Small things you can do to help your mental health

Mental health is so much more than just a ‘diagnosis’. It covers your entire well-being, the way you cope and process your feelings and how you deal with the day-to-day world.

Taking care of your mental health is vital for your well-being. Whether that means seeing a professional or just making a conscious effort to look after it yourself every single day.

Prioritising your mental health will pay off in almost every aspect of your life. It will boost your mood, your energy, help build your resilience and so much more.

Here are some ways you can help your mental health daily.

Focus on the positive

How you think affects how you live and how you feel. You will believe what your mind is telling you. If we see our life in a negative way, we will view situations and experiences that way in order to confirm our belief. But if you change your mindset and the way you see things, you will soon see your outlook on your entire life change.

Gratitude

For the same reason as above, practising gratitude will help change your mindset and help you to focus on the positives. Try to journal your gratitude every single day. Find something you are truly grateful for and sit with it for a few moments.

Be present

With our hectic lifestyles, it can be incredibly easy to always be thinking about the task ahead. But being mindful of your mental health requires you to live in the present moment. Forgetting the past and not worrying about the future. If you find it difficult at first to live in the present, try to focus your mind on physical things in the now - smells, tastes and sounds. If your mind wanders just gently guide it back to the present.

Exercise

When you exercise your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are the feel-good hormone which is why exercise is such a powerful antidote to stress anxiety and even depression. Try to aim for at least 30 minutes a day. If you find it difficult to do that in one go try to make small changes, walking to the shop instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking around your block once or twice a day.

Sleep

Sleep deprivation has a massive effect on your mood. Try to be strict with yourself and make sleep a priority. Try to get into a routine to get your body ready for some quality sleep, including no screen time 30 minutes before bed, no caffeine in the evening and using your bedroom for sleep only.