Yesterday was the 10th of October which was World Mental Health Day. This pandemic has been really frustrating for some people, including me. One of the reasons for me to write this blog is to speak my mind and heart but also to share experiences that might help other people. Here are some of the small things to do for better mental health.
Count Your Blessings
As cliche as it sounds, we need to start to count our blessing and be grateful to have what we have now. We may not have our dream job yet, but we have a job that provides food on our table. We may not live in our dream apartment or house, but we have a shelter over our head, a comfy bed that we sleep in every night. My mum always says “Jangan lihat ke atas, tapi selalu lihat ke bawah” which literally translates to “Don’t look up but always look down” It might be a little bit weird with English direct translation but it actually means “Do not compare yourself with the life of someone above you but compare yourself with the needy.” Be grateful for what you have.
Talk to Your Trusted Person
All of us are social beings. We need supports from other people to function well. Even introverts would like to have one or two close friends to have a chat with. Talk to someone with your problem would be a good start, but choose wisely. Not some random friends who like to gossip behind your back. Not some friends who do not understand your situation. Let it out from your chest and your mind to have a clearer conscience.
Clean Your Personal Space
As I mentioned before in my previous blog post, a clean room equals a clean mind! Clutter in your space can translate into clutter in your mind, so dedicate extra time to go clean your personal space. Once your space feels clean, make sure it stays that way by fitting cleaning into your daily routine, like making your bed every morning and cleaning all surfaces in the evenings. Digital cleaning counts!
Get the Sun
Take a walk outside and get the sun! A mood boost can be as easy as stepping outside. Going outdoors (even when it’s cold outside) can improve mood and better mental health. I read a study from TIME that even for just 20 minutes a day, it would make you happier.
Dedicated Time to Pray
If you are not a religious person, you could just give thanks to the universe. But if you believe in God (whatever your religion are) practicing time to pray is also a good thing when it comes to better mental health. Once, someone asked me a question. “If your iPhone is broken, where will you take it for repair?” of course we would take it to the Apple store that has repairing service. So the big question is, where will you go when you feel broken? We should go back to our ‘Creator’. Ask Him to repair every mind and every heartbreak in our life.
Unfollow or Mute Social Media Accounts that aren’t Serving You
As a designer, my daily life is being on social media to promote and to do marketing design. It’s very easy to stumble upon accounts that would make us compare our lives with them. Comparing is the start of a poisonous mind. The best thing is to unfollow or mute all the accounts that do not make you feel inspired or happy. Instead, follow those other women whose careers you admire and to learn from, and find inspiration accounts that will serve you as a reminder to be confident and happy. If the accounts just make you feel bad about where you are in life, then it would be a good time to have a detox from social media or people.
Do What You Enjoy to do
I know this would be hard to do. Based on my experience, I didn’t even have the energy to do things I used to enjoy because I was so mentally drained. I’d rather be in my bed, crying or day-dreaming about the future that may not come to reality. But, we have to force ourselves to do it. Once we have started, we would have more energy and motivation to be better. Planting more positive thoughts in our mind and try to focus only on good things.
Treat Yourself
Once a while, we should not forget to treat ourselves. Whether we treat ourselves with a nice meal, get a better skincare routine, get the dress we always want to wear. Or to splurge a little if we can afford it. After all, we earned money to live life!
Hope you feel better once you do all of these small things. Let me know what is your go-to things to do for better mental health?
