5 Things You Can Do Today To Better Your Mental Health

Healthy habits to turn your life around

Working to better your mental clarity is all about little and often. Now this doesn't have to be going on a 10 mile hike every morning or moving out of civilization, it's all about creating healthy habits no matter how small, all adding up to the bigger picture.

1. Fueling your body

One of the number one things to support both your physical and mental health is fueling your body. Making sure you are eating enough and getting enough nutrients to nourish your body. You don't have to cut out a whole food group altogether and you can still enjoy your favourite foods, but it's all about balance and eating things in moderation. Ways you can do this include;

• Getting you 5 a day every day

• Drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day

• Eating more whole foods such as brown bread, oats, and nuts

• Cutting down on sugary and processed foods

• Reducing your alcohol intake

2. Movement

A second important lifestyle change you can make is taking steps to become more active and add more movement to your daily routine. This could include;

• Going on a morning walk or run

• Starting Yoga or Pilates

• Going swimming

• Going to the gym

• Taking up a new sport

Whatever gets your body moving and makes you feel good.

3. Calming your mind

One of the number one ways to calm your mind I sleep. Making sure you are getting enough sleep may seem obvious but it is often jeopardised by going out, staying up late to finish that assignment, or watching just one more episode of your favourite new show. And this goes hand in hand with something else quite often overlooked, the impact that daily meditation and mindfulness can have on your life. For some, it seems boring or repetitive, but the more you practice the more you will start to see the benefits. Mindfulness practices to get you started could be;

• Listening to a guided meditation on youtube

• Learning some breathing techniques

• Reading or listening to an audiobook

• Resiting Positive affirmations or mantras

• Doing some gratitude journaling

4. Connecting with people

In the busy world of today, it is easy to get cause up in work, the news and routine making it easy to drift away from people and forget the importance of connecting with those around you. Ideas to connect with those around you include;

• Meeting an old friend for a coffee

• Going out for a drink with a classmate or colleague

• Going out for dinner with a family member

• Going on a weekend adventure with your partner

5. Taking time for yourself

The 5th initiative that you can take today to better your mental health is to be selfish and take time for yourself. It's important to remember that it's okay to do things for yourself and put yourself first, as at the end of the day doing what makes you happy is going to be a life well lived. That could be;

• Listening to music

• Pampering yourself

• Buying yourself something you had your eye on

• Doing an activity you always wanted to do

• Having some me time

Now it can seem scary to add so many new practices into your routine at once, but doing things slowly and one at a time such as adding in a new practice once a week in the long term will make all the difference.