Go on a walk, journal your thoughts, call a friend, blah, blah, blah… Mental health advice has become so standard. To be fair, for a reason. Those are proven ways to feel better in the long run.
Let’s be honest, sometimes you need something that will work now. Something that would bring the same amount of dopamine, but with less effort. Here are “quick,” but surprisingly effective strategies to better your mental health.
16 Easy Tips How to Better Your Mental Health
Try Mental Health Apps
Sometimes we don’t feel ready to go to a stranger (although certified) and cry to them for help. Fortunately or unfortunately, therapy remains the most effective answer to the question “How to better your mental health?” If you’ve tried various self-help techniques that haven’t worked, visiting a specialist is the next step.
The good news is that you can try so many different options before wearing your heart on a sleeve in a doctor’s office. Mental health apps are one of the most popular options, and our favorite is Breeze Wellbeing https://breeze-wellbeing.com/, which features are developed with the help of licensed therapists and research. It’s not just our opinion: the study from mHealth confirms that such apps can be invaluable, especially in cases of mild depression and anxiety.
How exactly can mental health apps help?
- They validate your emotions with a mood tracker.
- The journaling feature allows you to reflect on your day and focus on positivity.
- Self-discovery evaluations can help you understand yourself and adjust your current circumstances to your needs. We highly recommend Breeze for taking online quizzes, as they are experts with over 30 evaluations and a rating of at least 4.0.
Travel Spontaneously
Changing circumstances is always a good idea. Sometimes, our sadness is not caused by us being wrong or some mental health problems. We just need something to look forward to.
Whether it’s a small escape to the neighbouring city, or a huge all-round Europe tour, travel will help you to distract from your problems and look at them from a different perspective. Unfortunately, the more countries you’ve been to doesn’t mean fewer negative thoughts. But what it does mean is that you have more positive memories to turn to if your mind is in a bad place.
Are You Hungry or Tired? Fix Those First
It sounds basic, but half of what feels like a mental health crisis can actually be low blood sugar or sheer exhaustion. Your brain is an engine. It needs fuel: food and sleep are the main types of fuel.
If you haven’t eaten in hours or run on four hours of sleep, you’re going to be irritable. The way people treat you is bad, and you’re a failure, you might think. So, check these three questions:
- Have I had water?
- Did I eat a balanced meal?
- Have I had enough sleep (at least 7 hours, but some people may need up to 11)?
Have Something to Look Forward To
When we wait for something enjoyable, such as a planned trip, concert, celebration, birthday, or even good weather, our brain already starts to produce dopamine, even before it happens. The positive thoughts, the thrill of planning, make us shake in anticipation.
It doesn’t need to be extravagant. Order that book you’ve been meaning to read, plan a cozy escape to a neighbouring state with a friend, mark the calendar for a movie release, and start planning a Christmas party in advance. Having something on the horizon reminds you that life isn’t just about surviving today. There’s so much joy waiting for you.
Dance
Depression can’t hit a moving target. When going to the gym or committing to a full workout feels like “too much work,” there is always an escape. Put on your favorite upbeat songs and shake your body. Dancing boosts endorphins. No matter how bad we felt, our brains had to adjust their rhythms to the beats. It’s just neurology.
The key? Avoid sad or triggering songs. Choose tracks that make you feel alive or nostalgic for good times.
After Each Thought in Your Head, Add “And That’s Okay”
We can all feel a little bit down. Do you think, “I’m such a failure?” Add “and that’s okay.” “I didn’t get out of bed until noon, and that’s okay.” This technique helps normalize your feelings.
Writing these thoughts down can make the effect even stronger. On paper, you’ll see that most “failures” are part of being human. Important note: don’t apply this method to serious harm like abuse or self-injury.
Put a Photo of You as a Child on the Lockscreen
Kendall Jenner shared this mental health wisdom she uses to better her mental health: she keeps a picture of herself as a little girl on her bathroom mirror. The idea is simple. When you see your younger self, it’s harder to be cruel to yourself. You’re reminded that the person you are today is the same child who deserved love, safety, and care.
Try setting a childhood photo as your phone’s lock screen. Every time you check a notification, you’ll see that little version of you. It’s a reminder to treat yourself with kindness, exactly the way you would for a child.
Slow Down Intentionally
Living in this time feels like racing. Social media makes it look like everybody has achieved so much in such young years. Well, firstly, it’s not true. Secondly, everybody has their own pace. You shouldn’t feel pressured that somebody has achieved something you want. You still have time; they didn’t steal anything from you.
If your routine looked like this: wake up late, rush through breakfast, sprint into meetings, collapse into bed, no wonder that you feel stressed. Slow down. Relax. Start by setting your alarm earlier so you have time to stretch, sip coffee slowly, read a few pages of a book.
Romanticize small routines: light a candle in the bath, snap a photo of your breakfast, enjoy a walk without headphones. You’ll have time to do enough. But what will improve is that you will be more present in your life.
Do a Health Check-Up
94% of psychiatric patients have vitamin D deficiency. Iron-deficiency anemia increases the chance of developing depressive symptoms by two times. Schedule a check-up with blood work for vitamin D, thyroid issues, iron, and ferritin to uncover hidden issues and just be on the safe side.
Think of it as preventative self-care. Plus, there’s an empowering boost that comes with knowing you’re actively taking care of yourself.
Have Sex
It might not be the first thing you think of when you feel down. And depressive and anxious symptoms can actually decrease sex drive. But intimacy is one of the most effective ways to better your mental health through mood regulation. Sex releases oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins, the very chemicals that counter stress. But it’s not only the physical act that matters.
What helps most is the connection to another person. Being vulnerable and present with another person whom you love and trust. If partnered sex isn’t an option or doesn’t feel right, self-pleasure can also provide benefits.
And if you don’t feel like engaging at all, that’s valid too. Don’t feel the urge to pressure yourself into wanting sexual intimacy; it’ll most definitely backfire.
Challenge Your Brain
When your daily routine leans heavily on physical work, your mind might crave stimulation. Usually, people satisfy this need with short video content or low-quality television. If your job is mostly mental, sometimes your brain needs a different kind of challenge. In both cases, engaging your brain in new ways can improve focus and lift your mood.
Try quick activities: Wordle, a middle-school-style trivia quiz, sudoku, or even a big jigsaw puzzle. More points if you invite friends over to join these games. These exercises aren’t about achievement (but solving a puzzle still will boost your dopamine levels), it’s the novelty.
Create an “Emergency Joy Fund”
When you’re already feeling low, you can’t think about feeling good. Moreover, how can you even come up with ways to better your mental health? Nothing may seem worth trying.
There is a thrilling idea going on in social media. Create a so-called “emergency joy fund.” You don’t put money there. You create a list of little activities or treats that you know you like.
Write them down in a notebook or your phone: listening to favorite music, ordering a take-out, calling a specific friend, going through Snapchat memories. The next time you’re down, you’ll have a cheat sheet and won’t have unnecessary mental load.
Another tip: share this list with loved ones. When they see you isolating yourself, they’ll just pop at your door with balloons and Pitbull music playing as loud as possible.
Try Bilateral EMDR Music
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy technique used for trauma. It is the most effective with a therapist, of course, but sometimes you can use EMDR-based techniques to self-soothe.
Bilateral EMDR music alternates sound between your left and right ears, mimicking the side-to-side movement used in therapy. Listening to this kind of audio can help you process your thoughts and reduce their amount. The overall aim of EDMR music is to lessen the emotional intensity of negative memories. You can find playlists on YouTube or in mental health apps.
Watch a Cartoon
Cartoons aren’t for kids. Watching something lighthearted is the best kind of escapism there. Children’s movies always are hopeful and kind unlike from heavy adult televesion.
Extra points if it’s a show you loved in childhood. Nostalgia can trigger feelings of safety and comfort, reminding you of simpler times. What’s so helpful about cartoons to better your mental health is that they’re short, colorful, and emotionally straightforward.
Wake Up at the Crack of Dawn
Morning light exposure leads to better sleep regulation and an improved mood, thanks to its role in balancing circadian rhythms and boosting serotonin. You’ll also get a chance to see your apartment, street in a different light. When there’s no rush or overwhelming light.
Instead of rolling out of bed to noise and notifications, start slowly. Step outside for fresh air, sip coffee or tea in peace. It might help you to be more productive, but it’s not at all about productivity.
You Are Going to Be Better
Improving your mental health doesn’t always mean following the same overused advice. Sometimes it’s about experimenting. Some of them comfort you, others flood your brain with dopamine, or give you back your control.
You’re doing a good job trying, and a day will come when you’ll be able to breathe with relief. If you’re trying to love yourself, you already do.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit:
