Mental Health Boosters for Tough Times

How are you doing?

Fine?

That’s how we always answer that question, isn’t it? Is it true though? Are you really doing fine?

I’m asking because I personally, haven’t been as fine as usual these past few months. I’ve been struggling to bounce back after two very invasive eye surgeries that kept me out of the game far longer than I had anticipated.

Fortunately, I think the worst is finally behind me as far as the surgeries go (though I still haven’t been released for all activities), but still…it has been an ordeal.

I think the thing that surprised me the most about my situation is the toll that my physical condition had on my mental well-being. In fact, if I’m being honest, I feel as though I’m bouncing back physically more quickly than I am emotionally.

Fortunately, as a trained and certified Life Coach, I have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to helping clients to bounce back after setbacks. Now it’s time to try a few of these strategies out on myself.

If you find yourself feeling a little blue or off your game, pick out a few of these suggestions to implement in your own life. Emotional health is just as important (maybe even more important than) physical wellness, so don’t let it take a back seat when the going gets tough.

20 Easy-to-Implement Mental Health Boosters

1.) Take a good look at your existing self-care routine. Does it really do the trick? Do you make self-care a priority or is it something that happens only if/when there is time left at the end of your crazy, hectic day (because let’s face it, when does that ever happen)? For the next 31 days, commit to making time EVERY SINGLE DAY for some self-care.

2.) If you feel like you are a slave to your in-box, it is time to do some purging. Spend 30 minutes a day over the next week going through your email subscriptions and unsubscribing from those that don’t add any true benefit to your life.

3.) Try meditation. If you don’t think you’re the meditating type, click here for my post on meditation for non-meditators. You can also check out the site, Fragrant Heart for some beautiful guided meditations. I especially love their meditations for relaxation and stress relief.

4.) Create a “feel good” playlist that you can crank up anytime you feel a funk coming on. Might I suggest adding “Baby I’m a Star” by Prince and “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” by Wham to your list. What can I say? I’m a child of the 80’s.

5.) Practice conscious moments of mindfulness throughout your day. For some practical suggestions on how to do this, click here.

6.) Start using positive affirmations—they work! Click here for a downloadable printable of my faves.

7.) Make a plan to finish something that you’ve been putting off—and then get started on it. You’ll be amazed at how good it will feel to check it off your “to-do” list.

8.) Reach out to a friend. Go for coffee, grab lunch, take a walk. Spend some time reconnecting and sharing some laughs.

9.) Take a close look at what is going into your body. Do you subsist on calorie laden fast food with little nutritional value or do you nourish your body with healthy, organic fruits, veggies and lean protein? It’s nearly impossible to feel good mentally if you’re loading up on fats, sugars, caffeine and junk. The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” is true.

10.) Take a close look at what is going into your mind. Just as our physical nourishment is of critical importance to our overall well-being, so too is our mental nourishment. Turn off the negative and extremely biased nightly news programs, put down the gossip magazines and limit the gangster rap. Instead, fill your mind with positive stories, pretty instrumental music and inspiring reading material. You’ll notice a difference in your mental state almost immediately.

11.) Step outside and take a few deep breaths. Feel the sunshine (or raindrops) on your face. Fill your lungs with fresh air. While you’re outside, look up at the sky, plant your bare feet on the earth (unless it’s snowy out) and revel in the feeling of being alive.

12.) Create a sacred space that is all your own. For suggestions, click here.

13.) Try re-framing your struggles. Spend some time thinking about how your difficulties have made you stronger and more resilient. Look for the silver linings—they’re there, you just need to look.

14.) Go on a social media detox. Spend 48 hours with no Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat etc. Instead of spending hours looking at other people’s highlight reels, invest that time in yourself. Go for a walk, give yourself a pedicure, relax with a good book, etc. The images that you see on social media are not real life, but the moments that you carve out for yourself are.

15.) Create your own vision board. Not only is this a fun activity, it can be a powerful tool for creating the life that you most long to live. For more information on how to create and use your own board, click here.

16.) Read something inspirational for a change. Books are great for escaping into a world of fantasy, but they can also provide real inspiration and practical advice for living a truly FabYOUlous life. For a list of some of my favorite personal development books click here.

17.) Enjoy a night out with yourself. Learn to enjoy your own company without feeling weird about it. Take yourself to dinner and a movie, peruse a bookstore or check out a local band…whatever sounds fun to you—do it. For other suggestions on how to enjoy your time with yourself, click here and here.

18.) Tap into your creativity. You are creative–whether you think you are or not. We all are. Sometimes it just takes some intentionality to tap into that creativity. Click here for some creative ways to express your creativity.

19.) Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Yes–the topic of gratitude has been a bit overdone and had been covered by just about everyone. That’s because it works. It is impossible to stay in a funk when you are busy counting your blessings. If you need a little refresher on the benefits of gratitude or suggestions on how to make gratitude a habit, click here.

20.) Cultivate your own sacred, spiritual practice. This doesn’t mean going to church every Sunday or reciting ancient prayers (though it certainly can include either of these), it means cultivating a personally meaningful spiritual practice that feeds your soul and nurtures your connection to your higher power–whatever/whoever that is. Spirituality is a highly personal thing, and yet, having a spiritual practice can be immensely comforting and beneficial during difficult times. Click here for some ideas on how to discover a spiritual practice that is right for you.

While mental health should never be taken lightly, and serious blues warrant a visit with a trained counselor; implementing a few of these quick strategies can help turn a bad day (week?) around, and if maintained over time, can lead to a prolonged sense of well-being. Give it a try–you’ve got nothing to lose…except the blues.