Today’s world is a very busy and, at times, stressful place to be. It can be difficult to find time to watch an episode of your favorite show, let alone truly destress and take care of your mental health. According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 5 U.S. adults suffer from mental illness. The symptoms are so severe in 1 of every 25 of these Americans that it detracts from their quality of life. A common facet of these is known as “executive dysfunction,” which disrupts the brain’s ability to control thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
With that in mind, here are little things you can do to improve your mental state with a small amount of effort on those days when you just aren’t feeling it. These actions may seem minor, but when done, especially with consistency, they can improve your well-being a lot more than one may think.
1. The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
This breathing technique, one of the many available to us, is often used to wind down and get a good night’s sleep when your anxious brain just won’t quit. This alone would work wonders, as improved sleep quality is linked to better functioning and more stable moods in your waking life. However, it’s not just for good rest; it can also be used when panic and anxiety have a grip on you and you aren’t thinking clearly.
• Inhale for 4 seconds.
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
• Exhale for 8 seconds.
This can be done as often as needed, but if you’re new to breath work, it shouldn’t be done more than four times in a row. Breathing in this manner activates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing your body to relax. It’s a great hack to quickly regain control, and since one cycle only takes 19 seconds, it makes this one of the best methods on the list!
2. Make the Bed
Another thing that can improve our mental health is a non-cluttered, simple, and organized living space. Of course, when our mental health is especially bad, the last thing we want to do is get up and clean. Despite this, it is a proven fact that a cluttered and messy environment can worsen the symptoms of mental illness – specifically, OCD, ADHD, and depression. This can ironically become a feedback loop since ADHD in particular can make a person distractable and more likely to have the executive functioning issues that we mentioned earlier.
Luckily, there is one easy way to bridge this gap. When you get up, start getting into the habit of making the bed. Oftentimes, even when a room is cluttered and messy, if the bed is in good shape, it makes the room look cleaner. This is most likely because the bed is the center of the bedroom (hence the name). If the centerpiece of a room looks good, it ties the room together and makes it appear nicer. If it’s disheveled, however, it has the opposite effect.
This can also work two-fold. Some people find that breaking cleaning projects into small tasks can give them the jump-start needed to take on more, so if you want to make even bigger strides towards improved mental health, this item can start you on your climb out of a slump! Even if you only make the bed, it can be done in under five minutes, making it a small and easy thing to do!
3. Name One Thing You’re Grateful for Today!
When our external environment is just as stressful as our internal one, it can create a spiral of negativity where we overthink and worry excessively. Breaking this pattern is crucial.
The practice of being grateful, acknowledging even the smallest good thing in our lives, has been shown to work in many mental health studies and is one of the most enduring ways on the list. Creating a gratitude habit in your life is easy: simply jot down with pen and paper – or in your phone’s notepad – one thing you’re genuinely thankful for. If the day was especially taxing, it can be as simple as the shining sun or a funny video that made you chuckle. If something great happened, even better. Only one item is required, but you can list as many as you’d like. This typically won’t take more than 10 minutes of your time.
Doing this exercise consistently, even with a single item per day, will train your brain to look on the bright side. Over time, it teaches you on a subconscious level that good things abound. It also opens up neurological pathways related to thinking more positively, which will improve your mental health in the long term.
Of course, these are only three methods – a sampling of how sometimes the smallest choices we make can have the biggest impacts. It also proves that even when we may feel that we’re at our lowest, there are things we can do to help ourselves. There’s always a way to not only get back on our feet but even thrive if we show ourselves the grace we deserve. I’m sure our readers find time to help their loved ones, co-workers, and even strangers in need if life calls for it. It’s time to give ourselves that same love.