Are you going through a day-to-day routine that makes you feel more like a robot?
Do you truly wish to experience life for everything that makes it worthwhile?
Are you willing to change certain ways of going about this journey so that you actually live life?
If you answered YES, to all the questions asked above, then you are certainly at the right place here. We are going to discuss some of the best daily positive habits that you can start to apply as soon as NOW if you want to have a healthy, fulfilling and happy life. Of course, habit-building takes time, and we are in no way saying that you will see instant results, but you can be sure of some powerful changes to happen as you start to embark on this journey to make your life better, one small action and one day at a time. But, let’s first discuss why these habits are important in the pursuit of better mental health.
Why adopting positive habits contribute to mental wellness?
According to the American Journal of Psychology, habits can be defined as a more or less fixed way of willing, thinking, and feeling acquired through the previous repetition of a mental experience. These experiences may seem unimportant on an individual level, but collectively they form a routine, which gives structure to your daily activities, and you feel comfortable. Whenever this structure is disrupted, you tend to feel uneasy. So, from the psychological viewpoint, routines and the process of habit formation are essential for your mental well-being as you safely go about your day. And when we are able to adopt habits that inherently have the power to change our life for the better, we make a system that works for us and that makes us live in a better way.
Now that you know what habits can do to us and how they help us stay mentally stable, we are sure you must be ready to inculcate some of those positive habits into your routine. Keep reading further to know, and choose the ones that feel easier to follow at the starting; otherwise, you may feel overwhelmed, and that is certainly not our motive at Manifestherapy. We want you to take steps to make life better, but in ways that you truly feel the change and motivation.
As a note of caution, though, we would also like to clarify that these habits can help boost your mental wellness but not heal a mental health issue. For that, you may need to talk to a therapist, who would be able to guide you out of your problem. You can contact our Mental Health Experts if you need Professional Help.
The best positive habits for boosting your mental well-being are:
Move your body the way you love it
“Exercising is good for our body” is something we all know, and in many ways whenever we are not able to get those workouts done, the guilt trip takes us down to mentally darker places. The best way to tackle this issue is to find the kind of exercise you love and then go for that. These can include cardio, Zumba classes, weight training, yoga, pilates, or just running around the block. Initially, finding out the best workout routine for you may seem tiring, but those trials and errors will bring you to a decision. And finally, when you know what suits your body and mind, you can do those sessions like that habit which makes you feel enthusiastic about the process rather than just metaphorically running away from being healthy.
Level up your hydration and nutrition game
So many times, we feel worse only because we don’t eat well and don’t drink enough water. We, as humans, truly are what we feed our bodies with. If you consume more junk food and never nourish yourself with seasonal vegetables and fruits, the body will not listen to you and give more problems, which will definitely lead to mental issues as well. But, if you eat well and drink the required amount of water on a daily basis, the basics of a good life are met.
Reading and learning something new
Our brain is a wonderful part of our body, capable of sending us to the Moon and finding the best ways to cure deadly diseases, and so much more. But, if we don’t take care of the brain, it starts to deteriorate and even leads to mental health issues that could have been avoided if we had given the right building blocks to the brain.
The human brain is made up of billions of cells called neurons, which carry messages. Whenever a new message is sent, a pathway is created, and the more these pathways, the stronger the brain becomes. When we learn something new, we basically strengthen our brain cells, which makes us more intelligent and talented over time. And one of the best ways to learn is by reading books because this is how we have learnt since childhood and we know that we can be acquiring new skills without any distraction. You could also go ahead with watching videos and listening to podcasts, but only if you can be sure that the specific session with the smartphone will be for learning and not for mindless scrolling.
Journaling for mindfulness
Do you know how many thoughts we have every day? According to the research done by psychologists at Queen’s University in Canada, humans have an average of 6200 thoughts per day. This is how much our brain is handling, and that remains the reason why we tend to feel overwhelmed. Those running thoughts can be tamed a bit by journaling because catching them in the form of thoughts may be difficult, but when we try to write what it is that we are thinking about, we get a perspective. We can find out what is bothering us; we can slow down the train of thoughts at that moment and handle some of them for what they are. Another way of journaling is to create a Gratitude Journal. When we focus on our blessings, that is what we will feel and attract more towards ourselves. Try this positive habit in the morning or at night, and within a few days, you can start to witness a change.
Positive self-talk
Many of those thoughts that run across the day in our minds are negative. What we particularly think about ourselves is also negative because we have all those memories that say we are not enough or we can’t do it. Unless you consciously try to have positive self-talk, much of the chatter will be destructive to your self-esteem and the entire being. When talked negatively, even plants die, so how can we expect to have a positive life if all we talk about ourselves is negative! Change the way you talk to yourself, even if it is difficult in the beginning, but keep taking the right way, and one day you will be in a beautiful place of mind.
Sleep restfully
To have a healthy body and mind, one needs to sleep properly. One of the first things to get disrupted during a mental health problem is the sleeping pattern. In that case, we can assume that the person may have a sleeping disorder, but even if that is not the root cause, any disturbance in your sleep can be a tell-tale sign that you may need professional help.
If you want to have a better sleeping pattern, you should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, avoid caffeine after 3pm, make your room conducive to sleep at optimal temperature and limit the use of gadgets two hours before sleeping time. Once you build a healthy sleep habit, many other problems may also begin to vanish.
Nurturing relationships and connections
Human beings are social creatures who thrive in social environments. When you have meaningful connections with family and friends, you also get the strength to combat the daily stressors of life. Strong relationships have the power to impact you in a positive way and also boost your mental well-being. Do your best to stay connected to your loved ones by checking up on them every once in a while. That true human bond can truly heal you!
Conclusion:
If you feel that adopting all of them at once is tough, go for the easier ones. Try to take small steps each day in the direction of building some of these habits, and soon you will find the benefits. Once you find those, the motivation to adopt other healthy habits will come easily. We hope you start something soon, and if you need help in journaling, you can download the FREE PDF with Prompts to help you journal in a constructive way.
