Reboot your mood as you embark on this 30-day mental health challenge. After a month, you'd have established wellness habits that spark joy and bring clarity.
We've heard it time and time again: "look after yourself!" Today, there is a culture that supports self-care and mental health more than ever. But how do we reboot our minds and moods in a lasting way?
Improving your mental health is an ongoing process. James Clear, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, explains that we establish healthy habits by making them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
With the following 30-day mental health challenge, we want to share healthy habits that reward you with a clear mind, wholesome relationships, and a happier mood.
A digital detox reduces stress and improves mental wellbeing. Track your screen time activity and make a goal to reduce it. Not so disciplined? Set a time limit that blocks you after a set time.
Journaling makes you aware of your mood and symptoms. By writing down your thoughts, bullet-pointing things you're grateful for, or tracking your responses and feelings, you can recognize triggers, prioritize problems, and learn to control them better.
Mental health and productivity go hand in hand. Find ways to improve your workflow and enjoy the satisfaction of working like a boss!
Hug your kids, your spouse, your colleague, your neighbor, and your favorite barista. Hugging reduces stress, improves bonding, and boosts your immune system.
It can be your dog or the puppies at the local shelter. Playing with a furry friend improves heart health, reduces tension and depression, and eases loneliness.
Once you face a fear, all the others look less threatening. Tackle the scariest thing on your to do list at the start of your day instead of putting it off until the end!
Start recycling today or shop at a no-plastic store. Whatever it is, make some reductions to your bin bag. Decrease your trash by finding creative ways to avoid food waste and shop wiser.
Warning: buying house plants can be addictive! Greenery in your home looks great, and it improves your mental health by reducing stress levels and providing free horticultural therapy (when you successfully keep that lovely Ficus alive that is).
Fill your mind with music, tv shows, and podcasts that cultivate joyous feelings.
Generosity promotes social connection and brings the giver joy. Surprise someone in your life with a small gift - whether it's their favorite coffee, a meal, flowers, or a bottle of wine. They may even invite you to share it with them initiating a great catch-up session!
Unfollow people on social media who make you feel critical of yourself. Instead, seek positive and optimistic influencers.
Do more things that prompt belly giggles. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine.
A wholesome diet keeps your blood sugar stable, regulating your mood and keeping you energized. This may seem like a big step, but take it one day at a time, and before you know it, that colorful plate of real food will bring your body and mind joy.
Exercise boosts endorphins, the hormone responsible for the brain's feel-good neurotransmitters. You don't need to join the gym to get fit. Increase that step count. Go for a run with friends or choose stairs over the lift at work.
Nature nurtures our mental health. Watch the sunset, walk on the beach, take time to look at the flowers, and experience a newfound calmness.
Do something that boosts your self-esteem. You could treat yourself to a blowout or keep it simple (and affordable!) with an at-home manicure.
Say no to invitations that busy your schedule, say no to late nights, and say no to a project that will lead to burn-out. Saying no sets boundaries and benefits with self-care.
Wise beverage choices could mean reaching for sparkling water over alcohol or matcha tea over your coffee fix. Opt for a drink that offers a health perk rather than an energy (and mood) crash.
Sleep affects our emotional and physical health so make sure you get those essential seven to nine hours each night.
Working towards a goal gives you a sense of direction. Make it big or small, but make it doable. It could be executing this mental health challenge or getting your finances in shape so that you can supersize your savings.
Go to the dentist or visit the doctor for your annual physical. You've probably needed to check this off your to-do list for a while; today is the day to schedule that appointment.
Spending time with loved ones can help you overcome mental health challenges. Get those board games out or build some puzzles while sipping chai lattes.
What are you good at? Think back on something that made you feel like your best self and set time aside to do it. It could be playing an instrument or painting a picture. Focus on your skills to uplift your spirits.
Tell your boss they're rocking it. Point out your partner's most excellent quality. Put a love note in your kid's lunchbox. Make someone smile with your words.
Positive self-talk is powerful. Accepting yourself for who you are can take practice. Start by recognizing your positives and replacing a negative internal dialogue with love and affirmation. You're beautiful - inside and out!
Those problems and triggers you may have uncovered in your journal over the past few days could signal a need for help. Reach out to a therapist to kickstart a wonderful season of healing.
Breathing exercises improve focus, reduce stress and anxiety, and provide better sleep. Take ten minutes a day to close your eyes and practice breathing exercises. You can do it at your desk, in the pantry while you hide from your kids, before you fall asleep, or in the morning as you start your day.
Declutter your home and cultivate a happier environment and a lighter mood. Tidier homes have more relaxed owners. Plus, if you donate items, you have the joy of giving to those in need.
Identify a task that you've been meaning to accomplish and do it! It could be painting your wall or making sushi for the first time. You'll feel good about getting the task done.
