I’ve been on a wicked long journey with my mental health. And when I thought about it the other day, I couldn’t believe it’s already been 18 years since I first felt like that anxious teenager, scared and completely stuck in my own head.
It’s safe to say I’ve learned a few things along the way and this this post, I’d like to talk about some of the things I’ve made a real effort to do this year, in 2024 to improve my mental health.
The reason for this is that I want to share practical things that have actually made a difference in my life and that can be applied every single day.
I paused before reacting
One of the best things I have done for my mental health this year was slow down. To be more specific, I committed to pausing before reacting to something I didn’t like.
One of the things I have noticed this year is how we as a society are becoming more and more opinionated. Whether that’s because of the political divisiveness we find ourselves experiencing or because of the nature of social media and outrage culture.
Just take a moment to look online for 5 minutes and you’ll see what I mean. Everyone is outraged about something.
Most of the things they react to aren’t even real. They react to nonsense articles written by AI or fake posts on social media, designed to get us emotional and argue.
And it works, really, really well.
I stepped back from this outrage culture and spent more of my time being mindful of how it was affecting my mental health as it was clear this culture was a big negative.
It sucks up and uses a lot of my energy and distracts me from what is truly important in my own life.
Lesson: most of what you read and watch is argumentative nonsense. Turn off the noise to find more inner peace.
I looked at the positives in everything
One of the things that helped to improve my mental health this year was looking at the positives in everything. I learned that no matter how bad something is, there’s always something positive to take from it. There’s always a lesson that can help you.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the positives are very difficult to identify. And that’s okay. Sometimes it takes a while to see them.
But I truly believe they are always there.
For example, my home was recently invaded by cockroaches. It was a bit scary and made me feel kind of sick. And as you might know, getting rid of them can be an uphill battle. And it certainly has been for me.
But even when I felt completely exhausted and defeated, I decided to look at the positive side of the situation. And yes, it was very hard to find one, but I did…eventually.
The positive side was, my place has never been cleaner!
Lesson: Things we deem bad will always happen but you always have the power to pick out the positives so the bad side doesn’t overwhelm you. Try and find gratitude for all situations.
I stopped taking things personally
For a long time, I’ve thought about my mental well-being and how it might be heavily connected to my ego and sense of self. When we think of the ego, we sometimes think of arrogance and selfishness. But at the other end of the spectrum, I think it’s related to our fear and the worries we have about ourselves.
When I was a very anxious teenager, I felt as if everything was happening to me. I was scared and labelled myself as just that, “anxious.”
I realised I took everything on my shoulders too heavily. For a long time, I took everything very personally.
But I didn’t need to take everything that happened to me or that was said to me personally. Things just happen and people say things they don’t mean through emotion.
Lesson: when you stop taking things to heart, they wash over your back. You don’t hold onto them needlessly and can move on quickly.
I spent more time doing what I love
One thing that makes a really positive impact on my mental health is making the time to do what I love. In the past, I spent more time worrying and feeling sorry for myself than I did focusing on the things that make me feel great.
For example, this year I spent more time;
- with my family
- exercising in lots of different ways
- writing about the things I love
- learning to cook new recipes
Spending time doing what you love to do (providing they’re healthy things) is the perfect antidote to sitting around overthinking. It makes you feel like you’re spending your time wisely. And that’s a great thing for your mental health.
It’s a simple tip but it’s super practical.
Lesson: Doing is much better for you than thinking. Get to doing and moving in some way. It quietens the mind and gives you momentum.
I started saying “yes” more
I’m a big believer in setting boundaries that protect your mental health but this year I experimented with saying “yes” more and it had a really positive impact on my mental well-being. I’ve always been perfectly happy with my own company but I decided I would get out of my comfort zone for once.
I began by saying “yes” to invitations that ended up being extremely fun occasions. It got me wondering how many fun times I’ve missed in the past due to saying “No” or, “Sorry I’m a bit tired.” Even when I felt lethargic, I pushed myself to go out and see friends and family and I was never disappointed.
And saying “yes” more also goes for sporting events. For example, I started playing football every week. Each week I feel tired after work and think of a million excuses as to why I can’t go but they’re never good enough.
I’m just lying to myself.
Once I go out and move my body, I feel absolutely amazing.
Lesson: don’t close yourself off. Get out and talk to people, move your body when you can and you will feel so much better in yourself.
Wrapping it all up
I’ve made a lot of progress with my mental health over the past 12 months. And there’s still a lot more that can be made. And that’s okay. You never completely change your mental health. If I’ve learned anything on this journey it’s that you’ll have good days and bad days. But if you want to have more good days than bad, you need to be patient and compassionate towards yourself.
Start creating better habits today.
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Sean C is a writer, passionate about improving one’s self by maintaining healthy habits and doing the things that make life more meaningful.
