We're all in this together.
It seems safe to say that all of us would like to improve our mental health in one way or another. Or at the very least, protect the sanity we currently have against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
However…figuring out exactly how to do that can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to assume that unless you’re waking up two hours every morning to perform deep meditation, going to therapy twice a week, reading all the self help books and throwing every single one of your devices away, it won’t make much of a difference.
But people from all walks of life do make great strides in their well being simply by incorporating consistent habits. Recently, Dependent_Bit_8333 asked folks to name some lifestyle changes that "massively improved” their mental health. None of the answers were complicated. But they all are pretty profound in their own way.
Check them out below.
1. "De-emphasizing the importance of my every thought. Most human thoughts are nonsense. I question every single negative thought, and every single one so far has turned out to be bullshit. No joke. It’s a game-changer."
We are not our thoughts.
"I came to this practice by reading Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie, mostly. Both reference great spiritual leaders throughout human history (Jesus, Lao Tzu, The Buddha, Ramana Maharshi) who all point to this notion as a path to end suffering. There are many contemporary writers who also point to the same truths (some mentioned here)."—u/JaxMema
2. "When I stopped being in a hurry. Urgency is a trauma response and, with current American culture focused on everything happening immediately, it's easy to lose yourself to being in a hurry."—u/rahyveshachr
3. "Taking care of plants and watching them grow, it gave me a sense of responsibility and they also purify the air!"—u/snoopyluva
4. "Writing!! You don’t realize how much is ruminating up there until you take pen to paper. Been writing pretty much daily for almost a decade, an outlet that’s very near and dear to my heart."—u/lukyspeed14
5. "People severely underestimate what a tremendous impact sleep has on your day, productivity, and mood. If only I'd realized this in my teens."—u/ComprehensiveGap3773
Sleep? I don't know her.
"6. 'Staying in the present' instead of letting the mind obsess with past and future."—u/ComputersWantMeDead
7. "Being the 'bad guy,' also known as prioritizing yourself. Having been a chronic people pleaser, I was constantly drained and taken advantage of. There is no escaping that some people will be disappointed with you, the question is, will you be disappointed in yourself? The right people in your life will be happy when you are, it's simple but it took me way too long to realize."—u/keeepre
8."Leaving a toxic work environment."—u/badatboujie
9. "Learning to love myself. A few years ago, I was in a very low spot with my self-esteem, and I wanted to be better. My therapist and I talked a lot about treating myself like I would a friend. It sounds cheesy, but I started writing compliments to myself on post-it notes in the morning and placing them on a mirror. It didn’t take too long before I started to believe them. It’s amazing how being nice to yourself and giving yourself grace can really improve your mental health."—u/SeaTonight4033
For some of us, self love take a lot of effort. But it's so so worth it.
10. "Reducing clutter and your general volume of possessions helps a lot."—u/ashoka_akira
11. "Removing toxic people from my life. It's amazing how much your mental health can improve just by removing someone who brings nothing but negativity to your life."—u/crazylittlemermaid
12. "Walking. That shit is legit."—u/baylonedward
Such and underrated activity.
13. "The 'what ifs' were consuming me. I was losing my mind thinking about problems that haven't happened, and may never happen. This little quote from Bill Burr put a lot into perspective for me: 'You're going to be fine; and even if you're not going to be fine, isn’t it better to just exist thinking that you’re going to be fine? And when it’s not fine, then you can just fuckin handle it. There no sense to ruin right now, right?'"—u/MaritimeRedditor
14. "Creating. Especially making something with my hands."—u/thankyouforecstasy
Time to break out the finger paints.
15. "Going. The f*ck. Outside."—u/coilovercat
16. "Having a routine. No matter what my schedule is for the day, whenever I’m in a routine of getting up, getting dressed, and taking a shower, I’m in a good place."—u/elmatador12
…and least, but certainly not least,
17. "Never trust how you feel about your life past 9 p.m."—u/Lyra_Kurokami
Be well out there, folks.