We all know that self-care is an important part of staying healthy. But work, family and responsibilities to others often get prioritized over our own personal health. Incorporating self-care into daily life, especially where mental health is concerned, can help shift the focus without taking away from everything else. Bottom line: Creating daily self-care rituals can help.1/20
Set Small, Achievable Goals
We all know that self-care is an important part of staying healthy. But work, family and responsibilities to others often get prioritized over our own personal health. Incorporating self-care into daily life, especially where mental health is concerned, can help shift the focus without taking away from everything else. Bottom line: Creating daily self-care rituals can help.
Start by setting small, achievable goals — monthly, weekly or even daily. Find a sense of accomplishment on a regular basis, and remind yourself that you are capable of progress.2/20
Write Lists
Write better lists. Instead of dashing something off on the back of a receipt, be consistent both in where you write your lists and when you write them. Next, learn how to write effective lists. Loading them up with every little thing can lead to becoming overwhelmed. Instead, think of what you want to get done and ask yourself what the first step in getting it done would be. Write that down on your list. And limit yourself to three things a day. (Feel free to keep a master brainstorm list.)
Follow a Routine
Writing lists, exercising, meditating and general self-care won’t happen if you’re squeezing in the activities on the fly. Instead, create a routine. For some people, that means getting up early in the morning, while others prefer to take care of things on their lunch break or before bed. The point is to come up with a routine that works for you and can eventually become automatic.4/20
Listen to Music
Music is a mental health boost, as long as it’s music you like. Find ways to incorporate more music into your daily life. For some people, music helps them focus, while for others, it wrecks their ability to concentrate. Know what works best for you, and get in more tunes whenever you can.
Meditate
Meditation is all the (calming, brain-boosting) rage, and for good reason. Plenty of studies show it’s beneficial to mental and physical health. A recent study even found that those in middle age who meditated for less than 30 minutes a day had the brains of 25-year-olds. Be sure to include some type of meditative practice in your daily mental health routine.6/20
Find Ways to Be Kind
Life’s great when people are good to you. But what’s even better for mental health is to be kind to others. Science is learning that being kind has a mental health payoff. Even something as easy as smiling at others releases hormones that make us feel good. It also lowers pain, boosts energy and, if done enough, increases average lifespans.
Eat Colorful Vegetables
Eating colorful vegetables, now more available than ever, has been linked to better mental health outcomes, especially if those vegetables are raw. Find ones you like, steam them lightly (if you can’t stand them raw), and go for dips or sauces that make them maximally palatable to you.8/20
Stretch a Little in the Morning
Stretching feels good, and doing it first thing in the morning can give you a little energy kick. Stretching any time of day is good not only for your muscles, but also for your mind. Even just stretching regularly can grow your brain — always a good thing for mental health.
Socialize
By now, you probably know the punchline to the long-term happiness study, which concluded that friends — more than anything else — are what make people happy in life, particularly as they grow older. But just having friends isn’t enough: It’s important to see them regularly, too. Socializing and getting together with friends as frequently as you can, for whatever amount of time, is a worthwhile addition to your daily mental health routine.10/20
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep cannot be overrated. Getting at least eight hours, most nights, is key to living a long and healthy life. Often work and other responsibilities get in the way of our bedtimes — or force us out of bed before we’re ready. But creating (and guarding) a bedtime routine that gets you enough sleep can be a game-changer in your mental health routine.
Exercise
Study after study has found that exercise reduces anxiety, depression and negative moods, in addition to keeping you strong and fit. But making exercise a regular thing can be a challenge. Find ways to work in regular exercise — daily, if possible — to keep your mental health in check.12/20
Sit Under a Tree
Here’s an easy way to lower stress levels: Walk outside and stand near a tree. Recent studies have found that exposure to trees — even just looking at them — immediately makes you less stressed.
Do Something Fun
Doing something fun can go a long way toward reducing stress and depression. The American Suicide Foundation recommends finding something fun to do every day. You define the fun! It can be big or small. Keep it varied. And, by all means, do it daily.14/20
Practice Gratitude
Giving thanks and practicing gratitude can feel forced and corny at first. But studies show that, when done regularly, it boosts your mood and mental well-being. Your gratitude doesn’t have to be ostentatious, or even public. But writing down three things you’re thankful for once a day is enough.
Sit Up Straight
Sitting up straight is one of those passive things you can add to your daily mental health routine. It’s been shown in studies to help with feelings of anxiety and self-confidence.16/20
Look Forward to Something Tomorrow
Looking forward to something has a powerful effect on mood, depression and mental well-being. Anticipation, in other words, is a great thing to feel every single day. You don’t have to count on others to surprise you, or to come up with ideas. Just think about what makes you happy, what gets you excited, and make plans big and small. Keep yourself in a state of anticipation.
Ease Into Mornings
Hitting the alarm to get a few extra minutes of sleep seems helpful and delicious at the time, but the returns are small and can even make for a more irritating (and depressing) morning. Instead, allow yourself to wake up with enough time to take things slowly in the morning. Take a cup of coffee back to bed, where you can sip it while you read or listen to music. Or just think — or meditate! Give your mornings a more positive spin.18/20
Try Something New
Trying something new is a great way to take care of your brain. You don’t even have to stick with it! Find ways to experience and do new things: Take classes, learn handiwork from YouTube videos, study another language, walk in a different park, take a different route to work, rearrange the furniture.
Create a Personal Mission Statement
Sometimes it feels as if we’re flailing and that we’re not headed in any certain direction. This can cause depression and confusion, and general malaise. Try writing a personal mission statement to get clarity about how you want to be. Then make sure your daily routine is set up with that mission in mind.20/20
Get Outside
Besides sleep, getting outside once a day, every day — including in bad weather — should be a priority in your daily life. Being outdoors has been shown to lower anxiety, depression and blood pressure. It also improves memory.
Source: https://mom.com/momlife/daily-rituals-to-maintain-your-mental-health/go-outdoors
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