During April, we have been discussing how to reclaim your mental health. Having a healthy mental state looks different for everyone, but food and our emotional well-being impacts everyone’s mental health. Topics discussed this month included eating disorders, mindless eating, over-commitment, and pursing true happiness.

Eating disorders. Often food becomes an emotional or social aspect in our lives rather than fuel for our bodies. Stress, work, relationships and other events in our life can cause us to eat food that we don’t normally crave. If you struggle with an eating disorder, be encouragement that you are in control and you don’t have to be alone.  Find a support team and reclaim your physical and mental health!

Mindless eating. Stress, fatigue and even depression can be a cause of mindless eating. A few helpful tips include serve meals at the stove, eat on smaller plates, serve yourself 20% less food than usual, use the MyPlate method and portion control.

Over-commitment. Most of us have experienced strain from over-commitment in life. By setting priorities you can become fully invested and enjoy what you have committed to rather than acquiring more stress.

Pursuit of happiness. Are you pursuing true happiness? It is not by random chance that you become happy; rather it is an action that takes effort. Benefits from true happiness include reduced anxiety and depression, improved cognitive function, and reduced age-related memory loss in the elderly. Focus on finding happiness in your typical daily routine.

 Take a moment and ponder your mental health. What areas can you improve upon? If you have taken control of your mental health and would be willing to share with us, we would love to hear from you.