We all know that our mental health is invaluable but how do we actually take care of our mental health? Here are a few of the ways I’ve been taking care of my mental health that have helped me tremendously. And I’m someone who struggled with depression and anxiety for most of my life.
1. Prayer and spending time with God
When you yearn for him and draw closer to him, his light is so bright that it completely destroys the darkness in you.
It’s not about religion, it’s about the relationship with God. It’s about desperately seeking him through prayer, meditation, and reading his word.
You don’t need an epic study guide either. You only need a Bible that you can understand the language and a heart that thirsts for God.
Start by scheduling time with God either at the start or end of your day. At this time, just commit to reading one chapter. Then meditate on what you’ve read.
As for prayer, this can be constant throughout the day. Seriously, just talk to him like you’re talking to a friend. You don’t need all the extra formalities. You can also pray in your mind because he hears our innermost thoughts.
2. Exercise
This might seem counter-intuitive especially if you’re depressed and really can’t be bothered to do anything. However, our bodies are designed to move.
Personally, I don’t function well if I don’t exercise for a long time. Movement releases all the good hormones in your body.
Exercise doesn’t need to be some epic training regimin or some hour long gym routine either. A ten minute jog or brisk walk will do the trick. And guess what? You can do this in your bedroom or in your living room too.
The next time you’re feeling out of it, move.
3. Reading a good book
Any genre is fine. Whatever you’re interested in, grab a book in that genre and read. Lose yourself in the words on paper.
It’s a great way to give yourself a break from your personall issues. It allws you to “step away” from it all for a bit which centers you.
You’ll be surprised how much you learn and grow from this exercise. Learning and growing are directly connected to your mental health.
4. Competitive sports
This one, I currently don’t have the time to do but that doesn’t dispute its benefits.
Competing against others taps into our more primal instincts. Plus if your focus is on winning the game, your mind will be distracted from whatever is trying to pull you under.
The more you do this, the more you’ll start to feel inspired to challenge yourself.
5. Challenging yourself
We like to win. We validate ourselves in this way. The more we get those small wins, the more confident we become.
Here’s a small challenge: compliment someone today. It has to be a stranger or someone you are afraid to talk to (like your crush). Don’t worry about their response.
Even if they respond negatively, guess what? You just pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone. That’s a win.
6. Writing
We are not meant to store everything inside our heads. The truth is, that thoughts can get crowded and noisy sometimes. The more we keep it all in our heads, the more burdened and overwhelmed we become.
Journaling your feelings, thoughts, and problems not only clears your mind, it also frees up your precious brain capacity allowing you to think more clearly.
Writing for mental health can be done the good old-fashioned way by using pen and paper, by typing on your computer or laptop, or by using an app on your tablet or phone.
I really like using an app since it allows me to capture my thoughts faster than pen and paper would. Plus it’s something you can do anytime and anywhere. Especially since whe’re always on our phones anyway.
7. Accomplishing goals
Like I’ve said before, humans like to win. Accomplishing a goal is a big win.
There is something euphoric about checking off that goal or seeing your dreams come to life that gives you that sense of fulfillment and makes you feel good about yourself.
Start by setting small attainable goals. Each time you accomplish a goal, challenge yourself to make it bigger
8. Planning and organizing
When there’s chaos happening on the inside, start by sorting and arranging the outside. Just don’t overwhelm yourself trying to plan every second of every minute of every day.
Start with a simple to-do list. Then you can try time blocking.
Try to be open though to the possibility that everything won’t go exactly as planned and that’s okay. The act of planning has already done its job: help you to organize your thoughts.
On the topic of planning and organizing, there have been several studies that prove that the simple act of decluttering and organizing our physical space can do wonders for our mental health.
9. Listening to music
For this to work though, you must refrain from listening to music that fuels the shadow emotions.
Listen to something calming, positive, or uplifting. And sing along when you can. Dance even.
We’ve already talked about how movement helps your mental health so why not move to something fun?
10. Listening to podcasts
Again, for this to be effective, it must be something positive and uplifting.
Do not listen to any podcasts where the speaker is just complaining.
Listen to something that motivates and inspires you. Listen to something that challenges you to think differently.
11. Learning something new
Whatever you focus on is what will grow in your life.
When you focus on learning something new, you stop feeding depression and anxiety.
As a result, they get weaker and die with time.
Try learning a new language or a new skill. Whether hard skill or soft skill, it doesn’t matter. Either will do the trick.
BONUS
12. Accepting responsibility for your emotions
When you release others of the burden of carrying your emotions, you free yourself to take back control.
Having that sense of control in our lives gives us the feeling of security we crave.
While we’re on the topic, can we stop viewing this as a burden? Let’s instead view it as an honor.
So the mindset shift becomes: when we honor ourselves and others by managing our emotions, we regain our sense of balance and control.
In conclusion
Remember that your mental health, like everything else, is a journey. Fostering a healthy, purposeful lifestyle will keep mental health problems at bay.
Please keep in remember though that health is a mind and body experience. “Health” comes in different forms – physical, emotional, spiritual, financial – and these all affect your overall mental health.
If you take care of only one, your mental health will still take a toll. So develop a lifestyle that supports all these areas. It takes times, but it’s possible.
-Lis
Leave a comment