This year has hit us all hard. Even usually very relaxed and laid out people, have been experiencing high levels of stress or even depression.

Your physical health keeps you waking up every morning, but it is your mental health that keeps you functional and rising up every time you fall. And after all, you deserve to be happy, and relaxed.

That’s why it is essential to put yourself first and do anything in order to improve your mental health.

Each of our colorful lives has its set of charges that sometimes can break us. But there are some habits that make us more vulnerable to stress like drinking or over-the-counter caffeine. Considering that you should mind your diet and try to eat healthily, we are going to focus on introducing some good habits that function as a shield in times of stress. Learn about them, try them, master them, and you will feel much more relaxed and empowered. Here we go:

  1. Take a piece of paper and write down what are the issues that keep running on your head and keep you stressed. Through running a self-diagnosis, you will be able to target your weaknesses and repair them. Not only diagnosis but why not write down a wish list to keep in focus. So you can remind yourself what are you working towards and what is the reward. It will make you stronger and motivate you.
  2. Change your environment. Step outside your home or workplace. Do something refreshing or relaxing like walking, reading, watching a video, or have a drink.
  3. Exercise, run, or do some sports if you can. Getting physically active encourages your body to produce endorphin, a hormone well-known for boosting your mood. Needless to say, exercising brings much more benefits for your heart, blood pressure, weight
  4. Sign out. Unplug from your electronic devices. They expose you to such a huge amount of information, sometimes your body simply doesn’t cope well with it. You will be surprised to see that you can in fact survive without your cellphone…for 30 minutes 🙂 You should take special care to stop staring and electronic devices at least 1 hour before sleep.
  5. Meditate in your own way. Make it personal be it prayer, yoga, or a nameless practice of your own. Find a place where you can comfortably and quietly sit. The most important is that it should focus on you and your inner thoughts. Search online for meditation techniques and find the one that is suitable for you. Then begin practicing. Finding a mentor could be what you need. If there is no way you can move from your workplace, then try to simply stop for a moment and don’t say a word, don’t think about anything, in particular. Just observe and notice what is going around. The sounds, the smells, the wind…
  6. Try to be happy. Isn’t that in fact what everyone is trying to accomplish? But in the pursuit of happiness, we often forget to live at the moment. Watch a comedy movie, have an ice-cream, have your favorite pizza, have some fun by your own standards. Want some ideas? Find HERE.

  7. Find your positive mood-boosting reminder. For someone simply lighting a scented candle reminds them of a certain atmosphere and makes their day. Pick your soother and keep it close to you for immediate use.
  8. Visualize your best day-dreams. Your favorite beach, your luxurious wardrobe, your best look. Flying with a hot air balloon, having dinner with your celebrity crush, picking furniture for your dream house? Light up your imagination.
  9. Do some stretching and relaxing exercises, try to physiologically relax your body.
  10. Do something creative. Why not arts? Painting, sculpting, cooking, writing. You need a medium to express your feelings, thoughts. Even imagining yourself telling someone all the things stressing you out, stresses you more. So find another outlet. The need to express ourselves is in human nature. Find your way and resource to it every time you need it. You don’t need to impress someone with your outcome, you only need to relieve yourself
  11. Treat yourself to a tasty snack. In order not to lapse into the vice of binging, keep these treats tasty but healthy. Opt for delicious salads, your favorite fruits, nuts, and sometimes, why not, dark chocolate.
  12. Kiss, kiss, kiss. Not just while having sex. Kissing is known to dramatically reduce the level of stress.
  13. Meet or see your dearest people, sibling, partner, friend. Psychologists agree that meeting with people who are close to you reduces the production of cortisol, the primary stress hormone.
  14. Consume potassium-rich foods. Probably the tastiest of them being the banana, but not only. Oranges, apricots, dates, beans, beef, cooked spinach, etc. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure.
  15. Can you work outside, in nature, in green, in sunlight? Don’t miss a chance of working in such an open space. Good for your entire wellbeing, your productivity, and your happiness.

Take care of yourself and share with someone who might need to read this.