Small Steps to Improved Mental Health Published June 5, 2013 By Corina Notyce DCoE Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. -- In May, we encouraged you to take charge of your mental health and reflect on whether yours could be improved. It's easy to forget how important our mental health is to our overall health and well-being, and how with very little effort we can maintain it. Everyone faces stresses and demands. Life can take a toll on our mind and body, but if we commit a little time each day to improving our mental health, we will do for our mind what regular physical exercise does for our bodies -- makes us stronger and more fit. The Real Warriors Campaign article, "Psychological Fitness -- Keeping Your Mind Fit," does a good job of summing up the importance of having a fit mind, not just a fit body. Psychological fitness involves building your mental, emotional and behavioral abilities in order to effectively cope with the unique and changing challenges of military service. In other words, developing a healthier mental state can carry you through tough times. It can also help you be a source of strength for others. By focusing on the following five areas, you can strengthen your psychological fitness: ■Awareness of self and environment ■Beliefs and attitudes ■Ability to cope with stress ■Decision-making skills ■Social engagement and interaction with others ■Beliefs and attitudes With these five areas in mind, there are many ways that you can achieve psychological fitness and help manage stress in your life. The following tips can get you started -- find ways to incorporate them in your life that work best for you: ■Exercise often. We hear it over and over again, and with summer almost here, it's a good time to commit to being more active. That doesn't mean you have to join a gym or run a race. You can simply decide to move around more, take a walk before, after or during the work day, spend time in the garden, rent a bicycle if you don't have one, take a dance or yoga class, and get out on the weekends to enjoy a walk in a park or hike a trail. Research shows there are psychological health benefits from exercise, such as better sleep, increased energy, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. ■Talk about what's bothering you. Avoid letting concerns silently build up inside. Talk to a trained health care professional, commanding officer, trusted buddy or chaplain. Also, consider these resources for psychological health care and support. ■Be social. Look for activities that interest you. Seek out people or groups that share your experiences, and make an effort to connect with them. This will help you build and maintain healthy connections with others so that you can reap the benefits of social support. ■Stay positive. It's a choice. Choose to have a more positive outlook on things. While stressful situations may be unavoidable, staying in control of your thoughts can help you remain resilient in difficult times. ■Be realistic. Set realistic expectations for goals you're trying to attain to avoid setting yourself up for failure. Celebrate small accomplishments and reevaluate your goals when necessary. ■Use coping strategies for stress. Work on balancing family and work responsibilities to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Learn healthy ways to actively manage stress -- exercise, journal or meditate. Explore mobile apps that can help you relax. Earlier this month we asked you through Facebook to share your ideas on how you keep stress in check. Interestingly, many of you are doing things that these tips suggest: yoga and other forms of exercise, spending time with family and friends, prayer and meditation, helping others, practicing your military skills, and participating in activities that you enjoy like working on cars or caring for animals. Improving or maintaining your mental health can be easy. Small actions and positive choices can add up to significant gains in overall strength and improved readiness to confront common challenges in military and civilian life. The important thing is to do something ... use these tips to manage your way to better mental health. This blog originally appeared on dcoe.health.mil.