Mental health issues are currently revolving at the epitome of everyone’s attention and there are many ways to regulate and improve it. Find the top 30 of them.
Just like regular workouts and spending time at the gym can improve physical health greatly, mental health can be improved with the help of some exercises. Despite the hype among the workplaces and organizations about mental health; people are still not aware of the practices that can help them improve their health. Ideally, every individual should be focusing on physical health and mental health. While it is important to visit professionals and therapists for mental health issues; you can still embark on some healthy practices that can help to improve your mental health.
30 Tips for Improving Mental Health
- Initiate the Day by Making the Bed
The day starts when you wake up in the morning and if you are looking forward to making the most out of it, you should start from your bed only. You might be surprised to know that folding your sheets and fixing your bed after waking up can actually offer you a feeling of satisfaction and being sorted. Despite the fact that you have been soaking your dirty dishes for more than 24 hours, you can still get done with the bed first to proceed with other tasks on your to-do list. Start your day with this practice and see the change!
- Move Your Gorgeous Body
Moving your body might not seem like a proper exercise but it actually has some positive effects. You can even practice it by setting an alarm and fixing a schedule for two minutes at regular intervals. Move your body in the way you want but definitely do it. Whether you do a quick dance, a few jumping jacks, or a few pull-ups before going for a shower, these small spurts of exercise can be good for hormonal release and mood regulation. It helps to make little endorphin surges which are good for productivity and happiness.
- Shortlist Your Priorities
To-do lists are tedious what is even more daunting is to create one. When the activities on those lists are not executed, it might feel overwhelming. That is why, it is important to categorize the list based on priorities. You can distinguish the activities based on two lists “Must Do” and “Might Do.” Make realistic choices based on what really looks like doable. Make sure to focus on the urgency of the matter so that you can know about time-sensitivity.
- Do Nothing for 15 Mins
Humans are very much workaholics and want to churn the most out of every day. While it is crucial to have a productive mindset, it is also important to do absolutely nothing sometimes. This time is what helps you to relax and find more space in your head that you can creatively use rather than being under immense stress. Just like taking rest helps to develop your muscles after a workout, doing absolutely nothing for 15 minutes on a daily basis can offer better results for mental health practices.
- Find More Time for Self-Care
Just like it is important to be an empathetic person, it is also important to find ample time to focus on yourself. Utilize this time for self-care which can offer you more confidence and glow of a healthy who is doing well mentally and physically. Self-care activities can include yoga, skin care, cooking meals for yourself, dancing to favorite music, and the list goes on. Self-care is important for every single individual and there should be no delays. Tonight is the night to start!
- Focus on Your All Senses
Humans have five senses smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing. Other than that, there is a sixth sense which is considered to be the human conscious and a significant part of mental health. Using your all senses can keep you grounded and help to achieve a state of calmness and eternal peace. Use the senses to reach your idea of calm or peace. For example, it is like the smell of something baked; visit a bakery to enjoy that smell and keep your nerves calm.
- Craft a No-Worry Zone for Yourself
Every human has a place of their own where they find themselves relaxed and authentic to themselves. If you do not have a spot like that yet, maybe you should find one. While some might find it on their balcony, corner of the house, or an easy chair in the garden; some other outdoorsy people might find it in a sweet spot in nature. Whether you go for a camping trip or listen to soothing music on your bean bag, the no-worry zone will help you unwind rapidly.
- Turn Off All Notifications
Digital detox is quite a popular practice when a person takes time off from digital mediums. While it is not possible to get over it in this digital age, you can still avoid it from time to time. When you feel like it is getting too much overwhelming for you can turn off push notifications to conserve the mental energy that you find losing. You can go back to the content when you feel ready again to take in more information. It is okay to not resonate with all kinds of news you find in the media.
- Learn to Say ‘NO’
Learning to say ‘No’ to the things you do not like is a way to stay authentic to yourself. Saying no is important or else you will turn into a people pleaser who tries to agree with everyone in order to not make anyone feel angry or dissatisfied. Always stay honest to yourself and be clear about what your responsibilities are. Be realistic opt for what you can do and discard ideas that seem unachievable. Learn to decline in order to approve your intuition.
- Take More Space (literally)!
While it can feel silly at first, it is actually an effective practice of mindfulness that can make a person feel content about life. Try to open your arms very wide, lift your chin, and inhale a lungful of air inside. Holding this stance with a deep breath can make feel good about your existence. This exercise helps to find more room for ideas through your body and the mind. Try this and see a change in your perspective.
- De-prioritize Things that are Out of Control
Just like making a priority list, you should also focus on making a list of things that are stressing you a lot lately. Now, it is time to find things that you do not have control over and cross it out from the list as well as in your mind. Focus on things that you can change rather than universal acts where your influence does not work. For example, stressing over another global pandemic is not an ideal choice since a person can only take precautions as he has no control over the situation.
- Notes to Write an Ode to Yourself
Sticky notes actually work pretty well if you do not end up writing phone numbers on them. Leaving yourself notes is a great idea for reminders for the small tasks that you often tend to forget. You can use colorful notes on your fridge, bathroom, kitchen, wardrobe, and other places to give yourself little cues. You can also put up some kind words which can help to offer a positive impact on your mood.
- Get a Present for Yourself
Giving yourself occasional gifts is a good way to motivate yourself for the next goal. While it can be the materialistic pleasure of owning something, it can also be the happiness of eating or just feeling how the shower feels on your skin. This practice is not only about getting yourself presents but also about being in the moment or the present no matter what kind of activity you are doing. It can help to embrace a sense of gratefulness.
- List of Wins You Made
Whether it is just a game or a lottery, you should remind yourself of every win you make. Winning provides the sense of satisfaction of achieving something and it can be anything. These moments are what humans are proud of and you should be too. Make a list of your wins and notice it often just to realize how far you have come. It can also offer the motivation to win more in the coming days. A little bit of love and appreciation can go a long way when it comes to mental health.
- Focus on Your Breathing
Breathing does not only keep you alive but it can also affect your mental health. That is why, one can feel palpitation in anxiety and calm with meditation. Breathing exercises are the main ingredients of sadhus, monks, and any person who is involved in spiritual practices. Breathing can help to instantly calm your mind and regulate your mood. It is the prime reason why deep breaths can help to reset yourself. Even if you just practice 2 minutes of meditation every day; there will be exponential changes in your health and perspective.
- Fix an Intention
You can set an intention for a day, a month, or even a year which helps to reach your goal faster. While sometimes you can be ambitious and strong, other times you may not feel the same. You can always come back to the words that help to reset your mindset and help you to move forward.
- Clear Your Apps
This is a digital age with a high influence of artificial intelligence or AI. Almost every individual has a phone and they spend most of their time through the apps and internet which is kind of scary because people are losing on their real-time values other than the virtual presence. A lot of people have many unused apps on their phones which have been installed long ago. It is time to get rid of all the apps from your phone that are taking up space without serving any purpose. Even the apps you use frequently can be put off sometimes to grow away from the digital acceptance.
- Make a List of Feel-good Activities
Feel-good activities are mental well-being boosters and they can vary from person to person. While it is easy to find movies under the feel-good genre, things work differently in real life. Some people might feel good after watching an animated movie and some other people can feel the same way after doing a 10 km hike. While everybody wants to feel good, the sources of experiencing that can be different. Find out what you like to do the most and how it makes you feel after completion. Based on your true feelings, you can opt for anything.
- Try to Visualize Things
Power visualization is actually quite influential since visual elements can have a strong impact on people. Try to visualize a place, a person, a situation, an animal, or some food that makes you feel extremely calm. Take a few minutes to settle your mind there and you can come back energized. It is quite a handy and effective practice that you can utilize at any time you want, whether you are traveling on the subway or taking a long shower.
- Learn to Let Go
The art of letting go is not an easy task. We humans tend to hold onto things and people that are dear to us even if it is hurting in some way. It is important to learn to let go which helps a person feel elevated and not stuck with an unknown burden. Try to get rid of everything and everyone that is working for you anymore. The art of letting go comes from within and once you learn it, you will feel stronger than ever’ Letting go is not about being reluctant but to extra focused on only what you need, direct to the point.
- Turn Off that Phone
Have you ever shut down your phone manually? Perhaps not, since we are very much engaged in our phones and the content over the internet. Make an experiment by shutting off your phone for 30 minutes and seeing how you feel. Do you feel the fear of missing out or are you relaxed? Try to investigate your reaction and try to understand why it made you feel so. If you want to fix your mental health, you definitely need to figure out your relationship with your phone. Then you can fix a schedule for not interacting with the phone.
- Reframe Your Thoughts
You can try to reframe your thoughts with observation. Observe simple things like falling leaves, a water body, a passing car, or anything. Notice them and be in the moment. The idea here is to not linger with a thought while they are out of the view. It helps you get rid of anxious thoughts.
- Go Outside and Get Some Light
Not everyone is an outdoorsy person but everyone should go out once in a while. Research shows that being in the outdoors can make a person happier than being stuck in your own room all the time. Go out there and get some sunlight, watch a sunset or two bugs mating. These are the little things that can make you feel curious, adventurous, and full of energy. You can also go for blogging to keep nature safe.
- Release the Tension
You might not realize that stress and tension can be stored in the body and it can affect mental health in the long term. It mainly happens in the shoulders and arms and so, you need time to shimmy up your shoulders and arms. Clench your fists and unclench them. These exercises offer a release of tension.
- Why Not Some Positive Self-talk?
Well, not everyone can afford an expensive therapy session which can continue with more. Self-counseling and positive self-talk can actually help. Think of yourself from the third perspective and motivate yourself like you would do for your friend. If it seems tough, you can also just write down the negative thoughts in order to get rid of them.
- Keep a Track of Smiles
Smile and laughter are medicine for the heart and you should never refrain unless it is a very serious situation. Try to keep track of every time you smile in a day and find the resources that offer you that joyous feeling or humor. Work on those resources to gain more happiness along with mindfulness.
- Do Not Avoid Emotions
There are many times when you might feel something but are unable to describe it. That does not mean you have to avoid or forget it. A lot of people also avoid the emotions that they are well aware of, such as sadness. These strong emotions are not subject to be avoided but need to be addressed well in order to instill mental well-being.
- Write Down Your Thoughts
Writing down your thoughts can actually help a lot even if it is a very scary thought you do not want to think about. It is similar to keeping a journal. When you write and read your own thoughts, it can feel silly and offer more room for improvement. Separating these deep thoughts from yourself can help to keep the negativity away.
- Not-to-do List
Just like to-do lists, make a list of things that you do not want to do. You can also set a schedule with when and what not to do. This way, you can easily get rid of bad habits.
- ASK for HELP
What takes more courage than helping people is asking for help. We humans are independent creatures who like to think that we can handle everything on our own and that mindset can greatly hamper our life. While it is crucial to be self-dependent; it is also important to let your friends know and ask for help when you are not doing well. Even if you just talk to your friend about it, you can feel lighter.
Follow these aforementioned mental health exercises to keep your mind fit. However, you should also consult a professional since they can guide you better.
