I know. You’ve probably seen a hundred articles and Youtube videos and social media posts claiming to have easy ways to improve your mental health. As someone who suffers from depression or anxiety, it’s hard to look at that kind of media and believe it. I’ve suffered from depression for years and anxiety my whole life, and the following tips have actually created the most incredible improvements to my mental health. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I can hear the question “How are you?” and honestly answer “I’m good!”
1. Mood tracking
Holy crap this has changed my life. Before I started this (inspired by someone I follow on social media), I could have a perfectly good day, but end up convincing myself it was bad because of a small thing that happened. By using a mood tracker (I use an app called Dailio), I force myself to look back on everything that happened throughout the day and realize that there was so much more good than bad in my day. With Dailio, I choose between preset moods (ranging from rad to awful) and select the things I’ve done over the day, such as reading, school, work, friends, etc.. It takes less than a minute, and the app reminds me every day to make an entry at a convenient time. This app and method has made all the difference in the last month or so I’ve been using it. You don’t need a specific app, however! You can use a diary, your notes app, or even a reminder to reflect on your day.
2. Meditation
I couldn’t count on both of my hands the number of times I had someone tell me to do yoga in order to improve my mental health. And I’ve tried it, but I’m just too restless for it. Stretching my body and holding it for extended periods of time is too much for my short attention span to handle – I get bored and uncomfortable and eventually quit before I can get any results. Some may think meditation is the same, but it’s so different. First, there are many ways to meditate: the traditional way of silence or calm music, guided meditation, or even using alternative methods like dance or drawing. The point is to allow your mind to expand beyond your body and be mindful of your surroundings, your emotions, and even the world itself. Yoga can also be a form of meditation (if you’re flexible and not easily bored). Your method doesn’t really matter, the goal is to increase your mindfulness and come out on the other side feeling calmer and more peaceful.
3. Listening to yourself
This one is probably a little harder than most methods, but it becomes incredibly easy with practice. When I say to listen to yourself, I mean to be mindful of the way you feel about certain things and take those feelings into consideration when making decisions. For instance, when your friends ask to go out to the club, but you’re not sure if you want to go, consider what’s making you hesitant. Things like nervousness about dancing or being around a lot of strangers may seem trivial to some, but to you it may change the attitude of your night. Think about whether it would be better for you to step out of your comfort zone and go out, or if you’d be better off staying in and relaxing at home. You’ll fumble a couple times, either regretting missing out on an experience with your friends or going home feeling like you could have done something better with your night. But once you start to observe your feelings and responses to situations, you’ll be able to figure out when you should take leaps or when you should remain in your own comfort.
Overall, the goal here is to become more aware of yourself. By putting thought into how your day was instead of letting a small thing ruin it, or sitting with yourself and clearing your mind, or paying attention to the ways you feel in order to make decisions, you’re becoming more familiar with yourself and training your brain to pay attention. These methods have changed the way I view myself and the things I do, and I hope they do the same for you.