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Whether you’re just getting started, or you’re someone who has gotten better, it’s important to create a daily routine for mental health to stay on track. When I started building mental health activities into my day, it was an important aspect of my success in overcoming anxiety and depression.
I started small by practicing mindfulness without meditation, then I added in gratitude exercises, and worked my way up to daily meditation. Over time, these mental health exercises became a habit and an important component of my sustained mental well-being. However, the unfortunate truth is that it’s easy to slip up. You may miss a meditation here and there, stop journaling, skip therapy, and then eventually notice that you’re more irritable, anxious, and depressed.
The good news is that whether you’re just starting, or you need to get back on track, having a daily routine for mental health will go a long way in keeping you happy and healthy. So, if you’re like me and you struggle with mental health, then here are some tips on how to create a daily routine for mental health.
Start Small, Focus on Learning Activities for Mental Health
Building a daily routine for mental health is important to maintain a positive mood and establish new and healthy habits. However, if you take on too much all at once, you’ll end up overwhelmed and discouraged. When I started building my routine, I began with just a few activities each day. Over time, I added more activities and goals until I had a routine that was manageable yet effective.
Before you can create a mental health routine, you need to learn about various activities for mental health to figure out what works best for you. If you already know several activities for mental health, then you can probably skip to the last section of this post. However, reading through the article may be a good refresher for you.
If you’re new to creating a mental health routine, then start small by practicing mindfulness without meditation.
Build Mindfulness Without Meditation Into Your Life
If you compared creating a daily routine for mental health to building a house, then mindfulness would be the foundation. For some people, the word mindfulness can be intimidating, or you may think it’s only for those who are into yoga and meditation. The truth is, being mindful just means that you focus on living in the present moment. This is a huge key to easing anxiety because anxious thoughts are typically connected to worries about the future.
Think of anxiety as driving a car. If you spend too much time looking in the rear-view mirror or craning your neck to see what’s around the car ahead of you, then you could miss something and crash. Focusing on what’s happening in the moment keeps you safe and calm.
A great way for beginners to learn how to focus on the present is by practicing mindfulness without meditation. It’s also super easy. I wrote a post that covers 15 different mindfulness without meditation activities, but the best one to start with is noticing.
Noticing
As you go about your day, try to notice small moments of joy. These moments don’t have to be remarkable, notice things like a smile on a loved one’s face, the warmth of a shower, or petting an animal. When you notice these moments, try to savor them. Do this for about a week and reflect on how this noticing practice affected your mood.
If you like this exercise, read about more mindfulness without meditation exercises and incorporate the ones you like into your day. Then when you’re ready to ramp up mindfulness you can add in daily gratitude practice.
Why Gratitude is Important
When you’re struggling with mental health issues, it can be easy to focus on the negative things in your life. You might be thinking about the friends and family you don’t have, the relationships you wish were different, or the things you wish you’d done differently. However, when you’re in a state of depression and anxiety, it’s important to focus on the positive things in your life. That’s where gratitude comes in.
The research is clear on this, gratitude increases happiness. I know this from first-hand experience. I started practicing gratitude by asking my family at dinner, “what was the best part of your day?” The question forces us to find something positive. This is particularly helpful when you’re having a bad day.
Other simple ways to tap into gratitude include, randomly stating five things you’re grateful for, and journaling. Here’s the one I recommend: “Everything Sucks: A Gratitude Journal For People Who Have Been Through Some Sh*t”
Combine gratitude practice with noticing. You don’t have to do it every day but aim for a goal of at least three times a week. Then once, you’ve gotten comfortable with these activities, it’s time to ease into meditation.
How Meditation Helps Mental Health
Like other mindfulness activities, meditation is a great way to bring your mind back to the present. However, meditation also helps with mental health in many other ways. Here are a few examples:
- Progressive muscle relaxation can release tension and help you fall asleep.
- Increase satisfaction and happiness in life with a gratitude meditation.
- Anxiety meditations can teach you how to observe your thoughts and let them go without judgment.
- And the list goes on.
So, meditation is awesome, but getting started can feel overwhelming. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. There are several ways you can start. My favorite is the “How to Meditate” course by Jeff Warren, which comes with a subscription to the Calm app. If you want to learn what meditation is all about, that’s where I would start. Or you could just search for 10-minute meditations and practice at least once per day.
Daily practice is key. A lot of people give up on meditation too early and think it’s not for them. In my experience, it took about three weeks of daily practice before I could start quieting my mind and seeing the benefits. So, if you’re going to start, I would recommend committing to at least three weeks. I promise if you do this you will meditate for life.
How Exercise Improves Mental Health
Making sure you exercise regularly is one of the best things you can do for your mental health. Why? Because exercise helps your body naturally release “feel good” endorphins that reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Additionally, exercise increases your energy levels, and it’s much easier to be positive when you’re not tired.
You don’t have to run five miles or hit the gym, there are a lot of low-impact exercises you can do including:
- Walking
- Yoga
- Hiking
- Stretching
- Swimming
- Bicycling
Out of every activity listed in this post, exercise will have the most profound impact on your mood.
Add in Breathing Exercises For Calm
One of the best ways to calm yourself down when you’re feeling anxious is through breathing exercises. There are many ways to practice breathing exercises and a lot of them are simple. Some great examples include counting your breaths, box breathing, and anchor breathing. I explain how to do these techniques in my post, “How to Calm Down From Anger.”
When you’re struggling with mental health issues, it’s important to have quick exercises that you can do anytime. That way you can get your anxiety under control when it comes up without having to make a big deal about it. Breathing exercises are one of the easiest ways to do this.
Understand How Your Diet Affects Mental Health
We don’t often hear much about how diet affects mental health, but it’s an important factor in regulating your mood. From a commonsense standpoint, think about how food has affected your mental health in the past.
On days when you ate fast food or heavy comfort foods you probably felt more sluggish with less energy. Foods that cause heartburn or gas can also make you uncomfortable, making it harder to sleep. On days when you ate healthier foods you probably had more energy, felt more comfortable, and enjoyed better sleep.
But how do we know what foods are healthy when there’s so much conflicting health science information out there? Well, this is a question I struggled with personally, and I started working with a registered dietician to better understand what my body needs. Dieticians go through rigorous medical training and certification, and many insurance companies help cover the cost of seeing one. On the other hand, people who call themselves nutritionists have no required training. Anyone can make that claim. So, I recommend talking to a dietician to better understand how your diet affects mental health. That said here are some tips I learned from mine.
- Make sure your meals are balanced by including all three macros (carbs, protein, and fat) on your plate.
- Add in as much fruit and vegetables as you can. For example, if you’re having pizza or a burger and fries, add a salad. If you’re having a bowl of cereal, add a banana.
- Combine two macros for snacks. For example, tortilla chips and guacamole, or yogurt and granola.
- Listen to hunger cues by paying attention to how full you feel. When you feel satisfied try to stop eating.
If you’re looking for a virtual appointment, I use Fey Nutrition. And for some great recipe ideas, here are a couple of my favorite healthy food blogs:
In addition to improving your diet for your mental health, you can also try mindful eating by paying attention to all of the sensations you experience while you eat.
Create a Daily Routine for Mental Health
There are many other activities you can do to boost your mood and motivation, but the ones I’ve outlined in the article are enough to get you started. There are many various ways you can structure these mental health activities into your daily routine, below I’ve outlined different activities for different times of the day. When creating your daily routine for mental health, strive to incorporate at least two of these activities every day. For better results, consider adding more, or following the entire routine.
Daily Routine for Mental Health Activities
Morning:
- Get 15 minutes of natural sunlight.
- Do some light exercise, stretching, or yoga.
- Meditate for five to 10 minutes.
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
Afternoon:
- Exercise for 20-30 minutes, walking is great when you’re working because you won’t get too sweaty.
- Practice mindful eating or listen to a motivating podcast while you enjoy lunch.
- Meditate for five to 10 minutes.
Evening:
- Reflect on gratitude.
- Eat a healthy dinner.
- Wind down at the end of the day with a bedtime meditation.
- Listen to a Sleep Story in the Calm app or find a podcast to listen to. I recommend “Get Sleepy” and “Just Sleep.”
As Needed:
- Use breathing exercises or calm down meditations when you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or angry.
Creating a daily routine for mental health is important for maintaining your mood and leading a happy life. When you add in the activities above, you’ll notice a difference in your energy levels, mood, and overall well-being. When it comes down to it, creating a daily routine for mental health is about finding what works for you. Not every single person has the same issues or struggles with mental health. What works for one person might not work for someone else. So, find what resonates with you and incorporate it into your daily life. I also recommend bookmarking this article, so you can come back to it when you need a refresher.
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