Your mental health is an essential component of a good life. There will be times when things are unbalanced, but for the most part, you can take control of what you do each day to influence your overall well-being. By implementing easy and actionable daily habits, you can take on the day with confidence and feel better.
Play a Quiet Game
Games are great for your cognition and mental health. Consider the game of solitaire. You can participate all on your own, whenever you want. It is quiet and calm and can help you improve your focus while reducing stress. Play it with a deck of cards, or more conveniently on your smartphone. You never have to carry anything extra to enjoy something fun.
Play a game to relax on the morning commute, at the end of a busy day, or when you need a quick break from the busyness of your workday. Boost your mental wellbeing by making time for a fun and relaxing moment all to yourself.
Move Your Body
As you probably already know, physical and mental health are interconnected. When you move your body, you release stress. The act of working out and exerting your body helps to clear your mind while focusing on the movement of your body. Even if you are not actively practising mindfulness, exercise is a way to be mindful and present in the moment. Pay attention to your breathing, footfalls on the pavement, and how you move into warrior one.
Physical activity helps release endorphins in your body. These feel-good hormones are wonderful for your mental health. Endorphins help improve your mood, achieve greater mental clarity, and sleep better, which are all great byproducts of taking care of your body.
Eat Well
The idea of eating well can mean something different to everyone. However, there are certain things the experts agree that everyone should do to maintain their overall physical and mental health. Eating a balanced diet is one of those things. Do your best to eat three healthy meals each day with well-portioned snacks to ensure you have enough energy to make it through your busy day.
Obviously, you will stray from healthy eating when you go out for a meal with friends or pop into the pub after work. You should enjoy the little things in life, along with delicious food, but prioritising good eating will help offset the fun dinners and help you feel better about yourself both physically and mentally.
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Talk With Someone
Positive mental health does not necessarily happen naturally. Sometimes, you need the assistance of an outside specialist. Find a licensed therapist or mental health professional near you. They can add value and meaning to your life by showing that there already is value and meaning, and you are an important person in the world.
Talk therapy is not only for people you may perceive to have significant mental health problems in their lives. It is for anyone at any time. Whether you are dealing with unfortunate trauma in your life, workplace conflict, or a disagreement in your romantic relationship, everything can merit a little extra help and guidance from a professional. They will help you learn new ways to handle situations in your life, or simply give you a professional sounding board to work through your feelings.
Take Action
Talking through your mental health concerns, worries, and anything else that merits a discussion is invaluable. However, there will come a time when you need to move forward and take steps to change your situation or do something actionable to improve your mental health. That does not mean these things will necessarily “fix” your current or ongoing health.
Discuss with your therapist the next best steps to create meaningful change in your life while improving it. These will not be momentous leaps, but small things, such as setting boundaries with overbearing family members or moving to a new flat in a better neighbourhood. Doing something is sometimes scary, but it is almost always empowering, which will help propel you toward making decisions that will benefit your mental health and future.
Watch this short video to learn about setting boundaries in your life.
Connect with Someone
Meaningful connections can happen anytime and anywhere. Unfortunately, some days are so busy or you are just not feeling up to doing anything, and it does not happen. Try to avoid that possibility by being open to connecting with someone daily.
You may live in a flat with others, but if you are all busy going about your lives, you might not have a real conversation for days. That can leave you feeling lonely and unfulfilled. Focus on meaningful interactions. Make it a habit to eat together. If your flatmates are not your go-to friends, but merely roommates, find your people elsewhere.
Sometimes, an old-school phone call will do the trick. Hearing a beloved friend or family member’s voice will instantly bring you a sense of happiness. Catch up with someone you have not seen for a while and make concrete plans to meet in person.
Establish a Daily Routine
Daily routines are not just for online peddlers of content. They are for everyone, including you. If you think a routine is something you must rigidly adhere to, know that routines allow for flexibility so you can fully live your life.
Begin setting a routine by writing down a list of what you do each day from start to finish. Add the times you do these things and how long they take. Next, determine when you would ideally do them. For example, if you wake up at 7:30 am only to rush through your morning in a stressed frenzy, change your wake-up time to something earlier that allows you to get ready, eat breakfast, and get to work without feeling guilty and frustrated.
Take care of your mental health with these easy tips you can incorporate into your busy schedule. Play a game of solitaire, connect with the important people in your life, and bring more physical activity into each day. When you need more help, see a licensed therapist. Remember to take care of yourself. You deserve it.