Simple Habits for Mental Health

Life is not always easy. Life is not always great. There will be times that you will feel like mental garbage.

Sometimes we are able to identify the cause of our anxiety or depression. Other times we have a sense of sadness or anxiety that can’t be sourced.

But thankfully, life can and will get better. By bringing some simple habits into your life, you can work towards a more healthy mindset. 

Whenever I find myself slipping into a negative headspace, I ensure that I’m following the simple habits for mental health below:

1. Train Your Body – Your physical health plays a large role in your mental health. Doing regular workouts makes you both physically and mentally strong. Develop the regular practice of a weight lifting or cardio routine that you enjoy. 
2. Eat Right – The hormones, vitamins, and blood sugar of your body have a substantial impact on your mental state. If you are lacking certain nutrients, like omega 3s or B vitamins, your emotional health can struggle. Eat a balanced diet of real foods that allows you to meet your nutritional needs.
3. Moderate Stimulants / Depressants – Emotion alternating substances like caffeine and alcohol are commonplace in our culture. Make sure you are moderating, or avoiding, anything that might be having a negative effect on your mental health. 
4. Stop Following the News – Just a reminder: you have no control over the stuff that is in the news. It’s also written to play on your emotions (oftentimes fear). Stop following the media nonsense! 
5. Be a Person of Action – Following through on our goals and having accomplishments can help create a positive snowball effect in our lives. Become a person of action, and start making a positive impact in your life. 
6. Meditate – Developing a meditation habit helps you recognize thought patterns and control your emotional narrative. I personally come back to my mediation practice whenever I feel myself slipping into negative thought patterns. 
7. Love Yourself – You need to learn to love the person in the mirror. This is an active habit. It takes a continual effort to acknowledge that you are in charge of making yourself become the person you want to be.