Mental health is a complicated, confusing and different journey for everyone. Coping mechanisms differ from person to person, but general tips to improve your general mental health can prove useful. The best advice to give anyone dealing with the negative aspects of mental health is to consider seeking professional help through medical experts. Self-diagnosing and ‘being your own doctor’ are sure ways to worsen your mental health.

For a lot of people, improving your mental health starts with improving physical health. Some people like to volunteer their time and give back to the community for a sense of personal value. Others will pick up a healthier lifestyle all together and work toward a vegan or waste-free lifestyle. Below are five examples of general ways in which you can boost your mental health:

1: Gratitude/mindfulness

A simple concept that gets pushed to the back of most folks’ minds these days. There are many ways to express gratitude in different ways every day. Here are some examples: write down things that you were grateful for each day in a journal, thank those around you for the little things they do each day that make you happy, or simply thank yourself for doing the best you can.

2: Exercise

Exercise will not cure your depression, but it will make you feel good about yourself. Exercise is a great way to improve not only your mental state but it will also improve your sleep, memory and will boost your overall mood. The gym is obviously a great way to get active, but small steps into a more active life will help as well. Go for a walk, ride a bike, go skateboarding, go swimming or try out a new sport; you can’t go wrong here.

3: Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes/vaping e-juice

Although long thought to improve mental health or even help those coping with mental illness, cigarettes have been proven to affect mental health negatively. Smoking cigarettes/vaping e-juice will ultimately end in addiction and unhappiness. Nicotine starts as a coping mechanism for some, but will always end in turmoil. Alcohol is quite literally a depressant and should be consumed with caution. Avoid addictive substances, as they will deteriorate your mental health and provide false happiness.

4: Sleep

Sleeping and your mental health are related very closely. If you do not get the amount of sleep you need, your performance will be affected negatively. Adequate sleep levels allow for adequate mental ability. Finding the right sleep pattern for you is a great way to begin improving your mental health.

5: Talk

Talking can be the best anti-depressant you ever take. Talking covers myriad ways in which you may improve your mental health; may it be facilitating strong friendships through speech, a quick-connection at a coffee shop or conversing with loved ones. Talking can also lead to seeking out professional help, where getting things off your chest will be one of the main and most effective forms of healing.