balance, brighten, and change your mood in just the aroma itself. Essential oils have been proven to cause emotional responses that will help let go of burdens, motivate, give comfort and encouragement, and inspire. No wonder these plants were created by God. They’re for our benefit in health and so powerful in clearing our minds.

All in all, this will help you most. You have to give yourself time to be healthy physically in order to be healthy mentally. Click Here if you want more of an outline to follow to help achieve your mental health!