Don't wait for the latest gadget to improve your mental health

In an ever-changing world, it was only a matter of time before wearables entered the realm of mental health. Apple recently announced that the new watchOS will allow users to monitor their mental health in new ways.

The new system will allow users to consistently assess their emotional state and identify important contributing factors. The system will also prompt them to describe their emotions, creating a personal and comprehensive log of information.

The recordings allow users to identify patterns of major life factors or experiences that impact their mental health.

Apple's Health app will then compare this data to other health data, such as sleep and exercise, to identify the impact of these behaviors on the user's mental health. The app will also include standard mental health assessments so users can identify when it's time to get extra help with their mental health.

From a mental health clinician's perspective, these new additions certainly have benefits. They create constant moments of intentional introspection, something we often overlook in our busy daily lives. Awareness of an emotional reaction can impact our experience and enable us to do something.

The new update creates a diary that reveals behavior patterns, life issues, and other influences on a person's mental health. We may not realize that we are constantly frustrated after a specific meeting each week, and journals like this help us become aware of the factors underlying our mood. It allows us to do something about the situation rather than being unhappily aware of what is depressing us.

While these are significant innovations in the world of health technology, we don't have to wait for the next update to enjoy this stuff. There is also a limit to what technology can do, which is why we want to stay aware of how to support our mental health. With that in mind, there are things we can start doing right now to reap those benefits.

Pay attention

The truth is that our emotional experiences often occur below the level of our consciousness. Especially in a culture that keeps us busy and distracted, we can miss our own emotional experiences.

Emotions are felt in the body, so we can start by consciously focusing on our body. How do we feel? Does anything feel tense, painful, or uncomfortable?

Once we have identified an emotion or experience, we can open up to it and explore it. What it is about? What influenced the appearance of this emotion?

Address emotions in the moment

Once we are aware of our emotional state, we may be able to do something about it. We may need to take steps to relieve some anxiety or apprehension. We may need something: a break, a walk around the block, a glass of water, or even a hug.

We may also just need to take a few deep breaths and let the emotional experience pass. This is especially true when we are not in control of our situation. In times like these, we need to recognize what can be done consciously and what can't be done and let go of the things we can't control.

A few questions helped me a lot:

Is this a real problem, or is this something I imagine could happen? If it's imaginative, I have to drop it and focus on the present. If it's real, I move on to question #2 Can I do something now? If I can, then I should take this step. Otherwise, I have to make a plan briefly, then drop it until I can act. If it's something I have no control over, I need to let go and find some acceptance of the situation. Make practical and achievable changes

Our behaviors influence our emotional states and our mental health. If we're willing to make changes that will improve our health, like sleeping regularly or starting an exercise routine, then we need to make those changes practical and achievable.

It's all too common to want more than you can chew when working towards a new goal. Instead, set a practical action goal that can be accomplished each day. Then do it consistently to create lasting change. The secret to goal setting is not in the end result but in the form...