How Young Adults Can Make Sure They Don't Forget About Their Mental Health

Mental health is responsible for a healthy outlook. When it feels like you have a handle on the way you approach life, you’re going to feel a lot stronger taking on the troubles of the day, no matter what occurs. A lot goes into taking care of your mental health, not least a robust routine, and what works for someone may not work for another. 

That being said, mental health seems to be more complex than ever. There seems to be a growing trend regarding the mental health of young adults right now, especially in a post pandemic world. 

This trend, highlighted in a recent study by Making Caring Common, shows us that more and more people between the ages of 18 and 25 are seeking help for mental health issues, and for a variety of reasons. 

While this may simply show that young adults are more willing to be honest about what they’re going through, and may be more open to seeking help than ever before, it also highlights that young adults are living with mental health concerns at a high rate.

As such, it’s important to remind ourselves about the need for safeguarding of mental health. Being self aware is one thing, but knowing where you can turn and how to approach help is another entirely. That’s something we’re going to explore right here. 

So, if you’re a young adult who may need a bit of that reminder right now, we’ve got a few key things about protecting your mental wellbeing as the years go on.

It’s clear the current generation of young adults are much more willing to be open and honest about what they’re going through. Trying to find a job, housing market woes, dating life and how difficult it is to not be ghosted on a dating app - modern life has a lot of trouble for those navigating this early stage of adulthood. 

In talking about it, we help each other feel less alone, which is the first step in achieving mental wellbeing. This will always be a good thing. It means people are more likely to get the support they need when they need it, whether this is professional or personal. 

So keep up the good work. Being honest about what you’re thinking and feeling, and what’s becoming a challenge for you when it comes to the mind, is one of the best ways to keep mental health accessible. 

All it takes is one conversation, and that could be the catalyst a person is looking for to make the change they desperately need.

Taking a mental health day is a key part of a mental healthcare plan. Taking time off of work when your mind doesn’t seem to want to function can make sure you come back tomorrow with renewed focus. 

However, asking for a mental health day can be controversial. A lot of employers won’t accept mental health reasons for needing time off while many others will, and this 50/50 effect can cause a lot more anxiety around taking care of your mental health. 

If you know you have access to mental health days, be sure to use them when you need them. If you don’t believe you have access to them, you can ask your employer to take one. Check out a guide like this if you’re not sure how to approach this kind of conversation.

It can feel a lot easier to spend time down the gym than it is to book a counselling session. The latter might even cost you an arm and a leg, whether or not attendance would be covered by your health insurance. 

Thankfully, physical health taps into mental health. When you can exercise the body, you give the mind a little workout of its own. After all, when you undergo a workout, your brain releases a lot of chemicals that can bust anxious and depressive feelings away. 

Without a bit of regular exercise, these chemicals can be in short supply. But you don’t necessarily need to work out everyday to the highest intensity you can manage. A bit of exercise here and there is good enough to kick the production of these chemicals into action.

No matter what kind of help you need, and no matter how many times you’ve been turned away or felt rejected, help is out there. It takes courage to approach it, especially when you’ve had a bad experience with reaching out in the past, but you’ll always be able to ask. 

Let’s make contacting a mental health facility a normal part of life. If you need support, even if you think you could need a serious level of it, that one decision can make all the difference. An action plan is always better than no plan at all; ‘winging it’ is not a healthy thing to do when it comes to your mind! 

Mental health, despite being dependent on your own mind and brain chemistry, is rarely managed by yourself alone. Support is crucial for long-term wellbeing.

Mental health is something we all approach in our own way, but no matter how we choose to do so, we can keep an eye on it. That makes accessing services easier, simply because we know we need a bit of support and we’re willing to go and find it. 

At the same time, the more you reach out and remain honest with those you’re close with, the less you’ll feel the stigma of needing help as an adult. We can’t be self-sufficient all the time! 

Use tips like these to change the way you handle your thoughts and feelings. The statistics can be shocking when we really look into them, but we can also make sure mental health never becomes an afterthought.