Sometimes, less is more in the mental health sphere. When it comes to mental health and building healthy habits, it’s tempting to think big. But I’ve found that thinking too big can lead to feelings of failure when things don’t work out. Personally, in order to manage my own mental health, I try to focus on the small things that I can change and see tangible results from.
With that being said, here’s a listicle of six small habits that I have incorporated into my daily life in order to help improve my own mental health. I live with severe generalized anxiety disorder among other co-occurring disorders, and doing all of these things has made my life better.
1. Making My Bed Every Day
I’ll be completely honest here; I never make my bed in the morning like the rest of the world does. For me, mornings are often rushed and anxiety-provoking as I think about everything that needs to get done that day. Rather than making my bed in the morning, I’ll make it at night right before I fall asleep. This way of making my bed might not be traditional, but having this be the last thing I do each night is actually quite comforting, and it’s one of my favorite rituals. As I make my bed, I’ll spray my pillow with lavender pillow spray, and make sure that I know where my stuffed acorn is (I’m 24 and, can’t sleep without him, but over 40% of adults sleep with a comfort object something so I know I’m not alone).
2. Holding A Textured Item
In addition to generalized anxiety, I have a mental health condition called trichotillomania which means that I pull my hair out when I’m stressed. I’ve never met anyone else who has admitted to having this condition, and having it can be isolating. I’m lucky in the sense that I have thick hair which hides my pull spots, but it’s still embarrassing. Lately, I’ve started keeping textured items (fidgets, pieces of cloth that feel good) next to my desk so I can play with something. I take graduate school classes over Zoom and my hands will go directly to my head if I’m not careful.
3. Stepping Outside for Ten Minutes
Even ten minutes of sunshine a day can do wonders for mental health. As days are getting longer and warmer, I’ve been trying to move my exercise outside. My gym’s outdoor pool just opened, and I’ve been swimming there and walking in my neighborhood instead of on the treadmill. Today, I drove to a local park just to walk for half an hour. The benefits of sunlight for mental health are vast and should not be underestimated. In the winter, I use a sunlamp to counteract the darker days and nights. I don’t have an official diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder, but I’ve noticed that I feel better when I get more sunlight in, and many people with varying mental health conditions feel this way.
4. Limiting Phone Use Before Bed
The blue light that cell phone screens emit is terrible for a good night’s sleep. Personally, my phone stays powered off, plugged in to charge, and downstairs all night. I don’t bring it up to my room when I go to bed and never have. That started off as a house rule but I implement it as a best practice now because I feel as though it makes a huge difference in my mental health and sleep hygiene to not have screens in the same room where I am trying to fall asleep. I know that some people need to have their phones on them at all times, but if you’re in the position where you can try to limit phone usage thirty minutes before bed, that might be a good way to reduce some stress related to feeling as though you have to be on and available at all times.
5. Doing One “Unproductive” Thing On Purpose
This is a tip that I’m currently not good at, and am actively working onat improving. Studies show that having even one hobby or ‘mindless’ pursuit that you enjoy can relax your mental state. Whether that’s going shopping and not buying anything, people watching at your favorite coffee shop, or sitting down with a notebook and doodling, being unproductive can actually be productive in the long run. It can be difficult for me to incorporate more mindless activities into my schedule when I’m packed between work, school, and volunteering, but I am open to suggestions. I feel as though having to fit things like this into a schedule is a huge learning curve, but I am slowly getting better at it.
6. Setting a Mini “Worry Time”
Personally, my anxiety is the highest in the mornings when I am trying to get out of bed and I look at my to-do list and see how long it is for that day. The best tip I received for conquering this kind of anxiety was to set a time limit on my worry: I could set a timer for ten minutes and think about things all I wanted, but once the timer was up, I had to move on to something else, whether that was changing into my outfit for the day, brushing my teeth, or deciding what I wanted to eat for breakfast. All in all, setting a timer does not always work if your anxiety is severe, but if it’s a low-level, generalized anxiety, that could work to reduce some stressful thoughts and feelings that come your way. It didn’t work right away but once it did, it was a game-changer.
Hopefully, one of these small tips for navigating anxiety will resonates with you. Remember, the smallest steps that you take to manage your anxiety can oftentimes be the most sustainable in the long run. As the days get longer and the sun shines brighter, summer is a perfect time to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.
