While you can’t control that life is full of ups and downs, you can choose to proactively manage your mental health, and all it takes to start are the will to do it and some ideas for activities and practices to try and implement in your daily life. Everyone knows that a healthy diet and exercise are fundamentals for staying healthy physically, but did you know they also help with brain health?
But sometimes, the soul just needs more.
For Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we want to encourage you to prioritize your own health but also check on those around you who might need some support. When one is feeling down, they often feel stuck, hopeless and helpless. It will take a good friend or a committed loved one to help pull them out of the dark hole.
Whether you’re that person in the hole or the one offering a hand, here are some ideas to make getting out of bed each morning more exciting that you can try or share with your friend in need.
- Pick up a new hobby (either to do by yourself or in a small community) and consider creating things to give as gifts to others.
- Take some lessons. (I took a free course on Coursera during the pandemic about Einstein and the Theory of Relativity – totally random and out of my usual areas of interest, but it was fun!)
- Go to the library and pick some new books, create a cozy place in the backyard or in the house and just immerse yourself in someone’s story.
- Write a book. You never thought you would, but you could. Why not?
- Take nature breaks. Talk to the trees. Listen to the flowing river. Notice the bees and butterflies. Being in a natural environment is incredibly nourishing.
- Explore your city. Try some new cafes, spend a day at a museum, catch a flick with popcorn, or just walk aimlessly (get those steps in at the same time).
- Plan some social events. Interactions with people can be so uplifting if you pick the right people.
- Pamper yourself with self-care activities. It really does begin with self love. So, plan a whole day to treat yourself to quiet time and things you love to do.
Here at Do Good Paper Co., we are true proponents of journaling. Not only is journaling a great way to become aware of your most inner thoughts and feelings, it is also a great way to cope and heal. When COVID came and turned our worlds upside down, we started to talk more about journaling and regularly shared journaling prompts to encourage our readers to start or upkeep this important practice. Come up with your own mental health focused writing prompts, or use our our prompts as a starting point. Write just a little bit each day so it doesn’t seem like a time-consuming chore.
Another tool you can try is our Mindful Productivity Planner. It was designed to help you stay productive throughout the day while keeping your wellness top of mind. This planner considers your physical, mental and emotional health, and encourages you to create and track goals.
Having a sense of purpose, accomplishment and gratitude may seem lofty, but it really isn’t. I hope you will consider the ideas that I shared in this article and I’ll leave you with this quote, which is included at the start of our Mindful Productivity Planner: “The future depends on what you do today.”