Three Habits to Improve Your Mental and Emotional Health
Have you ever heard the saying, “We become what we repeatedly do?”
For some of us, that’s great news. We have our habits on lock-down and feel like the rhythms we’ve established are leading us towards a more grounded and centered existence. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for all of us. For many of us, the actions we take on a consistent and persistent basis aren’t leading us towards the life we want to be living.
Simply put: who we are today is a direct result of the habits that make up our lives.
When it comes to our mental and emotional health, the same is true. The habits we choose to partake in have a direct negative or positive impact on our overall wellbeing.
The small and consistent ways we show up in the world day in and day out have a far more significant impact on our overall wellbeing than short bursts of wide-sweeping, unsustainable changes.
Before you get all excited and make a list of all the areas you want to address and changes you want to make, take a moment. The science of habits suggests that starting with small sustainable actions is the best (and only) way to form lasting habits.
At Onsite, we’ve found that the “two percent shifts”—those small incremental changes we make— over time can actually change our lives and transform our mental and emotional health.
Three Small Habits to Improve Your Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing
1. Journal for Five Minutes
Journaling is a small daily practice that can create space for you to connect with yourself and pursue clarity, peace, and centeredness.
Its benefits have long been studied by psychologists and scientists alike. Research shows that keeping a journal can reduce stress anxiety, increase your emotional intelligence, boost your mood, improve your immune system, and raise your self-confidence (just to name a few).
Not sure where to start?
Try journaling first thing in the morning. Set a timer for 5 minutes and begin writing whatever is on your mind. If you’re feeling stuck, try one of these journal prompts.
2. Go Outside for Ten Minutes
Studies show that getting outside to seek out “green space”—even for a few minutes a day—has an exponentially positive effect on your mental and physical wellbeing. For many of us, our lives rarely afford time outside, making it a practice we have to carve out and prioritize.
Not sure where to start?
Take the long way. Consider parking farther away from your office, forcing yourself to walk a little further. Or maybe start taking a 10-minute walk around your neighborhood when you arrive home, before even going through the door.
Schedule a walking meeting. Next time the weather allows, take that meeting outside. You’ll get a double benefit of bilateral stimulation as you converse with your co-worker.
Face the window. Can’t get outside? Research shows that just viewing nature through a window not only elevates your mood but can also help you physically heal quicker.
3. Unplug from Technology for One Hour
It feels like everywhere we turn, we are confronted with yet another negative effect of our constant attachment to technology. Many of us know firsthand that over-connection to technology is one of the biggest threats to our mental and emotional health. However, in an overly “plugged in” society, the idea of disconnecting from technology—even for an hour—can feel unsettling and perhaps even impossible.
Not sure where to start?
Set “off-limit” screen time hours. Whether it be at dinner, the first hour you wake up, or an hour before you go to bed. Schedule time in your day where you intentionally “unplug” to be present in your current moment.
Remember, your emotional and mental health matters. The actions you consistently take and the healthy habits you pursue are the foundation for building the life of intention, peace, and purpose you deserve.
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Are you ready to take your emotional health to the next level?
One of the greatest ways to hack our emotional health and optimize every area of our lives is to incorporate the power of habits. Our habits, whether conscious or subconscious, are the way we embody the type of person we want to become. So ask yourself, are your habits reflecting the life you truly want to live?
This FREE interactive online class will equip you with a roadmap to build and maintain healthy habits and hack your emotional health!
