It can be easy to be swept up in the daily grind of classes, friends, homework, feeding oneself, etc. We often forget how easy it is to neglect our own mental health. Maintaining wellness does not have to mean dropping extensive amounts of cash on a therapist, either. Here are some simple tasks you can do every day that will do just fine to take care of mental health.
1. Wake up and have a 15 minute period of thought instead of checking your phone.
Take a look outside and admire the scenery, listen to the birds and think about your life and where you are. A huge part of mindfulness is having your emotions and situation in check. Ask yourself, “am I truly okay?” and if not, think of people to talk to who can make you feel better about your situation. Take a minute to be thankful for everything you have and all you are hopeful for and try to do little things every day that might get you closer to your goals.
2. Eat a good breakfast you sincerely enjoy.
Think about your dream breakfast and do the best you can to craft it for yourself in the morning. A solid breakfast will keep you from becoming a hangry beast later in the day. One of my favorite breakfasts is oatmeal with various fruits, brown sugar and cinnamon served with a cup of tea or cappuccino.
3. Make your house a home.
Stop by your local thrift store and pick up a new vase and maybe some new decorations for your living space to make it as wonderful as possible. I try to get flowers from the farmer’s market every weekend and spread them out through my living space to brighten it up and make me want to be there.
4. Establish a morning and evening routine.
Every day when I wake up, I wash my face with a creamy cleanser and spritz on some rosewater before applying sunscreen and makeup. Having structure starting early in the morning promotes a productive day. The minutes I spend completing my routine allow me to focus on nothing else and transcend to Beautyland. In the evenings, having a daily bath helps me to relax and slow down. Having a cup of tea in the bath and watching a movie or reading a book or magazine is the perfect way to end the day. Make sure to take off your makeup before bed if you wear it, as there is nothing worse than waking up with day old makeup on.
5. Spend some time in nature.
The great outdoors is the most beautiful thing around us. Go for a walk and find a little creek or park that you can show your friends. Breathe in the fresh air deeply from an open window if it’s too cold or rainy to go outside.
6. Snuggle your animal.
If you don’t have an animal, you can either borrow a friend’s, go to the local animal shelter or snuggle a stuffed animal!
7. Listen to music as much as you can.
Try to listen to your music while doing homework, while walking to class or while completing your morning or evening routine. Music is incredibly therapeutic, and usually helps me to pretend like I’m in a better place if I’m having a bad day.
8. Watch a movie.
On the topic of escapism, watching a movie often helps to numb the pain or agitation of daily life by allowing your mind to focus on a different situation. Movies are also incredibly inspirational, and I always feel like a new person when I have new forms of inspiration. Escaping your problems via film is not the end all be all, so make sure you have someone to talk to about your problems as well.
9. Make lists of all the things you need to do.
Physically writing out your to-dos make them seem a lot less scary and a lot more manageable. You will instantly feel less stressed when you put your pen to paper.
10. Be rid of the toxic people and things in your life.
There is nothing much worse than people who suck away your energy and cause you emotional turmoil. If they mean the world to you, talk to them and see if they are willing to change some of their ways so they will not be a toxic element in you life. If not, cut them out. You need people who will be there for you and care about your feelings over their own.
11. Go to the gym.
Even if you’re happy with your body, hitting the gym will promote good feelings in your brain and make everything seem less bad.
12. Ask your friends to hang out.
Social interaction is extremely good for us as humans, so make sure you keep in contact with your friends. As much as you might not feel like entertaining company, you and your wellbeing will thank you later on.
13. Tell yourself everything you like about yourself in the mirror in the morning.
Cheesy as it sounds, if you tell yourself something, your brain will slowly start to believe it. You need to be your biggest cheerleader in this world.
Adopt these daily habits and watch the difference in your wellness!