35 Tiny positive mental health habits to naturally boost your mood

If you are looking to improve without going through a drastic change, then In this Post, I share 35 tiny positive mental health habits that can boost your mood instantly!

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Are you going through a rough period in your life?

Maybe something drastic or just one of those phases where nothing feels good

Our Mental health can get affected through a variety of reasons in our lives, small or big

and even at times, there is no reason why we feel low, anxious, or depressed

Last year, when I was going through one of those phases of life, my mental health was really low.

I had no hope for the future, I felt sad and most of all, anxious all year.

In order to feel positive and good, I was constantly waiting and hoping for something Good and big to happen in my life that can make me feel good.

But nothing happened

After waiting and struggling with my mental health, I realized

That you don’t always need that ONE BIG happy or exciting moment in your life to feel this way

Instead, Multiple small habits can make a huge difference in boosting your mood and making you feel happy and content.

In this post, I want to share with you, a few habits that have made a huge difference in my mental health since last year.

The amazing thing I have realized is, every time I start to feel low, just going back to these positive mental health habits instantly makes a huge difference!

Table of Contents

Mental health and Habits

Before I begin, to share those tiny positive mental health habits, I want to share why our mental health is important.

Even though in the last few years, a new generation is taking mental health seriously and making it a priority

I find there are still many who take it for granted even though we know it is important.

We push it away

Out of all & areas of our life, mental health is definitely one of the most important areas.

There is a much deeper connection and effect of our mental health on our physical well-being too.

Our mental health can also affect different areas of our life

Feeling sad or anxious from time to time is a part of our life, but when one of those emotions stays longer for weeks, months, and even years

It can affect the quality of our life

It is true, we cannot feel positive and happy all the time, but we can aim to feel positive, for the most part of our day.

Habits are things we do every day consistently that make up our life in the long run.

Developing small habits in our life, that can boost our mental health can help us feel content, or positive most of our day or life.

35 Tiny positive mental health habits

1. Letting go of negative self-talk

A small change in how you speak to yourself throughout the day creates a huge shift in your mental health.

Many years back when I was struggling to love myself, I realized I used to feel low and underconfident all the time

because of the way, I would speak to myself

I was being harsh in my mind and constantly telling myself ” I am not good enough”

“I cannot do this”

Last year, when I went through another phase of depression, I realized I was again practicing negative self-talk but on different topics.

Once I realized and constantly pushed myself to let go and instead practice positive-self-talk

I started seeing a difference in my mental health too

Notice how you speak to yourself and practice positive self-talk

2. Getting enough sleep

Some studies show, our mental health and sleep are closely related

Not getting enough sleep can affect mood changes, and you may feel low, tired, and irritated.

Whereas waking with a good amount of rested sleep can energize and boost your mood.

you feel fresh and calm

Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep and create a good night routine so you can sleep soundly at night.

3. Exercising every other day

Before I learned the scientific reasons behind exercise and our mood, I had learned it by myself.

Back when I was in school, I remember exercising every day for two weeks, and after I had gotten off track and stopped doing it for a while

I realized how much my mental health had changed

When I was exercising every day, I was feeling good and positive

Whereas, When I went off track, my mental health started to go down again

Since then, every time, I am feeling low, I know a good workout will help me feel good instantly!

Scientifically speaking, When we exercise, our body produced a hormone called “endorphins” which is called the “feel-good” hormone that makes us feel good.

You don’t have to do any tough or extreme exercise, just daily movements throughout the day can make all the difference.

Try different forms of exercise and sports, and you will find one, that you enjoy and can continue to down without any hassle.

4. Accepting my mind is creating thoughts to keep me safe.

One of the most drastic changes, I felt in my mental health last year was after reading this book called Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

This book talks in, detail about how our mind is separate from us, the function of our mind has always been to look for threats and protect us.

Our mind does not know the reality and is always looking for any problems and threats to protect us.

Even though, now, when our life might be going smoothly, our mind keeps bringing thoughts that there is something wrong.

Our thoughts, in fact, are not always the problem, but the thinking and meaning we give to them.

We cannot stop our mind to generate these thoughts but prevent ourselves from giving any meaning or further thinking to these thoughts.

By just remind ourselves that our mind is trying to protect us and in reality, there is no such thing

we can simply, nudge those thoughts and not let them affect our mood

I highly recommend reading the book for more

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5. Watching myself when overthinking

Similar to the above point, overthinking is one of the main reasons we feel low 90% of the time.

The only habit to help with overthinking is to watch yourself when you find yourself going into a deep hole of overthinking

6. Listening to music

Listening to peaceful or upbeat music can help you instantly feel better for a while.

Music is another way to express our feelings, there are so many different types of music, from self-love to songs about grief, break up, and feeling lonely.

Music is like subliminal messages that can boost our mood. Sometimes you may feel comforted, and sometimes you may feel lighter

7. Doing a hobby

A hobby is one of the most important parts of our life, it is true, what helps us feel good and content in life.

We feel good and destressed doing something, we are passionate about and enjoy.

This keeps us in the present moment actively, doing what we love which could be, dancing, singing, painting, or makeup.

Dwelling on a hobby every day or when you feel anxious is a must and the best way to divert your feeling and let them go

8. Light up a candle

An essential oil diffused beautifully scented candle is another great way to help you boost your mood and have some time alone.

Lemon essential is said to be the best for lifting your mood! Just diffuse it with a candle and create a calming environment at home.

To help you feel better and at peace.

9. Limiting my distance from negative people

Being surrounded by people that are negative and constantly belittle you affects your subconscious self

Even when we say we do not take those words to heart but somewhere subconsciously, it affects our energy and mood.

If you have been going through this, observe around and look, who are these people? That is always being negative towards you.

Can you eliminate them from your life? If not, how can you limit your time spent around them?

The less, the better!

10. Have something to keep me present

The reason, why we feel low, sad, or anxious is mostly, due to 90% past or future. We are hurting for what happened in the past.

Or we are worried about what might happen and if things don’t go away

It’s never about the present moment we are living in.

This is why you must engage in something to keep your presence in the moment instead of thinking about the past or future!

11. Shifting my perspective

A lot of times, all we need to feel good and let go of all hurt and negativity is to shift our perspective.

We are too stuck in what we think is happening or what is right or should be that it makes us feel low.

Looking at things from a different perspective can help you feel at ease and understand things on a different level.

Maybe you were constantly worried about getting rejected from a job you wanted to get into

Instead of constantly feeling that you are not enough or you will never be able to do anything

you may need to look at this from a different picture. Maybe this job wasn’t meant for you

There are 1000 more jobs available, and this one was just one TINY Job out of them

You still have more to go, and you will get there as you keep applying and improving yourself

You could take that rejection as an evaluation to help you become better and avoid those mistakes

This way, the rejection can work in your favor to help you perfect your skills and become a motivating factor instead of a defeat

Now you won’t feel as bad as you were before because all you did was shift your perspective

12. Becoming mindful of what I consume

What we listen to and hear, and see all the time has a profound effect on our subconscious mind.

If you constantly watch news that shows all the wrong and horrific things going around, you will subconsciously develop fear and anxiety.

If you watch things that are depressing, or violent it will affect your mood too.

13. Trying to be patient

Maybe there is something you have wanting to do or achieve, and you cannot wait. You are impatient and want to get it as soon as possible.

While this feeling is normal and happens to all of us, it also does affect our mood.

Maybe the thing you want realistically needs time and patience. It just cannot happen that soon.

In that situation, being worried and impatient is only going to affect you.

Not to forget that some things are out of our control, when they will or how

We may not know

Hence instead of feeling low, try to be patient about it and indulge in something else

14. Cutting down Complaints

Honestly, up until last year, I was a big Complainer. I would constantly cry and wonder why???

Why do I have live like this? Why isn’t this happening? And complain about everything

One day, I realized, that I complained and sulked way too much.

There are some things in our life just the way they are. And we cannot do anything about it.

Complaining is not going to change it. It only makes me feel sad

I better accept it and focus my energy on what I can do and work on what is on my hand

That has changed the game for me, not only mentally but in other aspects of life too

15. Creating small movements of joy

We all face small or big stressful events at times, Getting scolded at work, forgetting something, or something else.

It could instantly make us feel negative, and we start feeling all sorts of emotions and call it a bad day.

While all of this is normal and part of life, we can balance these emotions by creating small moments of joy in our life.

Calling up a friend, going on a long drive, going to a play station or watching a comedy movie, and so on

This could help us feel better and not so emotional life we were feeling before.

16. Going outside

As an introvert, I do like being at home, but even at times, I have felt whenever I go out for fun or just for a few years, I end up feeling so much better.

If my mood was off and I went to a nearby place to eat, I end up, feeling better afterward.

Go outside for fresh air! It is gonna make you feel so much better!

17. Having a routine

Having a daily routine that distresses you is a great way to end the day feeling better.

Build a self-care routine that you can do daily that leaves you feeling better after completing it!

18. Journaling

One of My favorite positive mental health habits is journaling. When I feel low or sad or any sort of negative emotion

I write out my feeling and what I am going through. Not always there is someone around I can openly vent to

To express as well as, process these emotions, journaling has been a lifesaver!

It helps me lighter, I often end up finding a solution or motivation that boosts my mood!

Journaling has been proven to help in relieving your stress and uplift your mood!

I talk a lot about journaling in this blog, from how to guide to journal prompts you can practice for specific topics

Here are a few-

19. Focusing on my happiness

Coming back to yourself and things that make you happy is a great way to boost your mood.

If you are feeling certain emotions, take moment and out things that make you happy and do them.

Focusing on what makes you happy at the end of the day is what you need to feel better.

Although doing what makes you happy may require you to go through challenges that feel scary and anxious

But it will be worth it afterward!

20. Reading Self-help books and resources

Reading books on the topic you are going through can help you manage and understand your emotions as well as, a problem well.

For example, is your struggle with anxiety? I am not an expert in this but there are surely many books, blogs, and videos on anxiety that can help you understand what it is And the tools to help you overcome anxiety

21. Focusing on one thing at a time

I know you may wonder how focusing on one thing at a time is related to mental health.

But we may not realize, we are constantly doing multiple things together, eating while watching tv or doing 2-3 tasks together

Sometimes, we are focusing on two different work fields on the same day. This takes too much of your energy and is not good for your mental health.

Multi-tasking has been proven to increase stress, which leaves us feeling exhausted and overstimulated.

Hence, switching up your focus on doing one thing at a time is the best way to feel good and avoid that extra stress in life

22. Treating myself

Treating yourself is one of the small yet helpful positive mental health habits! Treating yourself to a certain product, food, or vacation always helps in feeling better.

It can help you get out of this feeling you are stuck in and give yourself a small break!

Do not feel guilty and treat yourself something because you deserve it!

23. Talking to others

Sometimes all you need to talk to your best friend, or family member to feel better. They may not be able to give you the best advice.

But they provide comfort that will help you feel lighter and better!

Talking to a profession is also a great way to help you improve your mental health.

Don’t hold yourself back and talk to someone!

24. Being kind to myself

When you are hurt or faced with challenging emotions, at times, you may end up hurting yourself more by saying hurtful words or doing something unkind

This only makes you feel worse than any better and is certainly not something you deserve to be treated with by yourself.

Be kind and acknowledge your feelings, Hug and tell yourself, that you will be okay!

25. Being in nature more

Being surrounded by nature can help you feel at peace. Every time you feel sad, try to go out to a park, or place nearby that is filled with nature – flowers, plants, trees, and water.

It will bring you positive energy and a sense of calm from inside after a while! I promise!

26. Practicing Affirmations

One of the positive mental health habits you must do when feeling negative is practice positive affirmations!

When we feel negative, we say all the negative and hurtful things that multiply those emotions making it worse.

I have found that practicing affirmation consistently has helped me overcome those thoughts as well as, feelings!

It may sound weird in the beginning, but if you keep repeating to yourself the opposite of the words you are going through every day

After a while, those feelings will be reversed with positive instead!

27. Setting Boundaries

Perhaps, the reason you feel so depressed or low is due to someone or the company you are always surrounded with

They directly or indirectly make you feel negative and sad constantly.

If that is the case, the only way to help yourself is by setting boundaries with them!

Limiting your constant or eliminating them from your life altogether!

28. Spending alone time

This Is one of the most important positive mental health habits so far!

Whatever you are feeling, it should not be suppressed and avoided. You must let out and face these emotions

Spending alone time letting yourself feel it and trying to recognize why you are feeling this way can be comforting

Letting your emotions, and then doing something by yourself to help you feel lighter, like journaling, reading a book, painting all by yourself

29. Having something to look forward to

Having something every day to look forward to, is a great way to be more positive though out the day.

Maybe a cup of coffee, meeting a friend today, going to your dance because it always leaves you feeling good, and so on

This could be a highlight of the day you set for yourself, it is easy for you to do and does not require much effort, and makes you feel great.

So, even if you feel low for some reason, the activity can keep you going and help you feel sad

30. Small accomplishments

At times, we feel like we are so behind. We all set big goals, that take time to achieve

You must be working towards your goals right now, but the results may come in about a year or more.

This can be a difficult period, many times you feel go through self-doubt and feel as if nothing is working out.

Setting small accomplishments is key when you are facing such a problem

When I started my blog, it took me 7 months to truly start seeing some traffic and a few pennies come in

Till then, I was nowhere, in the first 1-2 months, I felt so impatient and restless because I could not see any results at all

After that, I started setting small goals and accomplishments

Like writing – 10 posts a month

The goal for the month is to get 50 views ( really tiny accomplishments) that were realistic and achievable.

And I always ended up reaching more than I had hoped for

This kept me motivated to continue my blogging journey

Big accomplishments happen just a few times in our lifetime because they also take a huge period and work.

This is why small accomplishments are the true happy treats that we should focus on because they happen more often and are easy to achieve!

31. Praying

Praying is powerful, whether you believe in the concept of god or not. I am sure we all prayed at some point in our life when faced with turbulence.

We automatically start praying and wishing for things to get better.

Praying is a good way to ask the universe/god to help you guide you through tough times.

As a believer in god, I have found that just writing and praying in my journal gives makes me feel lighter and gives me the strength to go on.

After that, I end feeling lighter

32. Setting Goals

Setting a small goal can help you shift your mind and get to do something. Sometimes we just need to distract our minds to help us feel better.

In no way, you should avoid your emotions, however, there are moments when you feel helpless and cannot do anything about what is happening.

It is difficult to cope, hence, setting a goal can bring you some inspiration in life and put you into something.

It could be anything, a passion project, or a health goal, as per your wish.

Here are 70 goal ideas to choose from!

33. Accepting life is not fair to anyone

Out of many reasons, we feel depressed or have waves of negative emotions because we go through things that were not in our hands

Those can be really heartbreaking moments to go through, and we keep asking ourselves and complaining.

Why do I have to go through this? What did I do to deserve this pain? Why did this happen to me and not others

34. Following my instincts

Don’t we all get lost in life? We don’t know what is meant for us and what we should be doing.

Whom we should listen to? Or are we on a tight path? This feeling of confusion and lostness can be overbearing.

I find myself experiencing this quite often, and it feels me feeling depressed, anxious, and confused for hours.

I keep on wondering, where should I go? What should I do?

The only that helps me feel better and come out of these overwhelming emotions is taking some time to listen to my instincts.

Trying to understand what is my inner gut feeling telling me and trusting it

It can take a while to understand your instincts, but if you make an effort to listen.

After a while, you will be able to listen and follow your instincts, and that is what will help you feel better

35. Slowing down

Lastly, one reason, you could be feeling anxious and stressed out could be, that you are rushing too much in your day-to-day life. You are constantly rushing from one task to another.

Living on autopilot or thinking you have less time. This feeling is very common among us because we tend to feel as if time is running out and we need to achieve things faster.

Even though it might feel tough, you must realize that this is a never-ending saga, you feel this all your life.

Even if it is for a day, you must slow down your pace and soak in the present moment.

It will help you feel instantly light, and you will be able to let go of FOMO.

It is okay to take things slow,

Conclusion

So these were 35 positive mental health habits You can build t help you feel better every time you are faced with challenging emotions!

At the end of the day, remember that these emotions are a part of life, you should let yourself feel them and not surpress or find a quick escape

Let yourself feel and then work towards boosting your mood!

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