Mental Health Tips

These tips are great for a grey winter day, a rainy day or any day you feel less than your full self. The world around you may be in complete and utter chaos but you can’t control that. You can only control YOU. Here are some tips to help you fight the demons within yourself.

• Shower. Not a bath, a shower. A long shower. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it hit your face and run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta.

• Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers? Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis. Think of it as a mini massage from you, to you.

• Put on clean, comfortable clothes…if you want. Or throw on a comfy robe. Or wrap yourself in that nice throw blanket you got for Christmas.

• Put on your favorite underwear. Maybe cute black lacy panties or those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? Or go commando.

• Bras are 100% optional. Free yourself, let those bad boys free.

• Drink ice cold water. If you want to get fancy, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost. Or drink piping hot tea. Add some lemon and honey to get give it that extra flair.

• Clean something. Doesn’t have to be anything big. Channel your inter Container Store and organize one drawer of a desk. Wash five dirty dishes. Do a load of laundry. Scrub the bathroom sink.

• Blast music. Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both, like nobody’s watching. Find that special nostalgic song that brings you back to the good old days and turn it up.

• Make food. Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. Take the time and make food. Even if it’s ramen. Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies. Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something. You don’t have to eat said food. Just admire your hard work.

• Make something. Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, make a card, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. Even if you don’t think you’re good at it. Create. Get crafty. Go Pinterest crazy.

• Go outside. Take a walk. Sit in the grass. Look at the clouds. Smell flowers. Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin. Listen to the wind blow. Take deep breaths.

• Call someone. Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. Talk to a stranger on the street. Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. Even if you don’t say much, listen to them. It helps.

• Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them. Take more pictures of them. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.

• Cuddle your kids if you have them, no matter how young or how old. Talk to them. Watch them. Listen to them.

• Write a letter to anyone, even to yourself. Send a note to someone the old fashioned way…snail mail. Remember that card you made? Send it off and make someone smile.

• Find something to be grateful for! No matter how big or small.

           Original author unknown – tailored by HAMA