How to prioritize better mental health

Experiment with these 9 suggestions and trust yourself to know what works best for you.

I assess the quality of my mental health by checking in and asking questions like, “How do I feel?” “Is it easy to be creative or am I forcing it?” “Am I more reactive than usual?” “Is my mind racing and making snap judgements or do I have space to be more thoughtful?” “Am I responding to stress in a healthy way or is stress affecting my sleep, work and/or relationships?” I’m not a medical professional but these questions do help me understand where I might need a little work. These are the things I focus on or come back to to ease my nervous system and better my mental health.

1. Spend less time on social media.

This one doesn’t need much explanation. I feel better when I am looking at screens less. 

2. Transcendental Meditation. 

Any kind of mindfulness or meditation practice works here but I learned how to practice Transcendental Meditation in March of 2019. You’ve heard the Zen saying, “You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you’re too busy, then you should sit for an hour.” 20 minutes twice a day is just right for me and my nervous system.

3. Dress with less.

I’m still committed to 33 items or less in my wardrobe. Dressing with less relieves unnecessary stress and makes me so uninterested in shopping for new items on a seasonal or emotional basis. I save money, time and energy.

4. Close the loop on bigger projects.

From work projects to home projects, finishing them and closing the loop is so good for your mental health. I finally finished painting a closet in my office that I had been thinking about for almost 5 years! It only took a few days. Usually the stuff we think about (and overthink about) takes less time than we think to complete.

5. Remember that less news = better mental health.

I’m sticking with my no news in the morning or evening boundary, and no news via video but I’m also getting away from daily news. Once or twice a week seems like more than enough. I want to be informed enough to take action but not so informed that I’m too overwhelmed to do anything. Breaking news is broken and it’s breaking us.

6. Add a hobby or activity that includes being around other people.

I’m very happy spending a lot of time alone and I recognize that it’s really good for my mental health to spend time with other people. I started tennis lessons this year and joined a weekly group. If you are thinking about getting out there too, remember that you don’t have to find a new best friend to boost your mental health. My friend Gina wrote a beautiful book called, I Want to Thank You (which reminds me I need to pick up some thank you cards). In her book she wrote, “Low stakes relationships can be high impact.” This article in The Atlantic (gift link) calls low stakes relationships “weak ties” and explains, “The term was coined in 1973 by the Stanford sociologist Mark Granovetter, and it comprises acquaintances, people you see infrequently, and near strangers with whom you share some familiarity.”

7. Sleep well.

Better mental health often starts with better sleep. I go to bed around the same time every night. I keep my room dark and cool and generally sleep 7–8 hours a night. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I put in my Loops and count backwards by three from 300.

8. Consider therapy for better mental health.

I haven’t seen a therapist in the last few years and it might be time for a tune up. There are so many amazing forms of therapy and complementary treatment for better mental health now. For me though, I’m thinking about talk therapy. Never hesitate to reach out for help assessing your mental health and improving it. If your arm was broken, you'd go to the doctor so seeking help for better health makes sense.

9. Bringing back regular stupid mental health walks.

Remember back in 2020 when all we could do was walk? People were posting pictures from their “stupid mental health walks” and actually loving them. Did John Green start this? Walking was my way through the pandemic. I still walk a lot but often indoors while working. Now that it’s warming up I'll be outside again walking. I won’t listen to podcasts or audiobooks or try to make this time productive. Sometimes I’ll chat with a friend while I walk but mostly I’m looking forward to quiet walks listening only to the sounds around me and the voice within me.

All of these suggestions for better mental health can lead to more creative flow (which is really important for my work), more patience (essential for good relationships) and better overall health.

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