Are you feeling down?
Overwhelmed?
Stuck in a rut?
Anxious or depressed?
Struggling with mental health can have such a huge impact on your day-to-day life, and can make it hard to accomplish the things you desire.
Here are 11 tips you can implement within minutes to improve your mental health:
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1. Write Down Everything You Think Is Going Wrong
Take out a pen and paper and do a “brain dump” of your feelings.
Write down all of the things that are overwhelming, troubling, or stressing you out.
Keep writing until you can’t think of anything more to write.
The act of physically writing down your thoughts does several things:
- It tells your brain that you no longer have to worry about these things because you’ve written them down.
- It helps you articulate what you view as your current problems, and in turn helps you understand what to attempt to resolve.
- It relieves your mind of the burden of these thoughts because you’ve now “told” somebody.
2. Go Outside
Fresh air and being outdoors can significantly improve your mental wellbeing.
Find somewhere green to go on a hike, or take a short walk on your lunchbreak at work.
3. Declutter Your Environment
Whether it’s your desk at work, the car you’re driving, or your bedroom.
Studies have shown that clutter raises your stress levels.
I never realize how much clutter is affecting me until I clean up the area around me.
I always feel much better when my space is clear.
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4. Stay Away From Negative Media
If you’re feeling anxious or depressed don’t consume things that make it worse.
I love watching and reading psychological thrillers, but I also know they’re very heavy and take a toll on my happiness. Even though they’re entertaining, I try to avoid them when I’m anxious or sad because they promote darker feelings and make it harder to get out of a bad spot.
Stay away from super sad or potentially upsetting movies, tv, books, or music.
Take a break from social media (unless you’re using it to look up positive quotes).
Don’t turn on the news. You can catch up on things tomorrow.
5. Spend Time With a Pet or Child
Part of what makes your mental health suffer is thinking too much about the past or the future.
Animals and kids are always living in the present moment.
Spending time with them forces you to be mindful and present as well.
6. Call a Family Member or Friend
It’s really easy to isolate yourself when you’re struggling with your mental health.
Reach out to a close friend or family member.
Even if you don’t talk about what you’re going through, social interaction in and of itself is beneficial.
7. Practice Gratitude
Write down a list of things you’re grateful for.
Write a thank you to someone in your life.
Volunteer.
It’s harder to maintain a negative mental state when you’re focusing on what’s going right or on helping others.
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8. Get Moving
You’ve heard this one before, I’m sure.
Exercise is vital to mental healthiness and happiness.
Do what you can, whether it’s walking, lifting weights, cardio, or a simple exercise you can do while sitting at your desk.
I know it can be hard to get the motivation to exercise when you’re feeling like crap. But I promise you will feel so much better after you do.
9. Stay Away From Alcohol, Caffeine or Other Mood-Altering Substances
You don’t have to avoid these two forever but, if you’re going through a tough time, over-drinking or over-caffeinating is very likely to make things worse.
If you’re feeling down, alcohol (a depressant) is going to make you feel more depressed.
If you’re anxious, caffeine (a stimulant) will ramp up your anxiety tenfold.
While substance use may provide a temporary escape, you will feel significantly worse mentally coming down from the high (figurative or literal).
10. Take Care of Your Appearance
When you’re in a bad mental state, often the first thing to go out the window is hygiene.
If you haven’t yet, brush your teeth, take a shower, and brush your hair.
Taking it a step further, do something that makes you feel good about your appearance. It could be doing your hair and/or makeup, or putting on a nice outfit.
Even though your outward appearance isn’t the most important thing about you, cleaning up and dressing up will give you more confidence and help you feel better on the inside.
11. Engage in a Comforting Hobby
Take a bath, read a happy book or watch a happy movie, drink a cup of tea.
Anything that makes you feel more relaxed and comfortable without any harmful or negative side effects.
If you’re in a really dark place or things feel like they’re getting out of control call 1-800-273-8255, or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ to chat online for support 24/7. Always remember you are not alone!