Feeling your best mentally comes from doing things physically that have a positive impact on you. It doesn’t have to be something complicated or even costly because you probably already do some of these activities and just don’t know the power of those actions. I think we are sometimes sold complicated solutions to help us with our mental health when we have the solutions literally in front of us. So let’s break down some of the simple ways we can take care of our minds practically.
1. Write a gratitude list every week.
I try to do this once a week, and my gratitude list can be as simple as "grateful for the rain and life" or as complicated as "grateful for a breakthrough from a difficult situation". Please don’t feel pressured to make it grander than life; just find things that made your week good and they’ll show you what to put on your gratitude list. The essence of this is to get our minds off what’s going wrong in our lives and instead focus on what is going right!
So do yourself a favour and write a gratitude list.
2. Write a to-do list for the day.
Writing a list of tasks that you want to accomplish in a day is a sure-fire way to increase your productivity. Some people, on their low days, tend to be unproductive, and having a to-do list to break down a somewhat busy day can help alleviate the stress they could head into. Plus, one shouldn’t deny themselves the satisfying feeling of crossing off or ticking off a task accomplished throughout the day.
An added bonus is that it will help you with your memory through habitually writing your daily tasks and tracking your progress.
3. Meditate for 10 minutes every day
Firstly, meditating isn’t just sitting in silence but actually choosing to focus on the present, which in turn leads you to come to a peaceful and calm state of being. This simple act for merely 10 minutes a day can help you focus your attention by encouraging you to unjumble your thoughts and piece them together one by one. It will also improve your concentration on daily tasks as well.
I have tried meditating and it's not for me, but what I hear, from those who practice it habitually, is that it has made them a much calmer person than before. They use their mediation time to let go of the negativity of the day before so that they are naturally in a positive and peaceful mindset for the day.
Try it out and share your experience with me in the comments.
4. Dance the stress out.
Have you ever had a shower concert in which you get into the performer zone, tap into your alter ego, and go off in the rain?? Yes? Maybe? Well, I have, and it was freeing.
If you have seen Step Up or any dance movie, there is always that scene where the character has an emotional dance scene and you see how after they dance, they seem happier or calmer. Just like those sexy dancers on TV, you too can receive the mental relief that dancing can offer you.
Dancing has always been defined as a form of expression and what better way to boost your mental health than to express your stress, pain, anger and frustration in dance. Whether it's in your room or in the bathroom or in a dance studio, just dance to let it all go.
5. Practise deep breathing exercises.
Deep breathing, as simple as it is, can honestly do real good for your mind, from obviously helping calm your anxiety to improving your focus.
You may have even done deep breathing a couple of times to calm yourself in heated situations, but how about doing it before those heated situations even happen? Not only will you be a lot less anxious, but also a lot more alert.
You could try it before you begin your day or as you are meditating in the morning.
6. Do some colouring.
The once childish activity meant to distract kids is now a simple activity that can ease your mind. Colouring can help reduce your stress by giving yourself an easily achievable task that is controlled by you, from how long you hope to take; to what colours you want to use; to what you want to colour; to when you want to colour. Colouring is also a way to detach your mind from the online world and focus on the real world around you.
Hopefully, colouring can help you realize the colourful world you live in and appreciate it more.
7. Relax in a warm bath once a week.
Did you know that taking a bath can lead your brain to release the "feel good" hormone in response to the increase in body temperature?
Imagine that!
Sitting in a pool of warm water infused with bath bombs and oils, sipping on wine (or whichever drink you prefer), maybe you are reading or just going through how you spent your day, but this simple act is a great form of self-care.
There’s even a study to prove taking a 30-minute bath once a day has a positive effect on your mental health. They even chose to focus on depressed people for this study and could note the significant change in them after the study. If scientists could see what g
8. Take a 30-minute walk in nature.
Interestingly, the more you walk, the better your sleep will be. Walking doesn’t just help your body stay in shape but also helps your mind.
When I take walks, I'm also mentally sorting through what is making me sad, what I wish I did better, and how I felt after certain interactions. Basically, I sort out my mental jumble into compartments that I can easily handle. You also may have felt the power of a good walk after a very heated argument with someone, and if you realise it, the more you walk, the less angry and frustrated you feel. That just goes to show how powerful a walk can be not only physically but mentally as well.
9. Get some Vitamin D for 15 minutes/day.
Yes, when your parents tell you to stop hiding in your room and to go outside, it’s not because they can’t stand that you are inside, but because you really need to feel the sun on your face every day. Sunlight has always been a symbol of joy, so it only seems right that getting a bit of sun can truly boost your mood. There are even treatments based on revolving around the exposure to sunlight in order to boost a depressed person’s release of the "feel-good" hormone.
In Uganda, ‘Kasana’ may sometimes be in excess and we tend to take it for granted, but that scorching blaze we despise, especially in the afternoon, is doing lots of good for our minds too. So next time you feel the warm rays of the sun on your skin, know that it is doing work internally and that you will reap the rewards.
10. Eat well.
I think of this in terms of the better I eat, the better I feel physically and mentally. I know when I eat my veggies like broccoli, I feel proud of myself for choosing it over a cheese and bacon sandwich, which isn’t an easy sacrifice.
But eating well has also been linked to our mood and energy levels. When we choose to eat unhealthy food, we choose to forego the healthy nutrients that give us energy as well as regular production of hormones that help elevate our moods.
11. Shopping, aka retail therapy
We have all felt the instant gratification of buying ourselves something new, whether it's new shoes or a new phone or a new pen. That feeling is good. Keeping in mind that money doesn’t just fall from the sky every day, I am not encouraging reckless spending. Buying yourself something small like a sweet is still shopping and it won’t break the bank. So don’t be afraid to spend a little on yourself and if you want to go big, like a shopping spree big, I recommend you do it once in a while (emphasis on "once" and "while").
12. Practice a skill you are good at.
So I posted an Instagram story a while ago asking people what uncommon things they do to boost their mental health, and one person answered video editing. I personally don’t know the ins and outs of video editing, but it seemed to me that this person enjoys the process of it all. To turn something like video editing, a task that can take hours and hours of your day to do and making it something that relieves your mind is inspiring.
Maybe you have that skill/hobby that just calms you as you are doing it? Maybe you love going to the gym and doing hardcore routines, trying a complicated recipe, or cleaning really dusty rooms. Whatever it is, if it instantly relaxes you as you are doing it, then you should be doing it more.
13. Treat yourself to a few pieces of dark chocolate or just chocolate.
I am aware not everyone is a fan of dark chocolate, so I suggest chocolate in general, whether it's white, red, or vegan. Eating chocolate, in general, is always an amazing feeling, and because it is not a feeling we get to enjoy every day, doing it once in a while just makes it so much better.
Scientists have even found a connection between eating chocolate and its effects on our mental mood. Chocolate even triggers the release of particular neurotransmitters that help against depression. So the next time you are feeling low, spoil yourself with a chocolate bar, it will have you feeling good in no time.( Okay, well, not exactly 'no time' but in a good amount of time 😅)
14. Hang out with pets
As a pet owner, I highly recommend this to any animal lover 💖🐱🐶out there. There’s something pure and wholesome about getting a bit of TLC (Tender Love and Care) from an animal or your pet. I enjoy (and sometimes dislike) when my pets lavish me with affection and attention. It honestly melts me to the core, and on my low days, sitting with my pets or going on a walk with them pulls me out of it.
I believe our pets can read our emotions and, out of the pure goodness of their hearts, will try to help us feel happier by doing what they know makes us smile. We have seen it in the movies and series we watch and newsflash! Those fictional stories are not that farfetched.
15. Read a book
It doesn’t have to be a thick 1000 page novel; it could be a comic book or an audiobook, whatever your preference is. Reading has always a relaxing activity that allows a reader to enter a world created by an author to escape. With the growing number of genres of books being produced and the variety of forms that stories are being reproduced in, there is literally something for everyone.
Personally, reading has always been a safe haven for me. My favourite book was "Black Beauty" as a child, and right now it's "Only Time Will Tell". Both those books took me to another world that got me so immersed in them that I cried at times, but they also opened my eyes to things in myself that I admired in the characters I loved. There are times I draw inspiration from the stories I read to do or say things I was scared to do before. Maybe you can draw inspiration from the books you read too. Don’t just read to pass time, but read to help yourself.
If you have any more practical and simple ways to boost your mental health, drop them in the comments below!
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