Habits for a Healthy Mind

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. That means that although you should always prioritize your mental health, you now have a month-long reminder to reset your routine, check on yourself and make it a habit to check on those around you too.

Mental health means regulating our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Mental health looks different for everyone and there is no “one-size-fits-all” to physically and mentally “fit”. With that being said, there are habits you can incorporate

into a daily routine that can help me clear the mind and deal with stress. Here are a few activities that help me.

Mindfulness and Meditation

After a long day at work, and even early in the morning before I spring into ac

tion, listening to a 10 minute guided meditation really helps me reset. I am the kind of person whose mind is always on the next thing I have to do, so sometimes I have to force myself to focus on relaxing and doing nothing. But once I do, it’s so nice to slow down and focus on my breathing and the sensations in the body. Headspace and Calm are both great meditation apps, but if you're not ready to commit to a subscription, I highly recommend meditation minis podcast on apple podcast or spotify.

Get Moving

Yes, exercise! Getting proper exercise benefits your mental and physical health. No matter what kind of day, I always feel happy after a good workout, especially after running, Zumba or literally any cardio. That’s because working out reduces stress and anxiety by releasing neurotransmitters that help you manage your mood, like serotonin. You don’t have to run a marathon to see results. Start with 30 minutes of exercise, three days per week if you’re looking to boost your mood. Work this into your routine and soon you will wonder how you got through your day without moving your body.

Cut Screen Time Before Bed

Sleep is essential to being your best self. But are you using your phone before you call it a day? It happens, you’re getting ready to go to bed, you pick up your phone, send a text, and before you know it, it’s 45 minutes later and you’re scrolling through your social feed — losing sleep time.

The blue light that your smartphone emits can affect your sleep. Research has found a correlation between suppressed levels of melatonin and exposure to blue light. Melatonin is a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. So when your body runs low on it, you can experience insomnia, tiredness during the day and irritability. Not to mention, if you see something while you're browsing that upsets you or

makes your mind run, you may have trouble sleeping soundly or falling asleep at all. I personally have my phone go on, do not disturb an hour before I go to bed and only receive notifications from specific people. That way, if any messages come in before bed, I will not see them until the next morning, After I have had my full night's sleep.

Spend Time Outdoors

For me, spending time in nature is therapeutic. I am also fortunate enough to live in an area near a lake where birds chirp, ducks roam and there are perfect views of the sky and plenty of trees to catch breeze under. If you don’t have an area you can go to enjoy nature, try going for a walk during your lunch hour, drive with the windows down on the way to work or even plan social activities somewhere with a beautiful view and fresh air.

Whether you live with mental illness or not, nature has a positive impact on mood. When you feel stress or anxiety, your body produces cortisol. Cortisol stops us from relaxing. Nature’s calming effect on the mind and body reduces the production of hormones that contribute to anxiety and depression.

There are so many ways you can improve your mental health. Whether you are having a bad week or you are suffering from a mental illness, understanding yourself and what makes you feel happy and relaxed is the first step. Please remember you can also seek help from a mental health professional if you feel it is necessary,