5 Ways to Positively Impact Your Mental Health Every Day

Mental Health Matters

Our mental health impacts us every day. Having a strong state of mental health can positively affect the way we handle stress, challenges, and relationships. While each of our mental health journeys is unique, there are small steps that just about everyone, parents and teens alike, can take to help build and maintain a healthy state of mental health along the way. 

5 Ways to Strengthen Mental Health

When parents take care of their own mental health they more successfully help their children build good mental health practices. Knowing a healthy mind contributes to a healthy body, here are five ways to strengthen your mental health every day.

1. Connect with others. While you’re disconnected from your tech, connect with people around you — yes, face to face. Eat a meal together with family without no phones at the table. Do something with a friend that doesn’t require any technology. Too many heads are buried in phones and tablets, and there is not enough interaction with friends, peers, and family IRL– in real life. Interacting with others to build and maintain social connections provides benefits, including a sense of belonging, community, and support. These connections are essential for our well-being and often bring moments of joy into our daily lives.
2. Prioritize yourself. Engage in self-care. This means putting yourself first in both body and mind. Do your best to eat healthy food, get some type of exercise every day, and get the necessary amount of sleep for your body. These are essential as part of establishing a strong self-care routine. Self-care is about being able to manage yourself as challenges come your way. Forming these good habits is proven to boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
3. Volunteer and engage in acts of kindness. Volunteering as part of a larger community may provide a sense of individual purpose. Helping others often offers as much happiness to the volunteer as the recipient. It’s easy to be kind, and kindness usually comes back around. 
4. Disconnect from devices and spend some time outside. Too many of us walk around with our heads looking down at a phone or peering at a tablet or computer. Carve out some time each day to turn off your digital devices. Relieve yourself of so much of the negative information and misinformation that comes our way. Once you do, step outside. Take a walk in a local park, go running or hiking, practice yoga or mindfulness, or do anything that will allow you to look at the environment around you and help increase your sense of awe. Look at the sky, the trees, the mountains, or a body of water. Take time to smell the roses – literally – as you enjoy everything Mother Nature offers. 
5. Practice gratitude. Shift your focus towards the good things. Make a regular practice of appreciating the positive aspects of your daily life. Say them out loud. Write them down in a gratitude journal. Talk to others about what you’re grateful for. Remember, the small things count! 

Model Good Habits for Teens

Parents who build good mental health habits for themselves model how to do it for their children. Young people need support from others to help build strong mental health practices for themselves now and in the future. 

If you or your child are struggling with your mental health, don’t be afraid to reach out for professional help to get things back on track and feel your best. We put together a list of supportive resources to help you get started.