13 Of My Go-To Things To Do For A Better Mental Health For Thursday Thirteen

Hello there,

Today is the seventh post of the 30-day blog marathon. So far, I’m enjoying writing to you, my dear readers. I’m hoping you, too, are finding them relatable.

For today’s post, I thought I would do a Thursday Thirteen. ( Click here to know more about Thursday Thirteen )

I am a human being; hence I feel every emotion that exists. I laugh, I cry, I feel frustrated, I am anxious, I get angry, sometimes anxiety overpowers me, sometimes I feel depressed, I feel pleasant, I feel lonely, I feel low, I underestimate myself, I feel proud of myself, I can feel anything and everything. Isn’t it?

You and I are no different. You also feel all these things. The only difference is how we take each feeling. Do we accept it or feel ashamed of that feeling. Both the former and latter are human.

Most times, I may accept being depressed, or I might not. But many times, we don’t know how to act when we’re slightly in a low mental state.

Today, while I was thinking of writing my seventh blog post, I gave a thought to what thirteen things I could write about. And this is what I came up with. So, here are 13 things I do for better mental health:

1.Journal

I’m not good at drawing or craft, but I do it because I enjoy doing it. I have a bunch of art journals now filled with drawings, scribblings, collages, paper cuttings, etc. It’s not at all worth keeping for an exhibition, but I still do it on and off.

Doing something in my art journal makes me a happy puppy. When the page comes out nice, I flaunt it on social media. If not, I simply smile at it and continue with another page.

Journalling makes you creative. I’ve written a detailed blog on the benefits of maintaining an art journal. Click here to read.

2.Read

Well, reading is one of the best ways to stay sane. When there’s nothing good going on in my life, I simply pick any of my favourite books or sometimes pick (or buy) a new book and start reading.

Reading makes me forget the sad things of life. Needless to say, reading books has endless benefits. Read here if you’re not a reader already.

3.Talk to friend

Whenever I feel low and lost, I ring my friends without giving it a second thought. Fortunately, I have a bunch of friends who’re always available for me, not today but at least tomorrow. Nobody is too busy to not spare a few minutes for friends.

You have to initiate that call and say, “Hey buddy, need to talk. Can we?”

Ranting out all your day’s stress can be an effective way to take off all the ill thoughts from your head. This will automatically lighten your brain and make you feel better.

4.Exercise

I’m not someone who exercises regularly. I take it up, continue for a few days, and leave it very easily. But I’ve noticed a positive impact of exercising on me. I’m active and happy for most parts of the day. I hope I make exercising daily a way of life.

5.Write

I told you the reason for starting this blog marathon on the day one post was because I was overwhelmed by a lot of things going on in my life. Writing things down channelises our thoughts on the right track. It gives structure to our otherwise wandering thoughts.

Try practising it by writing a diary. You’ll see a significant difference in yourself within a few days.

6.Help someone

My day doesn’t end until I give someone free advice or preach something that’ll help someone in some way. I feel extremely satisfied when I do this. This is not something I do on purpose; it comes naturally to me.

7.Express myself

I wasn’t the extrovert that I am today a decade ago. It all happened through conscious efforts and a will to connect to people around me.

I value my extroverted self more than anything because that helped me learn new things.

When I’m overwhelmed by the things going on in my life, both good and bad, I express my feelings either by talking to people or writing to my readers.

I feel much lighter and satiated when I do so.

8.Watch movies

Movies can help boost our mood instantly. I re-watch my favourite movies when I feel like it.

9.Walk

I go on long walks without my phone when I’m done with everyone. The movement and aloneness help me gather my broken pieces and come home relaxed.

10.Create

Creating something from scratch utilises some of your mental energy, which further boosts mental health.

For me, cooking something new is creating. It slowly boosts my mood while I’m in the process.

11.Video call

Video calls were a blessing in difficult times. I would never underestimate their value and still continue making them whenever I feel like seeing my friends or family.

Also, for a married woman, video calls are bliss.

12.Simply do nothing

There are days when I do nothing. Oops! I had those guilt-free days when I was single. Now that I’m married, I’m doing nothing only when I’m sick.

But you need that day when you are not productive. And you need to first accept that it’s absolutely okay to do nothing.

13.Focus on the purpose

When I feel like giving up on things, I remember the purpose behind starting them in the first place.

Once you have a goal in life, you have something to look forward to. That keeps you going, and you have no time to get depressed or feel low.

But despite doing all of the above, you continue feeling low or depressed for a prolonged time; you certainly need to rush for help. In my new book, My Brave Lady, we’ve provided some emergency contacts, too, in case you feel you need medical assistance.

I’m sure you’ll love my book if you’ve liked this blog. Do buy your copy now.

Let me know in the comment section below which is your go-to thing to do to boost your mood.

See you tomorrow!

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