Developing Habits for Better Mental Health

Developing Habits for Better Mental Health

Developing Habits for Better Mental Health – maintaining good mental wellbeing can be difficult and developing habits that support your emotional well being can be essential. The habits that support one person can be very different to the habits that support another. This blog is a challenge to consider which habits you might like to develop and practice to improve how you feel mentally and emotionally. Below are an example of the habits I practice.

  1. A morning routine – I make sure that I open my curtains and make my bed, have breakfast and take my vitamins. Doing this makes me feel ready for the day. Before I have even left the house I feel that I have taken steps to look after myself. These small activities help to ground me and help me feel as though I have already accomplished something.
  2. Resetting – At the end of every day I reset the house, I do a quick tidy straightening throws and cushions, take all crockery to the kitchen and wash up. When I leave a room I know I’m not going to go back into for a while (for instance my office) I take away anything that shouldn’t be there eg cups or clutter that needs to go elsewhere. Every week, I reset the house by cleaning and tidying, doing certain jobs that mean the new week starts off with everything clean. This habit means that things don’t become overwhelming, and I am able to start my days without lots of jobs to do.
  3. Monitoring my water intake and exercise – by monitoring my water intake I can track whether I have drunk enough water. I know through experience that if I don’t drink enough I can feel tired and sluggish. When I drink enough water I am less tired. It is easy for me when I am not noticing what I am drinking to not drink enough. With exercise monitoring how many steps I am taking pushes me to walk more, the more I walk the fitter I feel and the better I sleep.
  4. Keeping a gratitude diary – every day I note down things that have happened in the day that I am grateful for. When I do this, it helps me to be more present, noticing what I am doing, when I think about what I am grateful for at the end of the day, more often than not I remember lots of things, this helps me to feel more positive about my life and myself.
  5. Having a personal grooming routine – Every morning and night I make sure I brush my teeth, every day I shower or wash and moisturize my skin. Making sure I do this helps me to feel more comfortable in my own skin and therefore more confident.

These are my 5 habits that when I stop doing them, I am aware that I am not feeling good about myself. When I stop doing them, I feel ungrounded and as though everything is getting away from me, I find daily things much harder and I feel less confident in myself. When I stop doing these things it is usually a sign that I am struggling with something and maybe need some support, or need to just reengage with these habits, all or some of them.

The habits that will be most meaningful and supportive to you, may well be very different to mine. The challenge today is to think about what habits or practices you could put into your life that will support you and you wellbeing. If you are struggling think about the following areas

  • How you eat
  • How you drink
  • How you Sleep
  • How you move
  • How you take care of your body
  • How you take care of your environment
  • What gives you joy

Your habits could be big or small. An example of small habits could be:

  • Eat an Apple a Day
  • Drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning
  • Go to bed before 11pm
  • Go for a 20 min walk every day
  • Brush your teeth morning and night
  • Spend 7 minutes a day tidying or cleaning
  • Spend time every week doing something you love doing

These small habits don’t seem like much but they can have a cumulative effect on your wellbeing.

Other blogs on this website that might help you.

Are you drinking enough water? Hydrate for your mental health

Keeping Hydrated for Better Mental Health

Better Sleep Better Mental Health

Tips for Better Sleep

Cleaning and Tidying for Better Mental Health

Decluttering for Mental Health

Exercise & Mental Health – Developing a Practice

Micro Habits – Small steps equal big change

Four Daily Micro Habits for a Better Day

Psychology Today – 7 Simple Habits to protect your Mental Health

8 Daily Habits to Boost Mental Health

24 easy habits that psychologists have linked with health and happiness


Whatever you are struggling with sometimes there is no substitute for speaking to a professional. If you are struggling with any issue you might find it beneficial to speak to a professional. If you would like formal help and would like to make an appointment with Paul, please call Paul on 07843 813 537 or fill in the form on the Contact Page, if he doesn’t answer he is probably in a session, please leave him a message and he will call you back as soon as he can.