Your mental health describes the way you behave, think, and feel and good mental health is important to living a happy life. Sometimes there is an event that triggers poor mental health, or it can happen randomly. It is important to understand what signs to look out for if your mental health is declining, or perhaps a friend or family member is acting differently so that you can take appropriate action.
Poor mental health will look different on everyone. Here are some signs to look out for. If you feel you are experiencing any of the following signs, and feel you are struggling with your mental health, then you must seek professional help from your doctor and find treatment to help with what you are dealing with.
Your sleeping pattern has changed
A decline in mental health often comes with anxiety, increased worrying, and overthinking which can become very disruptive when it comes to sleep. It could be that you are having trouble falling asleep, find yourself waking up in the night, or sleeping a lot more than usual. This could also mean that your body is tired, stressed, and burnt out.
Low energy
Struggling with your mental health is more often than not, physically draining and consuming. This means that it also affects your body, as well as your mind. If your mental health is declining, you may find it more difficult to pay attention, hold conversations, get out of bed, conduct usual daily tasks, or feel the need to rely on substances to help you get through the day.
Change in appetite
In some cases, poor mental health will impact your dietary habits. This can be different for everyone, for example, some people may eat more, especially when they are feeling low or emotional, or partake in binge eating to help with a temporary feeling of relief. On the other hand, some individuals may lose their appetite and not feel like eating or struggle to consume anything.
Cannot find joy in anything
Life is full of ups and downs, and everyone experiences bad days now and then, that’s normal. But if you find that you are experiencing lower moods than normal, or perhaps are not able to find joy in the things that you used to, then you may be struggling with your mental health. For example, if you used to like hanging out with your friends to watch movies, but cannot find it in yourself to reach out and hang out, then there could be something wrong.
Everyone is different and will respond to a decline in mental health in a different way with different symptoms. If you feel you are experiencing a decline in mental health, or are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it could be a sign that something in your life needs to change. There are many ways that you can support yourself when you are struggling, for example, seeking support, eating a better diet, exercising, talking to someone to trust, and getting good quality sleep.
