I have spent a lot of time and effort over the past 6 years trying to improve my mental health. I went from days spent crying in bed, a mental breakdown at work, and distracting myself from my feelings by any means necessary, to stable and balanced mental health. In this article I’ll talk you through some of the things I did to get from there to here.
I’ve written previously about my mental health journey and you may choose to start there for some broader context. If you’ve already read that article, then scroll on to find out what six things I did to improve my mental health.
1. I started to prioritise my physical health to improve my mental health
Showing my body that I valued it was a crucial step towards improving my mental health. I didn’t really look after myself for a long time – not mentally, physically, emotionally, or financially. One day I decided that that had to change and that my health was worth prioritising.
- I joined a gym and actually went to it. I have had many failed gym memberships in the past but this time I found a gym that worked for me and I started a consistent and enjoyable exercise routine.
- I started weekly meal planning. Rather than eating on the fly or grabbing food as I went (normally unhealthy choices), I began planning my meals in advance. I love batch cooking lunches and dinners so that I only have to cook once(ish) a week and have meals prepped for the week ahead.
- I began to moderate my alcohol intake. I became conscious of how alcohol was impacting my mental health (spoiler: it wasn’t good for it) so I decided to make some changes and cut back. I take extended periods off drinking altogether, and drink much (much!) less the rest of the time.
- Finally, I quit smoking. It took me a few attempts but I eventually kicked the habit that was doing nil, nada, nothing for my health.
All of the above changes have obviously had a huge impact on my physical health, but they have led to significant improvements in my mental health too. I showed myself that I was worth caring for.
2. I went to therapy
I went to therapy for the first time for 8 weeks in 2017. That initial experience with therapy helped me to deal with some of the specific circumstances I was facing at that time, however we didn’t touch on some of the deeper issues. I went back to therapy in 2021 – this time I stuck with it for six months which gave us a chance to dig into the underlying bits.
Therapy is not fun by any means. It hurts, it’s uncomfortable, it will force you face some things you’ve kept hidden for a long time. You’re going to have to get really, really honest about stuff. Oh, and your brain will start non-stop thinking about stuff, even (mostly) when you’re not in the actual session. It’s mentally exhausting.
But all that digging and thinking will be enlightening and you’ll understand yourself better than ever before. Becoming aware of your patterns/motivators/issues/triggers is the first step toward healing them.
I’d recommend therapy to anyone who is able to access it.
3. I changed the way that I spoke to myself
This one is so important and it stemmed from hearing a quote that really resonated with me – change your language, change your life.
I used to be so mean to myself! I was my own harshest critic and completely unforgiving of my perceived flaws.
This wasn’t completely my fault. I was expected to excel academically, socially, and at sports. Oh, and I was raised in a society that told me that basically every type of body was unattractive. I was bombarded with unrealistic and unattainable body standards from day dot.
The pressure was high. If I felt like I wasn’t able to meet these invisible high standards it led to a hell of a lot of beating myself up. It was terribly tiring, and I knew it had to stop.
How do you change the habit of a lifetime? With awareness followed by conscious and persistent effort.
When I caught myself thinking something harsh about myself, I replaced it instead with something kind and compassionate. I allowed myself some grace if I felt like I’d made a mistake and forgave myself for imperfections.
I also curated my Instagram feed by unfollowing everyone that made me feel bad about myself; that was spreading those same unrealistic body standards I was avoiding; that made me feel anything other than positive. Conscious consumption.
Slowly but surely, these small changes became big changes.
If you’re new to this, here is a list of simple self-care affirmations to get you started (opens in a new tab).
4. I learned to slow down to improve my mental health
I used to be SO busy. My calendar was chockablock. Between the gym, working full time, socialising, and travel, I had absolutely no downtime. I was allowing this lifestyle to squeeze every last drop out of me. Not surprisingly, I was exhausted and totally run down. I look back at this as my days on the hamster wheel.
To be honest, I might have continued in this way for much longer if COVID hadn’t brought life to a grinding halt. (When the UK went into full blown lockdown in March 2020 I felt relief – a telling sign something had to change!)
I relished the slower pace of life that was forced upon me. I realised how important downtime and recharging my batteries were for improving my mental health.
Once life picked up again post-pandemic, I was determined not to get back on the hamster wheel. I consciously said ‘no’ to plans, and started adding alone time into my calendar as if it were an appointment. I slowed down and it improved my mental health.
5. I started actively practising gratitude
It’s incredible how much practising gratitude can improve your mental health, and it’s not difficult to start the habit.
Every night before going to sleep I write out a list of everything I am grateful for that day. Writing this list each night makes me pay attention to the positives – big and small – that are happening each and every day.
I am frequently thanking the universe for everything she does for me. Life is happening for me not to me.
The more you think about the positives in your life, the more you think about the positives in your life.
6. I invested in life coaching
Life coaching has similarities to therapy but it’s not the same. Therapy focuses on the past, and life coaching focuses on the future.
I was inspired to try out life coaching after following some for a while on Instagram and I sought out coaches that could help with mindset coaching. I dipped my toe in by doing a block of group coaching sessions first, and following that, I invested in a one on one coach. These experiences had the biggest impact in making me aware of my limiting beliefs, and giving me the tools to change my mindset.
Once again: I’d recommend hiring a life coach to anyone who is able to.
There you have it, the six things I did to improve my mental health. It wasn’t an easy journey but it was an important one. If you’re on your own mental health journey, I wish you all the best and hope that there are many bright days ahead.
- READ MORE: Torschlusspanik: The Fear of Running Out of Time
- READ MORE: Changing Friendships in Your 30s
- READ MORE: Ending a Toxic Friendship
If you enjoyed this article, make sure you subscribe to the newsletter using the form below and I’ll occasionally appear in your inbox to chat about what’s been going on, what’s inspired me, or what’s made me laugh out loud.
You had a great jurney 🙂 Thanks for sharing that with us. Glad to hear that you hired a life coach. People don’t understand how fast you actiualy progress when you have an experienced coach by your side.
I agree, and I used to think the same thing. It has been hugely beneficial to me to have a seasoned coach on my team. Thanks for reading!
Mental health is so important, and these are fabulous ways to improve ones’ mental health. Thanks for your honest transparency, and I know you’ll inspire others to follow in your footsteps! I’ve been on a mental health journey for over 25 years!!!!
Thank you, Julie. I appreciate your kind words. It is a journey that never ends!!
These are great ways to improve mental health. I was once in a relationship that was verbally abusive and even though I know that what was said wasn’t true, it still affected me on how I felt about myself. It was easy to feel down because I kept hearing the negative words. Now I know how important it is to talk positively to ourselves. It truly does make a difference.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Sorry to hear that. I am glad that you were able to get out of that relationship. It makes a huge difference how we speak to ourselves. Thanks for reading
All of these are great steps towards self-improvement & each one of them is such a huge step in their own way. Thanks for sharing this with everyone who is trying to do something similar this year!
Thanks, Luna. I hope that this helps you on your own journey. All the best 🙂
These are wonderful and helpful tips to improve mental health. Thank you for sharing part of your journey with us and offering your helpful ideas. Great post!
Thank you for reading, Debbie.
It’s always good when you can learn to prioritize your mental health. I have also been working on slowing down on a lot of things and it’s made a big difference.
It makes a biiiiiig difference. Good luck on your journey!
I have been trying to be better about getting in some physical exercise, even just getting out for a walk every day. Practicing gratitude is such an important thing too!
Walking is such an underrated form of exercise! Good for you, Marysa. Keep at it 🙂
These are absolutely wonderful tips! I don’t think we really grasp how physical health ties into our mental health. And practicing gratitude is something that I have been doing consistently for several months now. It has done wonders for me. Best of luck on your journey.
Thanks, Lasonia. I know you are a big advocate of practicing gratitude and I’m glad you’re reaping the rewards as well.
This is such an amazing article to read, it’s very informative and detailed! It’s very essential that we know how to deal with our mental health! This is a great reference for everyone!
Thank you, Gervin!
Nnniiiccceeeee Lisa! I love all this for you, most especially quitting smoking and cutting down on the alcohol! Those two are so bad for anyone’s health!
Thank you, Ntensibe. Sooooo glad I quit smoking, I can’t even imagine now!
Mental health is so important, but it can be so hard to prioritize! I find that practicing gratitude really helps me as well.
It is such a simple thing to do and quickly becomes a habit. I am grateful that I am grateful – haha.
I love this post so much! Fantastic tips, all of which I’m putting into practice. Keep writing, you’re very good! 🙂
Thanks very much, really appreciate the support 🙂
It’s great that these are things that have helped you. I am working on some of these myself. I need to learn to slow down although with the amount I have to do it won’t be easy.
I guess it becomes about prioritising mental health over some of the other things on the To Do list. Not easy though! Thanks for reading.
We should take care of our mental health. And this are some lovely practices.
Definitely, it is so important! Thanks for reading.
Self talk, the words we give to ourselves is important. I also have my favorite qoutes and affirmations I say to myself everyday.
Good idea, glad to know you’ve found what works for you! Thanks for reading.
I would like to try and start meal planning as well. This will help me eat healthily and Eating healthily improves overall wellness.
It makes a big difference to my grocery bill too because everything I’m buying is thought out and planned.
I had some mental health issues and had to spend a few weeks working on it to get better. Lovely post about mental post!
I’m glad you were able to work through it. Thanks for reading
I love that you curated your Instagram feed. As a teacher, I see my students putting way too much effort into reacting and feeling things said to or about them online from people they probably wouldn’t be friends with if they could in real life.
I didn’t think that it would have as much impact as it did. Big fan of the Insta audit now!
These are such powerful ways to make a difference in your health. I need to do some of these as well, one step at a time.
One step at a time indeed. That’s all you can do. All the best on your journey 🙂
These are great! Number 3 has been a big one that I’ve been intentional about implementing in my life. It’s done wonders so far!
Best of wishes to you as you continue to improve your mental health!
SO important! Thank you for reading and your well wishes. I’m glad to hear things are going well for you as well 🙂
I honestly feel like I need to invest in some Theraphy and Life coaching session at this point. I have so many things going on.
If you’re able to access either of them then I’d highly recommend it. Hope everything is OK and feel free to reach out if you want any more info on my experience with therapy or coaching
Thanks so much for providing this list to help improve mental health! Very helpful indeed and worth sharing to everyone I know!
Feel free to share it with friends that you think could benefit from it 🙂