4 Tiny Ways to Support Your Mental Health

Sometimes we get stuck in finding ways to make change. It can seem overwhelming. Often it is because we are thinking big picture versus small action. Most lasting change if formed by small intentional actions repeated over time to become habits. Continue reading for some tiny ways you can support your mental health.

Learn More About Tiny Ways to Support Your Mental Health

Listen to your body

When you are in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can feel like your basic physical needs are on the back burner. Putting off grabbing that drink of water, a trip to the bathroom, or taking a bite of a snack can seem like no big deal – after all, you’ll do it eventually! However, reacting promptly to your body’s messages can help remind your body that it is safe and that you are worthy of being cared for. Unmet needs can also be a contributor to our emotional state (hello hanger!). It goes beyond food and water. When you are cold, grab a sweater or blanket. When your back hurts from being at the computer all day, take a moment to stretch. You
don’t need to be perfect to make progress – shoot for honoring these needs even just 10% more often. A little intention goes a long way when it comes to treating yourself with kindness and care.

Pause in the positive

This one seems extra simple, but boy is it overlooked. There are so many positive mini moments popping up each day that are easy to take for granted among the bigger stressors, challenges and fears consuming our mind. Whether it’s the relief of putting on comfy clothes at the end of the day, the cool crisp breeze on a hot
day, a moment when all the kids are happy at the same time, a delicious flavor, a positive interaction with a stranger, hitting 4 green lights in a row on your drive to work, your favorite song playing in the grocery store – there are moments worth spending a little extra attention on. While a formal gratitude practice is great, you can still make a difference without documenting it. Just pause for an extra second or two, notice and smile. You’d be surprised how quickly your brain starts learning to look for these moments more naturally.

Stop the stress spirals

When you find your heart racing as you rush around in a panic, say out loud: “This is not an emergency.” Sometimes our brains forget the difference between being late to soccer practice and being chased by a giant bear, and sometimes all it takes to remember is to break the cycle of stress with a verbal interjection. In most
modern day scenarios, our survival is not at risk. Yes, there may be consequences, but most hardly measure up to the stress we put ourselves through in anticipation of them. A little out loud reaction to interrupt our amped up inner dialogue might lead to an overall decrease in time spent in that stress state week-to-week.

Add a compassion correction

While you may not have the capacity to unravel all your thought patterns and overhaul your self-talk right now, a tiny action you can take is having a phrase on hand to catch and correct some of the more ~harsh~ words we say to ourselves. Pick a go-to line like: “but I’m just a human doing my best.” “but nobody is perfect.” or “but I have my whole life to try again.” It can act as a quick add-on for all the times you fall short of your own expectations (or someone else’s) as all
humans do. Sure, your instinct might still be to beat yourself up (Ugh I never say the right thing. I’m so awkward. I should have remembered that. I can’t do anything right. I’m so lazy! I never finish my to do list! – Sound familiar?), but just adding a little correction of compassion can help lighten the load a little. Over time, you may find you catch yourself more quickly, or even that the compassionate correction becomes the default.

There are seasons when we don’t have the capacity or resources for big mental health efforts, but we don’t have to let our mental health slip off our radar entirely. Try to set an intention to incorporate one of these mini moves towards a healthier way of being and see if a tiny shift makes a big wave in how you feel.

Kelsey Terrell is a Graduate Student Intern with the Mindly Group studying Mental Health Counseling.

4 Tiny Ways to Support Your Mental Health

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