6 Affordable Ways to Improve Your Mental Health
Mental health has been a major struggle for many people over the past few years, but what if you can’t afford the typical therapy experience?
How do you keep yourself healthy and happy without breaking the bank?
In this post we’ve accumulated a series of options that can help you get yourself back on track when you’re having a difficult time.
1. Talk to a Therapist
Therapists tend to get a bad rep for being pricey and hard to get started with. While that can certainly be true for some, the people in this field want to help people improve their lives, so they have come up with some great options.
One of these options is to talk to a psychologist in training.
These are students working towards their own practices, so they’ll typically offer lower rates to their clients. Worried about lack of experience? No need, because psychologists in training are supervised by licensed professionals and have years of schooling behind them.
If you’re considering seeing a psychologist in training, you can search APTC Locations to get started finding your perfect fit.
Not a fan of in-person?
You can also check out online therapy. A variety of websites set up video calls between you and a professional so you can talk to someone from the convenience of your own home.
Some popular online therapy websites include:
These websites tend to be cheaper because of the online component. They display their rates openly so you know how much it will cost up front.
2. Community Centers
Community centers often have support groups and classes to help you with specific issues. One of the great aspects of community centers is that they help you to build a support group around a common growth mindset. Not only are you helping yourself to get better, you could be making lifelong friends who will hold you accountable and lift you up!
3. Mental Health Apps
I am a huge fan of easy to use, readily accessible mental health resources, which makes apps a great option for me! If you’re uncomfortable with large-scale social interaction, apps can give you a platform to work with on your own time and at your own pace. Here are some of my favorites
- MindShift. This Canadian-made app uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to teach you how to relax and practice mindfulness. You can use it easily by yourself, but there’s also a community forum where you can reach out to people and practice what you’re learning with others!
- Headspace. This one is pretty well known, and for good reason. Headspace is a mindfulness and meditation app that gives you exercises to de-stress and reduce any anxiety you may have picked up through the day. It’s great for when you have five minutes and need to unwind.
- Happify. Happify is a great way to reset the way you think into something more positive and, as the name implies, happy! They use science-based activities and games to help people reduce the negativity in their lives, such as stress, toxic thinking, and negative attitudes and replace it with positivity and mindfulness.
4. Community Groups and Events
But wait a minute, didn’t we already talk about community events? Yes and no.
While there are community centers meant to be used for support groups and healing, there are also groups that focus their efforts on a cause. The people you’ll find here like-minded individuals who find activities they enjoy or believe in and use those activities to grow as people. Not to mention, studies show that people who help others experience a greater sense of calm, happiness, health, and can even live longer!
- Habitat for Humanity. Most people have heard of Habitat for Humanity, so we don’t need to get too in depth. They offer opportunities to build and repair homes for families in need, as well as options to volunteer in their local stores.
- Feed My Starving Children. While located in a very easy-to-reach bit of Mesa, Feed My Starving Children doesn’t get nearly as much hype as it deserves. When you attend a session here, you go through an orientation with a large group of people who share a common goal: getting some food to malnourished kids overseas. You’ll be split into groups and race against other groups to see who can package the highest number of meal packs before your time runs out. You get plenty of chances to talk to new people and you get to help countless kids in the process.
- Meetup. If you’re not sure about service projects or have a hard time getting to the locations, you can always try Meetup. This app allows you to find groups that are more personalized to your interests, and once you find an activity you like it’s easy to join and meet up with some fresh new faces.
5. Gyms and Fitness Centers
Joining an organization, such as a gym or exercise group, where people are trying to improve themselves is always a great option because everyone there is striving for growth in some way. People love to share by nature, so by spending time with people who know how to make it through struggles you’ll start to pick up lots of great tips, tricks, and support. Not to mention, you’ll get to work on your physical fitness too!
6. Sozo Lifestyle Medicine
Now I bet you’ve been wondering: Is there a way I could find all the resources on this list in one place? To find the answer, you need look no further than the logo at the top of this page. Sozo offers:
- Health and lifestyle sessions to teach you how to take care of your body and mind alongside a group of like-minded individuals.
- Community forums and dialogue through WhatsApp and regular newsletters.
- Access to friendly health professionals who help you to create individualized plans to improve your diet, fitness, sleep, and stress levels.
- Thrive Counselors who see patients out of our facility
- A wonderful gym with fitness coaches to guide you through workouts and motivate you to be your best self
- Events to get involved in the community, such as trash clean up, 5k runs, and more!
If you’re looking for mental health options and can’t decide which route to take, Sozo will definitely give you the most bang for your buck! To check our rates, you can take a look over here, and don’t forget to check out the Ala Cart, Kick Start, and Personal Training options.
Remember: Change starts with you, but it doesn’t start until you do.
So, what are you waiting for?
Dena DePiazza is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach and is certified as a Certified Pain Management Coach. She is your personal advocate for living an energized and passionate life. She works with clients to help them create healthy lives in a way that is flexible, fun, and free of denial and unsustainable discipline. By working together, you can discover lifestyle choices that best support you. Dena helps you learn to make gradual, lifelong changes that will enable you to reach your current and future health goals.
with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Sciences. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
Nadia enjoys providing the guidance and support people need to achieve good health and considers herself their biggest cheerleader when they decide to make their health a priority. As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Nadia works with clients one on one to help them optimize their health through holistic health practices. She helps reduce the symptoms of chronic illness through nutrition and lifestyle practices, but is not limited to helping anyone who wants to learn how to make better choices. She teaches clients basic kitchen skills, how to read labels and will even do grocery tours. As a personal trainer, Nadia works with clients of all levels, ages and in various settings. She has taught group fitness classes and worked with clients one on one. She emphasizes the importance of staying injury free and building strength to move about their day without pain.
Karissa originally attended Westmont College in beautiful Santa Barbara, and began her B.S. in Psychology, then transferred to Montreat College, in the Appalachian hills of North Carolina, graduating Cum Laude with a B.S. in Music Therapy, and a double minor in Psychology and Music Business.
