In honour of mental health awareness month, O + L are sharing some healthy habits to make you happier.
Before we begin, we want to disclose that we are not doctors or psychologists; but, we have experienced some bad days. Therefore, in this article, you will read about what works for us when we are in a slump. These are habits you can pick up to increase your happiness and make you feel better.
Mental health awareness month is about ending the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and advocating for those suffering. With that said, if you are experiencing mental health issues, please reach out to someone for help. Whether you dealing with something small or something overwhelmingly heavy, you are not alone. Head to this link for Canadian mental health resources.
On that note, these are the little healthy habits we suggest you pick up to improve your mental health.
Meditate
If you feel anxious or sad, please try meditating. Meditation entered our lives at a time where school was rough, and the pandemic was at its worst. We needed something to help us feel better, and meditation did just that. It allows for mindfulness and will help you view things from a different angle. Only when you relax and look at your problems from a different angle will you be able to tackle them and breathe a bit more.
Some apps we recommend are Bloom & Calm. They offer a wide variety of meditation videos for any time of day.
Engage in Mood Boosting Tasks
Pick up a hobby, go for a walk or organize an outdoor picnic. Just do things that make you happy! Most of the time, if we enjoy these activities, they will distract us and boost our mood. It is crucial to do the things that make us happy because it will long-term benefit our mental health.
Increase Your Vitamin D
There's a reason you feel happier in the summer and, that's because of an increase in Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin). Studies have shown that Vitamin D can regulate your mood and make you feel better about yourself. You can increase your intake naturally by sitting in the sun and being outdoors. Or by taking a Vitamin D supplement.
Write Down Your Thoughts
Sometimes we bottle up our problems and overthink everything. Then our thoughts spiral, and we could potentially go down a dark hole. That's why if you don't want to talk to anyone, write down your thoughts. That will help you process what you're feeling and organize your thoughts. Trust us, it really helps.
Get A Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a journal/diary/book with things you are grateful for. It is used to focus your attention to positive things and aspects in your life. Through this journal, you could thank God, the universe or any higher power. A popular gratitude journal is the Five Minute Journal (that you may or may not have seen on every influencer’s Instagram). If you can’t commit to this journal, find some gratitude prompts and create your own gratitude journal!
Move Your Body
The rumours that hitting a punching bag to relieve stress and anger are 100% true. Exercising releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Moving your body doesn’t have to mean a high intensity workout, it could also be quick 15 minute walk around the park. All forms of exercise are proven to reduce stress, anxiety and fatigue as well as improve your overall mood. Time to get moving!
Get More Sleep
We know, first hand, how hard it could be to get our 8 hours of sleep sometimes though it is very important for mental health. A poor sleep schedule is linked commonly linked with mental health problems, such as anxiety. If you find your body fighting sleep at night, try adjusting the light, noise and/or temperature of your room. These simple tasks are proven to aid sleep. Following a routine or settling into a schedule will make this health habit much more doable. Wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day!
Thank you for reading this week's blog post. We hope you pick up these healthy habits and benefit from them! If you'd like to see more posts like this, please let us know.
See you next week :)
Xoxo,
