10 ways to improve mental health and prevent suicide

You may be feeling hopeless about the future or powerless, like nothing you do or say can change things. You may be blaming yourself for things that have happened in your life, and you might think it would be easier for others if you weren't here.

No matter how much pain you’re experiencing right now, you’re not alone. Many of us have had suicidal thoughts at some point in our lives.

Why do you feel depressed and suicidal?

Many kinds of emotional pain can lead to thoughts of suicide. The reasons for this pain are unique to each one of us, and the ability to cope with the pain differs from person to person.

Some of the thoughts that may accompany suicidal thoughts include:
• I want to escape my suffering.
• I have no other options.
• I am a horrible person and do not deserve to live.
• I have betrayed my loved ones.
• My loved ones would be better off without me.
• I want my loved ones to know how bad I am feeling.
• I want my loved ones to know how bad they have made me feel.

Remember:

Your emotions are not fixed – they are constantly changing. How you feel today may not be the same as how you felt yesterday or how you’ll feel tomorrow or next week.

Read also Understanding Depression and how to overcome it

Things to avoid:

Being alone. Solitude can make suicidal thoughts even worse. Visit a friend, or family member, or pick up the phone and call a crisis helpline.

Alcohol and drugs. Drugs and alcohol can increase depression, hamper your problem-solving ability, and can make you act impulsively.

Things to do:

Even though you’re in a lot of pain right now, give yourself some distance between thoughts and action. Make a promise to yourself: “I will wait 24 hours and won’t do anything drastic during that time.” Or, wait a week.

-SLOW YOUR BREATHING: Slowing your breathing helps slow your heart rate and supplies more oxygen to your brain, while also shifting your attention away from whatever thoughts you’re having.

Take a few deep inhales and exhales to regain control of your breath – four seconds in, hold for four, four seconds out, hold for four, repeat.

-Get out in the sun or into nature for at least 30 minutes a day.

-Exercise as vigorously as is safe for you. To get the most benefit, aim for 30 minutes of exercise per day. But you can start small. Three 10-minute bursts of activity can have a positive effect on mood.

-Remember your personal goals. You may have always wanted to travel to a particular place, read a specific book, own a pet, move to another place, learn a new hobby, volunteer, go back to school, or start a family. Write your personal goals down.

-Try to remember that thoughts about killing yourself are just thoughts. You don't have to act on them, no matter how overwhelming they are or how often you have them. You won't always have these thoughts.

Read also How to stop your negative self-talk.

-Remove anything that you could use to harm yourself, or ask others to do this with or for you.

-Get a good amount of sleep, rest and exercise, and eat regularly.

-Be kind to yourself ,just as your suicidal thoughts took time to appear, so it will take a while for them to fade. Live from day to day and don't expect too much of yourself. Even if you can't see a way forward now, you can be certain that the way you are thinking and feeling about things will change.

If you have not seen a doctor or mental health professional before, it is a good idea to do so. They will listen to you in private, and ask some questions about you and your situation. This is so they can help you and, together, you can develop a plan of action. Not everyone who is thinking about suicide is experiencing a mental illness, like depression or anxiety, but it is routine to be assessed for this so you can receive the right kind of treatment or support.