Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month and many of my posts are about Mental Health Awareness, my thirteen today are thirteen ways to maintain good mental health.

1. Get enough rest. To have good mental and emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally.
2. Try to avoid unhealthy mental habits. Repetitive negative mental habits, such as worry and negative thoughts about yourself or the world suck up your time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear and depression.  Replace those repetitive negative mental habits with positive ones.
3. Manage your stress levels. Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so its important to keep it under control.  There is no way to eliminate everything that causes us stress, however, stress management techniques can help bring things more into balance.
4. Connect with others. We all need to feel valued, supported and connected.  If you feel that your current connections are not enough, you can do a few things to form new ones.  Enroll in a class that intrigues you.  Join a group, like a book club, hiking club, or something else that you find interesting.  Volunteer, working together builds bonds and helping others has its own rewards.  Reach out.  Let people in your life know you need extra time with them.
5. Get physically active. Dust off your tennis shoes and get your butt moving.  Not only is it good for you body, it is good for your mental health.  It decreases stress, anger and tension.  It reduces anxiety and depression.  It boosts your sense of well being.
6. Create Joy and Satisfaction. It is time to add a little something to your to do list.  Pencil in a little pleasure.  You probably deserve some joy and pleasure anyway, but there are some serious benefits to pleasure.  Good feelings can help you bounce back from stress, solve problems, improve your thinking, and even boost your immune system.
7. Eat well. Mom was right, you have to eat well to function well.  Good food can boost your energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases, and provide fuel for your brain.  It can also counteract the impact of stress on your body, and affect mood-related chemicals in your body.
8. Take care of your spirit. Spirituality can provide a reassuring belief in a greater force or being, a sense of purpose and meaning, and helps you focus on your own wisdom, and a way to understand suffering.
9. Deal better with hard times. At some point in our lives, most of us will face times that are extra stressful or that even shake us to our core. At those times, having strong coping strategies can make a huge difference.  People who spend time writing about a difficult event have better health and less depression.  It is also interesting to note, writers doing this often had their grades improves and found writing jobs more quickly.  People facing stress often feel better after problem solving. People who focus on the positive in their lives are less upset by difficult memories.
10. Help Others. If you lug your elderly neighbor’s groceries up her steps, clearly it’s good for her. But did you know that it’s likely good for you too? Research indicates that those who consistently help other people experience less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health. They may even live longer.
11. Keep things in perspective. Avoid blowing things out of proportion.
12. Prioritize. Set realistic goals.  Take small steps to accomplish each task, one at a time.
13. Get professional help if you need it. If the problems in your life are stopping you from functioning well or feeling good, professional help can make a big difference. And if you’re having trouble, know that you are not alone: One in four adults in this country have a mental health problem in any given year.

If you or someone you know is feeling especially bad or suicidal, get help right away. You can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center or dial 911 for immediate assistance.