10 Ways to Improve your Mental Health for a Happy Life

Thoughts and lessons derived by many...

by Benjamin M. Babeaux

1. Food is medicine, and that nutritional fuel feeds the mind so eat as many natural unprocessed foods as possible. Just visually making a fresh salad, fruit, grilling salmon or green smoothie sends to the brain that I love myself.

2. Exercise rigorously to remove anxiety and stress from your life. Happy thought making endorphins will flow. Then, soothe those muscles and gain relaxation from a regular detoxifying massage.

3. Sobriety will improve your life in unimaginable ways. It is nearly impossible to cure depression by drinking alcohol which is a depressant. This goes for all recreational and mind altering drugs. If on medication, follow the doctor’s instructions as prescribed!

4. Work in a profession that fascinates you and find purpose in, the money will either come or living frugally will become acceptable because of the enjoying fulfillment the work brings. Humans need work to be happy. When work isn’t enjoyable on average, time to start a new career!

5. Service to others is the only source of true happiness, whether in your work, for family or volunteering in area where your talents shine. Write out how you want your obituary to read by detailing all your service to others. This exercise will help shine light on what really matters. (See list below on service opportunities.)

6. God. Just accepting the fact that it is impossible to prove or disprove scientifically the existence of God will bring you more peace. Pray for more faith and you will be filled with faith. Remember God is Love, whose identity and form will only really be known in the afterlife. If an afterlife is dependent on faith in God, what’s the risk in having a little faith? If being open to God at this point in your life isn’t feasible, then channel your purpose for existence on making even a tiny contribution to propelling humanity forward and protecting our planet’s incredible environment.

7. Positive Thoughts & Smart Finances: Train your mind to see the positive. Our thoughts control the physiological chemicals our body produces. Smile when a negative thought comes about. Force yourself to smile often. Tell yourself, “I really like myself. I am the only one in existence,” “Today, this time in history, is great time to be alive.” Often the things we worry most about never happen. Most worry is about money. Living below the means provides enormous peace and eventually leads to true prosperity plus freedom of time.

8. Socialize: Have a roommate, even if shy or friends are on their own path, there are limitless amounts of enjoyable people that would be thrilled to share an apartment with you. Humans are social creatures. Moving in with relatives is almost always an option, they love you and always will, so treasure your family. Only live with those that are optimistic, have an upbeat attitude on life and are on an upward path. Give what you want from your relationships.

9. Pet: Rescue from the shelter a furry friend and every time you see your companion remind yourself you saved its life. If allergic, get a hypo-designer breed, everyone deserves a pet. Dogs especially, provide limitless love and affection, there is a reason they are called a best friend.

10. Therapy & Medical Help: Unpack and work through those thoughts and deep feelings with the help of a trained professional. Find a therapist that naturally provides a warm ear and aids in gentle discovery. Have blood work done regularly to make sure heavy metals such as mercury, environmental toxins, diseases, nutrient & vitamin deficiencies, etc. which can cause depression aren’t present.

If after all these 10 steps have been sincerely tried and you are thinking of ending your life, consider the following:

• You owe it to your loved ones and closest friends to have a sincere heart-to-heart that the feelings and thoughts are real and action imminent. An outpouring of help and love is guaranteed. Remember that if you have been under the influence of any drug or medication in the past month or even longer, those thoughts really aren’t hundred percent yours, they are side effects and professionals can really help. Remember too your ancestors likely had the same thoughts you are having, and they persevered, never gave up, so you are alive today.

• Radically change your life, environment and force yourself into service for others. Physically move to be a part of the many humanitarian or environmental organizations that are focused on service to others. Nearly all have a way to cover transportation and can arrange for a bed and will feed you.

• Find a dangerous job or activity, something where there is some external risk and you aren’t in total control, it may just change the mind to want to live again. Such jobs could include humanitarian or religious mission work in a country where the State Dept. has issued Level 3 or 4 advisory warning (people of all nations deserve help), United Nations Military Observer (unarmed), commercial fishing, roofing, tree removal climber, skyscraper work, underwater ocean technicians, etc.

Humanitarian Service Organizations:

Peace Corp., Amnesty International, Action Against Hunger (AAH), CARE, Caritas Internationalis, jdc.org, Catholic Relief Services (CRS - USCC), Doctors Without Borders, WorldJewishRelief.org, Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN), IRUSA.org Food For The Hungry International (FHI), Hunger Plus, Inc., Interaction, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Lutheran World Federation, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Mercy Corps (MC), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Oxfam, Refugees International, Relief International, Save the Children, The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), US Committee for Refugees (USCR), World Vision International, etc.

Environmental Service Organizations:

The Conservation Fund, WWF, 350.org, Greenpeace, Earth Island Institute, Rainforest Action Network, Friends of the Earth, Global Footprint Network, Earth Day Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Alliance, Earthjustice, The Climate Reality Project, Restore The Earth, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Fairtrade International, Earthworks, Environmental Defense Fund, Conservation International, The Carbon Underground, Green Cross International, etc.