Management Styles That Help Mental Health

The current lifestyle we live day to day is evolving to disregard one's mental health. Whether one might be a working adult, a high school student, or a stay-at-home parent, it seems there's always something clouding our minds and holding us back, and if you don't take special care of yourself, no one else will. There's no point in changing how the whole world does things, so how do you adapt yourself to protect your mental health?

Find what works for you

There's a common misconception that not doing anything equals wasting time. Of course, there's a fine line between taking a breather and flat-out laziness. But non-stop work is genuinely damaging to a human being.

Steve Jobs, for example, used to take walks to think, solve problems and find inspiration. Taking a walk is considered taking a break and not slacking off; Steve Jobs used it to think up some of the most innovative creations. If taking a walk incites your creative side, then go and walk; if dancing helps you think, turn some music on and move.

The truth is: there is no right way to do anything. If a particular method works for you, enforce it and prioritize it. Unfortunately, work and school teach us quite the opposite of that. So it's only natural for someone to feel out of place or even useless if they can't produce results using the same method as everyone else.

It's of utmost importance to know yourself and what makes you most efficient. If you know what it is, shamelessly do it and protect it. If you don't know what it is, then look for it by trying different things that seem attractive.

Enjoy being outside

Of course, there's a spiritual and religious side to mental health and happiness. And although some people have found peace in such things, there's a whole scientific and logical way to go about it. First off, try to avoid the sedentarism and the caged environments we stay in. Staying seated inside all day long is a terrible thing for your overall health. It's not like taking a walk will pull you out of a depression, but if you're not going outside, you're not helping yourself either. Consider spending time outside part of your daily life.

The benefits of taking in 20 minutes of sun per day are immeasurable. It can reduce stress, promote better sleep, strengthen the immune system and put you in a good mood. Also, by going outside, although it might sound obvious, you'll breathe in oxygen. Most people believe the air inside is cleaner than the outside. But according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the level of indoor pollution is 2 to 5 times higher than the outdoors. If you stay inside all day, you're breathing in nothing but lousy air that slowly takes a toll on your health, mainly in your respiratory system and your mental status.

Lastly, there are the trees. Trees have a genuine psychological effect on humans. They reduce stress and hostility. Read the following findings of a project in Australia by Thomas Astell-Burt, Ph.D., and Xiaoqi Feng, Ph.D. "Our results suggest the type of green space does matter. Adults with 30 percent or more of their neighborhood covered in some form of tree canopy had 31 percent lower odds of developing psychological distress. The same amount of tree cover was linked to 33 percent lower odds of developing fair to poor general health." Taking breaks to go outside and breathe can completely change one's mood for the entire day.

Accept failure

Our vision of perfection and victory often gets in the way of happiness. The Buddhists believe the key to peace is acceptance. Avoiding and neglecting the negative only enhances the pain that comes with it. Instead of not wanting to be sad, one should be sad and accept it. Once we go through the human process that is sadness, we'll learn about ourselves and our lives and move on. This is applicable in almost all situations.

Being constantly busy and on the move, we don't have much time to go through the said process. All we see is our failure as we move on to the next task while still not fully understanding our feelings. Even though you are trying, you make mistakes, which eventually causes people to create a demeaning image. If this happens, then we grow shy and unambitious, scared of taking a chance. The best way to avoid this effect is to diminish the image of perfection in our minds.

If there are mistakes, take time to analyze the error and the root of it fully. That way, the chances of it happening again are far less than just demanding and rushing the mistake to be fixed. Also, the approach to it has to be indifferent. Through all ages, making mistakes publically is nothing less than humiliating. Normalize the recognition of errors so that you and your peers don't receive the mental damage of falling short.

Final thoughts

What's most important is to recognize your humanity. We are not machines; we are still animals. We aren't designed to work all day long inside, and how we take care of our bodies can affect us as a whole.

We are bound to make mistakes, so don't stress over them, and we have feelings, so don't feel pathetic when you feel them. Everyone is unique and different. Even though we've heard that cliched phrase all our lives, we still follow what the predetermined instructions tell us instead of finding our way. Don't feel like you're behind because you're moving at your own pace, and don't feel like an outcast because the system doesn't fit you. If the effort is there, then there will be growth.