10 Daily Habits To Improve Your Mental Health
Did you know that there are simple daily habits known to improve your mental health?
Mental health. We all struggle with it or have struggled in the past.
But despite sometimes feeling like we are in an uphill battle, with some care, you can take control.
There are certain strategies and daily habits we can implement into our daily routine that can help our well-being just a bit more.
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10 Daily Habits To Improve Your Mental Health
Here are 10 daily habits that will help you improve your overall mental health and well-being:
1. Do A Regular Digital Detox.
With all that is happening in the world right now and especially the uncertainty of the situations, it’s so easy to get lost and addicted to our phones. Been there, done that.
But, studies have shown that an increased amount of time spent on phones and especially on Social Media is linked with increased anxiety, lower self-esteem, and feelings of unworthiness.
Scheduling a day in the week or just an hour or two throughout the day to be offline, can be truly beneficial to your mental health, as it will help you stay and live in the moment and not in a digital world.
2. Practice Gratitude.
These times we’re living in have shown us that we should not take anything for granted in this life. Most of us, myself included, took for granted our pre-pandemic lives, and now look at us.
That’s why being grateful for the simple things in life can produce positive emotions and reduce anxiety and depression.
Here are my 3 quick-fire questions that I try to answer when I’m getting triggered by simple things:
- What are the 3 things I’m grateful for in your life?
- Who are 3 people that I can be grateful to have in my life and why?
- What’s a hard lesson that I’m grateful to learn?
Take some time to answer these questions with total honesty, and you’ll see how your mood will instantly boost.
3. Practice Affirmations.
The science-based benefits of gratitude can be found in this article.
I always thought that affirmations were kind of like woo-woo science without any scientific benefits.
This was until I realized I was saying affirmations while I was meditating, I had no idea whatsoever.
Since then, I try to start my day positively by saying some positive affirmations to myself when I wake up. Look, we can be really harsh and judgmental of ourselves without any profound reason.
This is called negative self-talk and can really hold us back from accomplishing our goals.
4. Be Your #1 Priority.
Allocating time for yourself to unwind and relax is vital for your well-being.
I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one who feels that they need to constantly be productive, doing chores, work, or any other activity.
Working for longer periods of time without taking a break to relax, can lead to fatigue and burnout.
So, take some time during the day (or evening) to do the things you want to do. This may be going for a walk, baking a cake, or watching your favorite show on Netflix.
Whatever it is, you must show yourself the same care and time you would to others. Relaxing is so important, as it helps you to recharge and boost your motivation and productivity.
Also, if you find yourself trying to please each and every person in your life, meet their needs, and always put their happiness above yours, you might be a people pleaser.
The moment you understand that you can please everyone is the moment you’ll feel happier and less stressed.
5. Exercise.
Aside from the obvious benefits exercise has to our physical health, exercising on a regular basis is linked with a lower risk of depression and a happier, more positive mood afterward.
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins (the happy hormones), which make us feel good out of the blue.
So, make it a habit to exercise at least 2 times a week, to fully get the mental health benefits of it.
6. Meditate Or Journal regularly.
The benefits of meditation and journaling are well known.
From mental clarity and being at peace with your thoughts to lowering your stress and anxiety, meditating and journaling will boost your mental health and change your mindset on life.
Especially if you journal first thing in the morning or before going to bed can help you combat negative thoughts from clouding your mind and put your thoughts in order.
Also, it’s your own safe and secret space, where you can let yourself loose from pressure, and you can understand difficult to express emotions.
Get the #1 Best Selling Gratitude Journal here!
7. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others.
They say that comparison is the root of all unhappiness, and it can’t be further from the truth.
Nowadays, comparing yourself to others comes really naturally, as it is easier than ever to just open your phone and boom.
Read: 50 Journal Prompts To Improve Your Mental Health
You get bombarded by people living in mansions across the world, living their best lives.
The thing that helped me to stop comparing myself to others was to realize that no matter how successful I would be, there will always be someone better than me, and that’s okay.
It was a hard pill to swallow, but it got me to the right mindset.
Also, comparing my 1st step to someone else’s 10th isn’t a great idea either.
These comparisons take our minds away from all the great things we’ve already accomplished in our life.
Hopefully, if you’re practicing gratitude, you won’t face such a problem.
You understand how bad comparing ourselves to others can be for our mental health.
8. Have A Regular Sleeping Schedule.
Lack of sleep, or poor quality of it, is shown can affect your mental health by having a bad mood, lower amounts of energy, higher anxiety, and lower cognitive function, which leads to being less productive.
Some habits to add to your night routine are:
- No electronic devices 30 minutes before bed.
- Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bed.
- Do a relaxing activity to unwind your mind from running thoughts.
- Lower the room temperature and achieve total darkness.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
9. Spend More Time In Nature During Sunlight.
Numerous studies have shown that spending time in nature whilst getting sufficient sunlight has been shown to improve cognitive function, and memory, promote well-being, reduce stress, improve mood, and reduce mental fatigue.
The sun can brighten up your mood, and so can vitamin D. According to a 2017 review article in the journal Neuropsychology, researchers found “a significant relationship between depression and vitamin D deficiency.”
So, taking some time off and going for a walk in nature, can do wonders for your mental health.
10. Make Time To Connect With Others.
By nature, we are social beings.
No matter how introverted someone is, it’s crucial and detrimental to their mental health to have regular interactions with people and to stay connected with friends and loved ones.
If you’re going through a rough time in your life, having a friend or someone you can trust to tell your feelings, thoughts, and things that bother you can really help you.
Building strong relationships and connections is one of the most important things in life and one that can improve your mental health and self-worth.
See: 3 Ways You Secretly Harm Your Mental Health
10 Daily Habits To Improve Your Mental Health – Conclusion
Start implementing some of these simple daily habits to improve your mental health today.
