Taking care of your health is not a one-day feat; you have to keep looking after yourself every day.
To lead a healthy life, one must take care of the mind, too. Most people fail to look after their mental health due to lack of knowledge, the stigma around it, and because it is not taught in schools or via the media. That is why we need to learn through trial and error while also taking in information from as many sources as possible.
Here are some ways that are backed by science that you can use to feel better every day:
Set a morning routine
Setting intentions in the morning is a crucial aspect of the day. Most people wake up early in the morning to do extra things such as exercising, meditating, journaling, or anything else they care about. However, you don’t need to wake up early. You must decide the course of your day when you wake up. This way, your brain is less likely to get distracted.
Make actionable and measurable goals
Short-term goals are things you want to do in a day or week. Long term goals are things you want to accomplish over long periods. These give purpose to one’s life and also provide one with a sense of accomplishment upon completion.
Get enough sleep
Many people do not get enough sleep simply because they think it is not as vital, and besides, they have that other essential thing to do. But one must invest a good portion of their day in the efforts to sleep well and give their bodies the required amount of rest.
Reconnect with nature
Being inside all the time can have a claustrophobic effect on the mind. Going outside to get some activity done is a good idea for pretty much everyone. It is seen in many pieces of research that sunlight, greenery, sounds of birds, etc., have positive effects on the serotonin levels in people because of our evolutionary past.
Be gentle with yourself
There might be days when you don’t do all the tasks you set out to do that day. There’s no need to be disheartened or put yourself down for that. We are humans, and all our days cannot be the same, no matter how hard we try. You can use the two-day rule for habit-building. The two-day rule means that you cannot skip doing something for two days in a row. This way, if you slip up one day, you get another chance to build yourself up the next day.
Choose people wisely
More often than not, we do not feel great because we are surrounded by people who might not be the best for us. Pay close attention to who you spend the most time with and also how you feel after each time you’ve spent time with someone. The aftermath should tell you a lot about how the person might be impacting you. To feel great, spend time with only the people who make you feel great.
Practice affirmations
To realize how we are with ourselves, we should notice how we treat our friends. Most people usually give their friends compliments, support them through their rough times and just love and appreciate them for who they are. This activity makes you realize that you have all this love to give, but you do not give it to yourself. To break this habit, you can try practicing affirmations, especially the ones about beauty and confidence that will make you feel instantly better. You can jot down affirmations in a diary, say them out loud, or you can even literally give yourself compliments while looking at yourself in the mirror to learn to appreciate yourself.
Make space for some “me time”
Me-time is highly important regardless of what you do in this time. It is merely the time you take out for yourself to do anything you care about and enjoy doing. It can be working on a project, painting, reading, exercising, or even just catching up on some new shows on Netflix. As long as it gives you joy and peace, it is valid.
Exercise regularly
Apart from keeping you healthy physically, exercise also increases the release of endorphins, which are natural mood elevators. Every time you work out, the body releases a generous amount of serotonin and dopamine, known as the happy hormones, and they work to better your mood.
These are some of the ways that you can try and see if they work for you. One must know that getting to know themselves and living with it is a lifelong process; it does not happen overnight. Try getting as much knowledge as you can from the varied sources that are available nowadays. But one must remember that they can’t always solve their problems. Sometimes professional help is required, and you should not shy away from that.