Every day we have a new, exciting opportunity to be our best selves and accomplish amazing things. Part of accomplishing that mission is giving ourselves the right tools and mindset to remove obstacles and triumph over procrastination or difficult emotions. By using these five easy mental health practices, you can give yourself a head start on success and limit potential struggles.
Why Small Daily Mental Health Practices Make a Big Difference
As Brown Health University notes in a 2024 article, our brains naturally crave efficiency, and part of that focus requires finding the fastest route to the mental finish line. Chances are you’ve heard someone joke about driving to an unintended destination or preparing a favorite meal without checking the recipe as being on “autopilot.” This is a perfect example of how the brain will perceive our repetitive actions and work to anticipate them, often without a great deal of conscious thought.
While each individual brain takes a different amount of time to turn a conscious action into a habit, getting started is always the right step. Actively performing that choice, rather than continually planning it, sidesteps hesitation and removes the ability to come up with excuses.
Morning Routines That Set a Positive Tone
Your first healthy habit: Get up and get moving! According to a 2022 study indexed by the National Library of Medicine, a phenomenon called sleep inertia can potentially reduce cognitive ability throughout the morning. This phenomenon is related to that drowsy, groggy or hit-the-snooze-button feeling many people struggle with upon waking up. Thankfully, the answer may be as simple as just moving around. A brisk walk around your room or home can help shake it off in minutes. You don’t need to run a marathon, either. A lap or two walking around the room or a few jumping jacks will work to mitigate sleep inertia.
Healthy Nutrition, Sleep and Movement Habits
Your second healthy habit: Get some sleep to properly recharge. By establishing a steady bedtime, you’ll be tapping into your brain’s desire for efficiency and effectively training your body to be sleepy at the same time each evening. According to a 2022 report by the Centers for Disease Control, a concerning 36% of adults in the United States suffer from insufficient sleep, defined as getting less than 7 hours on average nightly. If you aren’t sure how much sleep you’re getting, most modern wrist-worn exercise trackers offer excellent monitoring.
Set yourself up for sleep success by avoiding digital screens for at least 30 minutes prior to going to bed. Playing the same soothing music before bedtime each night can also work as an auditory cue that tells your body it’s time for rest. If you use a playlist to find your favorite sleep music, it has the added benefit of portability. That way, the music or soundtrack can help you sleep more soundly while traveling or in unfamiliar places.
Building Connections and Social Support
Your third healthy habit: Talk to friends, family or colleagues. A 2024 Gallup Poll found that 20% of survey respondents reported feeling lonely in the day prior. Humans are an inherently social species, which means a daily mental health check-in might be as simple as a quick conversation with a loved one. Harvard’s School of Public Health agrees; in a research article published the same year, it noted that feelings of loneliness and social isolation were associated with an up to 29% increased risk of premature death.
Mindfulness and Stress Management Practices
Your fourth healthy habit: Stay present, grateful and mindful. Stopping to smell the proverbial roses may feel like yet another addition to the to-do list, but it’s vital to staying present in your life. Considering the happy, beneficial things happening in your life on a regular basis can help adjust your mindset to seek them out rather than getting annoyed or angry over problems. Focusing on what you lack rather than what you have can erode the happiness you feel at accomplishments, making you less motivated to strive for them in the future.
If you lead a busy life and struggle to be mindful, keeping a journal or a phone app to write down your notes of gratitude can help. Date each day to stay accountable so you can see at a glance how often you’re being mindful and practicing good mental health habits. If it takes you a few false starts before you’re sticking to it daily, that’s okay too! Habits are about persistence, after all, not perfection.
How to Stay Consistent With Mental Wellness Habits
Your fifth health habit may be the most important of all: Actively reduce your stress whenever possible. That means doing things like using your vacation time at work or enjoying special treats rather than constantly saving them for a rainy day. Actively making your day-to-day life easier is also reducing stress, so if a service like grocery delivery or dog walking saves you time and effort, use them without guilt. The ultimate goal of mental health practices is to make your life both easier and better, and smart delegation is a great way to make it happen.
If you struggle to relax, try a different technique to combat stress. Sit down and mentally walk through your typical day, from waking up until you go to bed. As you progress, make a note about which parts of that daily routine make your chest feel tight or spark annoyance and anxiety. Chances are you’ve been putting off or avoiding something stressful, but if you keep stepping around it, it will start to occupy more and more of your daily mental load.
It’s true that stress relief can look like a massage or a spa day. However, it can also look like enlisting a friend to help you finally tackle that home repair project or taking that year-long accumulation of clothes to the donation center. Some people benefit from actively escaping stress, but others benefit just as much from minimizing or even eliminating its sources. Don’t be afraid to experiment with both methods to figure out what works for you.
Contact the Team at FHE Rehab
If you’re ready to start adding smart mental health practices to your life, the caring, knowledgeable team at FHE Rehab is here to help. Contact us today to set up an appointment, and let’s make your health a habit together.
