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10 Things I Started Doing That Helped My Mental Heath.
Struggling with depression from a young age and taking medication for it off and on for years, I never really tried to understand it or find other ways to manage it. When I did, there were steps that had surprisingly positive impacts that can help anyone on any form of healing or growing journey.
- 1.Clear all spaces: I found this one by accident out of boredom but it really did leave a feeling of completion and organisation that I added it to my tool box. In two months, no hideaway in the house was left unturned and now it remains a head clearing activity. Its also backed by psychology that clear, organised spaces creates calmness, mental clarity, reduces stress and promotes productivity. Remove items you hold no use or passion for.
- 2.Take weekly walks: The length or duration of the walk is not relevant, use whatever time you can to take weekly walks. Taking yourself for regular walks significantly reduces stress and anxiety levels, getting fresh air and sun, along with movement providing your body with more oxygen, all benefit our mental health. Walking enables you to concentrate on being in the moment, to slow down, observe the environment and reflect. Stagnant scenery is guaranteed to make you feel stagnant so take some walks, explore and absorb the beauty around you.
- 3. Find a Hobby: Studies show people with hobbies report better health, happiness, satisfaction and less depression. Hobby groups can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness with any creative, sensory, expressive, cognitively stimulating or relaxing hobbies promotes good mental health and well being. Its especially great for overthinkers as it helps focus our brain on other things than the word tornado going around in your head.
- 4. Listen to Hz music whilst sleeping: Working with the world of vibrations, our bodies respond to different frequencies. Brown noise relaxes my mind, helps me sleep well and drift off easily. I will adjust what frequency I listen to when going to sleep depending on how I’m feeling. It can take some time to test and observe which frequencies help your sleep but you an be guaranteed a good nights rest when you do. If any specific vibration annoys you, that’s not the correct frequency for you. Each frequencies heal different parts of the body and mind and the one that will help you is personal depending on your current needs. I struggled with sleep for many many years, now I have a great relationship with my sleep and my dreams.
- 5. Sit with yourself: This may seem silly but how often do we question why something is frustrating us rather than instinctively reacting. Sit with your feelings with no distractions and reflect on your thoughts, feelings and actions. Learn when and why you get frustrated, avoidant, angry or whatever other reactive responses we become accustomed to. This helps us to recognise when we might be lying to ourselves and sometimes be the creator to some of life’s situations. Taking the time to do this helps you learn who you really are and knowing that can improve your mental health and your life in general. Learning to be self reflective helps us understand our own input into the world, sometime we learn we are the problem, other times, it gives us the confidence to know we wasn’t.
- 6. Don’t be scared to say goodbye to people: Granted this one is easier when you’re comfortable in number 5, sitting with yourself. If you’re trying to heal and keep a stable mental health, certain people and places are just not right for you and that’s okay. For some, this could be long friendship circles, workplace relationships even social media followers. Sadly for some, like myself, this will include family. Anything that leaves you with a bad feeling consistently, alone, not included and even digs disguised as jokes. Toxic people prey on others and the only difference you can make is not allowing it in your space to mess with your mental heath and growth. The better you know yourself, the less you care what others think of you and in turn making you less affected by toxic behaviour and people.
- 7. Positive thinking: We can all be guilty of overthinking and believing the programmed negative thoughts that come to mind. Just how life has programmed negative thoughts in us, we can reprogram them to a more positive perspectives. Anyone recovering from any type of abuse or mental health will understand the feelings of imposter syndrome, but this is just the doubts the world has made us accustomed to. When you feel the dark thoughts or reactions, actively observe and reword the thought. “I’m not good enough” can become “I’m working on myself and growing”. Practise this daily until your brain switches the default thoughts from negative to positive. Language is just semantics, use to to your advantage.
- 8. Practice gratitude: It human nature and psychology to aim for the next thing and forget the achievements that have already been made. When we don’t have everything we seek right now, we can feel no progress is being made. Take a look back to five even ten years ago, I can guarantee something has been achieved in this time. Remember what you use to wish for, remember where you came from. Things might not be perfect but you can always find things to be grateful for and some reason to keep trying. When we practice gratitude, we send that frequency into the world and what goes out, finds its way back.
- 9. Yoga and exercise: Being ADHD, I find consistency in self care a battle. One way I challenge this is to complete yoga poses or simple exercises. I’m not someone that enjoys long strenuous workouts so instead of doing nothing, I do what I’m comfortable with. I found 20 yoga poses for my bodies ability and simple workouts for areas I want to stretch or tone. Anytime I complete these I feel refreshed, in control and proud I managed to complete them. I notice how I’m able to be in the moment while holding poses and feeling the pull on muscles cementing that I’m making a difference. If I don’t manage yoga or exercise sessions, I have my weekly walk for movement so I don’t give myself a hard time. Work at your own pace and level but adding some form of exercise routine can clear you mind, improve physical health and encourage productivity. Doing what you can is better than doing nothing.
- 10. Step out of your comfort zone. Allowing yourself to step out of your comfort zone is part of self discovery, resilience and growth. Embracing discomfort encourages unlocking your individual potential, find new skills and passions and helps you welcome a journey of self curiosity. If you hate going anywhere alone, force yourself to do it and observe all the ways your body feels. If you wish you were smarter, pick a topic and begin micro learning instead of social media doom scrolling. Anything personal to get you to empower yourself and step out your comfort zone can do surprising things for your confidence and mental health.
Are there things you do to help your mental health that are not on the list?