Tips for Better Mental Health
With the hustle and bustle of the 24/7 news cycle, and family and work responsibilities seemingly adding more to our to-do lists than there are hours in the day – we thought we would share some of the best ways to recharge our battery and help reduce day-to-day stresses.
Exercise
Get your sweat on! Walk, run, dance, play a team sport, swim. The ‘what’ doesn’t matter as much as just making it happen. Shoot for at least 30 minutes daily. If you need some help getting started see this article.
Nature
Don’t have time to get out into nature regularly? Bring the outside, in. Open a window or try to work where you can see the beauty of your natural surroundings. Invest in a houseplant or two. Grow window herbs. And when you can, and as often as you can, make an effort to walk, hike, play or swim and ground yourself in nature.
Unplug - Literally
If you are consistently tethered to a mobile device or screen, there can be something very freeing to completely disconnecting and going ‘off-grid’. Try to do this for 1-2 hours before bed at a minimum and if you can – schedule a weekend a month and a week a year, to be completely TECH FREE…
Meditate and quiet your mind
Meditation does not need to be a long and intricate process, but can be as easy as practicing clearing your mind of any active thoughts before bed. Letting whatever does come to mind quietly float away to black. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Start out small and work your way up from there. To make it easy for you we found a great link on Mindbodygreen.com. If you prefer a quick, even easier start to meditation, here are 3 No-Strings-Attached Guided Meditation Resources. No-Strings-Attached means no download or signup required. Simply visit one of these websites, select a meditation and click play.
Topic(s): Peace, Expanding Love, and God as Light
Duration: 10-15 minutes
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Program
Topic(s): Breathing, Body Scan, Sleep, Dealing with Difficulty, and more
Duration: Mostly less than 10 minutes
Topic(s): Letting Go of Control, Creative Awakening, Global Peace, and more
Duration: As short as 5 minutes and as long as 25 minutes
Laugh
Sometimes laughter IS the best medicine. Some ideas to tickle your funny bone: Watch a comedy, read a book of jokes, get together with friends for a night of ‘most embarrassing stories’…. The ideas are endless.
Social support
When was the last time you had a deep, long and uninterrupted heart to heart with a loved one or friend? Are your personal relationships filling your cup or emptying it out? If more are emptying – then it may be time to reassess who you allow in your sacred circle of friends. Social support and our ‘village’ is a vital component to our ability to adapt to stressors. Make sure you take time to nurture yours.
Get organized
Sometimes being a little proactive and cleaning your space or organizing the day can help minimize the stress that comes with clutter of both your mind and surroundings. While cleaning may not be everyone’s favorite activity – there is a good amount of satisfaction that comes with a tidy and organized space. Pencil it in on the calendar if you have trouble making it a regular habit.