Mental Health Practices to Incorporate into Your Daily Routine

It’s important to take care of your mental health, no matter who you are, where you live, or what you do. Mental health is something that all of us as humans should stay on top of in order to ensure we are living life to the fullest. If you want to read more about mental health in order to get a feeling for what we’re discussing today, check out the article “The Yellow Wallpaper: The Importance of Understanding Mental Health.”

In this article, we’re going to dive into different mental health practices you can adapt into your daily routine to enhance your mental health. There are many different ways to take care of your mental health that can be complementary to seeing health professionals. Luckily, there is not a “one size fits all” approach in managing mental health and these self-care tips and practices can help make you feel more grounded. Discovering what works for you is an important step to better mental health.

How to Find What Practices Work for You

The best way to find strategies to incorporate into your daily routine is by trial and error. By trying out various practices, you’ll learn what works best for optimal mental health and self-care. It’s important to find a few practices that work for you, so that you have multiple tools to choose from each day. Creating and sticking to a daily routine that is beneficial and supportive to your mental health is vital. In order to help you find some self-care that works for you, here is a list of mental health practices you can incorporate into your daily routine.

Consistent Bed- and Wake-times

When creating a daily routine that is going to work for you, start at the very beginning (and end!) of each day. Consistently going to bed and waking up at the same time is a great way to ensure you’re getting enough sleep at night – you should aim for eight hours of sleep nightly - and ensure you’re getting quality sleep. Getting enough sleep is important for your mental and physical health, and by setting firm boundaries for both bedtime and wake time, you will help your body recover and prepare for another day. Quality sleep allows your brain to rest and recharge, and sleep helps the brain have optimal function. Good sleep is such an important part of improving mental health, but some mental illnesses can cause insomnia, so it’s important to find ways to improve your sleep. Taking melatonin with advice from a professional, putting away electronics at least 30 minutes before bed, drinking herbal tea, and going to bed and waking up at the same time each day may help improve insomnia. Overall, it is very important to try and stay consistent with your sleep. Do yourself a favor and get some healthy zzzzs!

Take a Journaling Journey

Writing in a journal can be a very therapeutic and mindful way to manage mental health. You can journal at any point in the day, but it’s best to try and stick to the same time each day for consistency purposes. Journaling gives you the space to write down all of your thoughts, worries, aspirations - really anything you want. Your journal or diary is a safe space for you, and there are so many ideas available online and in how-to books to help you kick-start a journal. Habit trackers and mood trackers are a way to see how you are feeling and what habits you engage in over time. Journaling can also be used as a tool in therapy, especially if you write down things you want to discuss so you don’t forget in session. You can write about things that happened yesterday, or things that happened several years ago. Adding a few minutes of journaling every day is a great way to put your thoughts on paper to clear your mind as well as track your mental health.

Getting Outside

Being outside and getting fresh air is another activity to incorporate into your daily routine. So often we find ourselves inside for long stretches of the day, but being outside, absorbing sunlight and being in nature is vital to our mental health. Whether you go for a brisk walk around the neighborhood, run in your local park, or have a picnic on a sunny day, being outside is so beneficial to mental health. Why not try getting up from your chair and take a break from staring at screens. Even a 15-minute walk can feel refreshing. Bonus tip: if you enjoy working outside, it can be a fun change of pace to find an outside spot to work! However, it’s good to get some separation from work, and enjoying the outdoors without worrying about work is important, too. Taking the time each day to fit in some outdoor time is a great way to give yourself a break and take care of your mental health.

Schedule Alone Time… And Social Time

If you are constantly surrounded by people like family, coworkers, roommates, or friends, you may find it beneficial to take time for yourself each day. Conversely, if you live alone, you may find it important to be around others daily for company and socialization. It is key to find a balance between spending time with family and friends, and taking time to be alone to do activities that make you happy. Schedule a few minutes a day to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, a book, a TV show, or something else alone and reconnect with yourself. Similarly, make sure you are connecting with people in your life who make you feel happy and supported. Once you find the activities you enjoy doing with others, implement them into your daily routine! Remember, balance is key.

Exercise Your Options

Exercise is important for mental and physical health. By moving our bodies, we can get endorphins, which is a hormone that helps make us feel happy. Adding some movement into your daily schedule is very beneficial. This exercise can be any kind of movement—a walk, swimming, weightlifting, rock climbing, kayaking, frisbee, yoga—truly anything! It can be hard to fit exercise into a busy schedule, but the mental benefits are so worth it. Exercising in the morning can be a nice way to wake up for the day, while exercising at night can help you unwind before bed. It’s all about what fits into your schedule and what type of movement brings you joy.

Hobbies

Hobbies are another wonderful activity to add into your daily routine. Engaging in a hobby can help us learn new skills, meet other like-minded people, and step out of our comfort zone. When we get busy or overscheduled, we may sometimes overlook our hobbies, but it is important to highlight the things that make us happy! Setting aside even 30 minutes each day to dedicate to hobbies can be very therapeutic. Hobbies can be something you have done for years, or something that you picked up as an adult. Both are valid, and if you are looking for a new hobby to get into, let me give you some ideas! Ice skating, pottery, puzzles, painting, swimming, a book club, or a recreational sport team can all be great hobbies to add into your routine. Hobbies are important for your mental health and can be a good way to take a break from work or other responsibilities and do something that is just for you.

Staying Consistent

Arguably, the most important aspect of any routine is sticking to it. If you are not consistent with the practices you choose to incorporate into your day, then you will not be able to reap the full benefits of having a daily routine. Taking care of your mental health is so important, and creating a routine that you can rely on to support your mental health can be absolutely eye opening. When you know that there are certain things each day you can rely on to complete, you will not only feel accomplished and satisfied with your activities, but it will also ensure that you are giving yourself breaks from what might be a monotonous or stressful work schedule.

Time to Create Your Routine!

At the end of the day, you should (most of the time!) have a day that is productive and supportive for your mental health. Of course, everyone has bad days, but by including some practices in your daily routine purely for the purpose of making sure your mental health is in a good place, you can hopefully make each day better. If you are struggling with your mental health and you believe that creating a routine could be beneficial, I urge you to experiment! Trying to add different activities in for a few weeks is a great way to test what works for you. Even if you are not struggling with your mental health, adding daily practices into your routine is a way to add some fun, relaxing, or outdoor activities into your life. If you have added something into your daily routine that has helped your mental health, feel free to comment below. It may help someone else. There’s a big world of ideas out there, go out and find a few that work for you!