5 Small Changes to Accelerate Your Mental Health

Some things are simple yet extremely important. We are all just out here trying to figure it out. These are some small yet important things I have learned that have changed my life for the better. Maybe one or all of them can help you too!

MOVE YOUR BODY

This is simple but it is so important. If you do not have a consistent workout routine or normally schedule time to move your body you need to!! Everyone is busy and may not have a ton of time to go to the gym but you can do little things that will make a big difference. Go for a ten minute walk.. all you have to do is wake up 10 minutes earlier. Ride your bike, do some yoga on youtube, join a Pilates class and surround yourself with people who have similar goals. The options are limitless!

WAKE UP EARLIER THAN YOUR KIDS

There is nothing more jolting to your nervous system and your mental health than your child jumping on top of you in the morning and having to wake up and immediately tend to them. There is NOTHING wrong with this and it happens to everyone but I find it so much more beneficial to be me in the morning before I’m mom. Even 10-20 minutes can make a huge difference. Set your alarm, get up and make your coffee and actually drink some of it hot, read a book, watch the news, whatever your jam is…. take some much needed time to take care of yourself before your babies because they need you to be your best self!

READ

Reading is a great way to learn and grow. There are so many books that can help with personal development, mental health, physical health, and self help in general. I think it is also important to read something you truly enjoy. Personally I find it refreshing to read self help/non fiction personal development type books in the morning to really jump start my day and then at night I love to end the day with fiction (specifically thrillers). This is just my personal preference but I also say find what works best for you. This allows you to detach from the stresses of whatever is going on in your world and really take a deep breath and do something you enjoy.

I love my kindle because it allows me to read at night when hubby is sleeping and I can take it everywhere with me.

INTEGRATE SILENCE

Silence is an odd one. Most people don’t realize that you don’t really allow yourself to sit in silence anymore. Think about it…. even when people drive and sit at a stoplight they are pulling their phone out and scrolling or they have music or a podcast on. When is the last time you have actually just sat in silence and allowed your mind to go to work? There are a couple of ways you can do this- just figure out what works best for you. Drive with nothing on the radio, meditate if that is something you are into, or my personal favorite to habit stack and walk and move your body but do it in silence. This is a time that I am able to really get into some deep thinking and it works for me.

STOP SCROLLING AT NIGHT

Something that is so easy to get into the habit of is being on your phone in bed and making it the last thing you do before you go to sleep. There are studies that say that it decreases the quality of sleep as well as how long you actually stay asleep. It is so easy to just pick up your phone and make it the last thing you do but think about it…. why are we ending our day comparing ourselves on social media? Seeing an email that stresses us out? Seeing a text that gives us anxiety? It is so important to have a good nighttime routine where your body can just relax and destress. Stop making social media the last thing you do at night and watch it change your life.

The best way to better yourself is to take baby steps. No one changes overnight and we are all constantly trying to figure out what works for us and our path in life. Figure out what makes you thrive and keep trying to improve yourself. Learn to love where you are and who you are.

xoxo, jess