1 in 6.8 working professionals suffer with mental health problems.

Looking at this statistic, you would think it’s easy to just count yourself out - to just shrug off anxious feelings whenever you get them. As long as you don’t look out of control, those anxious feelings won’t matter.

Now, it’s great to be positive. But, it doesn’t hurt to be realistic, because those anxious feelings can affect you in ways you wouldn’t imagine. It can affect your physical health, your relationships, and even your work.

So, before it’s too late, pay attention now. Give yourself the break or help that you need to relieve your anxiety.

And, you start by checking for signs. You can take online tests. Resources are more readily available now to help you assess your mental health. If you don’t trust online tests, approach a mental health professional for a diagnosis.

Once you get a diagnosis, do not panic. That does not mean you are out of control or will need therapy (yet). Sometimes, you just need to make changes in your current lifestyle to improve your mental health.

One is to exercise more. Multiple studies have already confirmed the impact of exercise on mental health. It can reduce anxiety and stress and improve your mood and self-esteem.

Another is to journal. If you worry about a lot of things or feel a lot of emotions, the healthiest way to get them out is to write about them. It’s always better to release your baggage on a piece of paper than on a scream match with your boss.

Finally, you can help improve your mental state by setting goals. They don’t have to be big ones. You can set up small goals for yourself everyday. You can make the list as long as you like. Then of course, you have to make an effort to tick them off one by one. You keep going, and you will be ticking more items than writing more goals.

Care for your mental health, so you are stable enough to care for your loved ones.