15 Tips to Help Improve Your Mental Health

Are you tired of feeling stressed out, worn out and burned out? Do you wish you felt more positive, productive and energetic?

Here's some good news: No matter how down you may feel, you can take steps to feel stronger and more hopeful.¹ Try these tips to build resilience and improve your mental health.

1. Prioritize Self-Care

If you want to have more energy, a better handle on stress and a lower risk of illness, make self-care a priority. Basically, self-care is about taking time to do the things that help you live well. Maybe it's meditating, stretching, gardening, journaling, taking a bubble bath or just relaxing in bed with a book. Self-care activities are different for everyone, so find out what you need and enjoy, and make those things a priority. Even the smallest acts of self-care can make a big difference in your daily life.²

2. Establish a Healthy Sleep Routine

It's no surprise that sleep affects your mood.³ Less sleep may make you more easily annoyed and angry, and over time, it can even make you more likely to become depressed.³ So, make sure you're getting the shut-eye you need — adults should aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.⁴

To improve your sleep hygiene, try taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music or reading before bed.⁴ Blue light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep,² so put down your phone and computer two hours before bedtime.⁴ Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends.⁴

3. Manage Stress Effectively

Stress can take a major toll on your mental health, so it's important to keep stress levels in check.⁴ When you're stressed, try using your five senses to ground you in the present moment.⁵ For example, you can listen to an uplifting song, squeeze a stress ball, watch something that makes you laugh, sip a soothing mug of tea or fill your space with a calming scent.⁴ Everyone responds to sensory input differently, so experiment with a variety of activities to find out what works best for you.⁴

4. Cultivate a Positive Support System

Did you know that people are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days when they spend six to seven hours with friends and family?⁶ While close relationships are essential for your mental health, you don't necessarily need to spend all day with loved ones to reap the benefits.

To stay connected, you can meet for breakfast or a morning walk, call for a quick chat during your lunch break or schedule biweekly or monthly dinner dates.⁷ You can also expand your social circle by reconnecting with an old friend, inviting a coworker out for lunch or asking a neighbor to join you for coffee.⁴

5. Engage in Regular Physical Activity

You may already know that physical activity can lift your mood, increase your energy levels and relieve stress.⁴ But you don't have to be a body builder to reap the benefits — even 30 minutes of walking can help boost your mood.² If you can't carve out 30 minutes at once, three 10-minute exercise sessions can be just as effective.⁴

Try rhythmic exercises that engage your arms and legs, such as walking, running or swimming.⁴ Looking for creative ways to get active? Dance while you do housework,⁶ bike to an appointment or throw a frisbee with a dog.⁴

6. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques into Daily Life

Relaxation techniques — like yoga, mindfulness meditation, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation — can slow down your breathing, lower your blood pressure and reduce muscle tension and stress. Progressive relaxation, for example, involves tightening and relaxing different muscle groups, while deep breathing involves focusing on taking slow, deep, even breaths.³

Try to incorporate one or more of these practices into your everyday life to elicit your body's natural relaxation response.³ A relaxation app offers these types of exercises.²

7. Limit Exposure to Negative Influences

Pessimistic people who constantly complain and criticize can sap your energy and bring you down. Likewise, a steady diet of alarming news stories and political drama can make you feel anxious and depressed. Pay attention to the people and situations that drain you, and limit those interactions as much as possible.⁸

Take a break from social media, walk away from negative conversations and steer clear of gossip. Instead, follow uplifting social media accounts and surround yourself with positive people who help you stay motivated during hard times.⁸

8. Set Realistic Goals and Manage Expectations

As you go about your day, prioritize tasks that must be accomplished, and push aside projects that can wait.² Be realistic about your time and energy, and get comfortable saying no when necessary.² After all, perfectionism can be a form of self-sabotage — it's much healthier to do your best than to pressure yourself to be perfect.⁹ And at the end of the day, instead of focusing on what you didn't do, celebrate everything you were able to achieve.² It's a simple mindset shift that can lower your stress and improve your mental health.⁵

9. Engage in Activities That Bring Joy

Play is not a luxury — it's a necessary part of your emotional and mental health. So don't skip leisure-time hobbies and activities like going to the beach, watching your favorite movie, playing an instrument or drawing in a sketchbook. If it brings you joy, make it a priority.⁴

And since creative expression is linked to overall well-being, spark your imagination by trying a new recipe, painting a picture or writing a poem. Need a quick boost? Play with your pet (or borrow a friend's).⁶

10. Practice Gratitude and Positive Thinking

Realistic positive thinking — focusing on the positive without ignoring problems that require a response — can reduce your stress and boost your confidence.⁹ Instead of rehashing past regrets and worrying about the future, for instance, practice gratitude instead.³ You can do this by thinking about or writing down what you're grateful for, whether it's a delicious meal, a beautiful sunset or the support of people who love you.³ This daily practice can change your perspective and help you recognize the good things in your life.³ And if you appreciate someone, send them a note — written expressions of gratitude are linked to greater happiness.⁶

11. Adopt a Brain-Healthy Diet

The food you eat doesn't just affect your physical body — it impacts your mental health, too. While an unhealthy diet can sap your energy and lower your mood, a healthy diet can do just the opposite.⁴

Limit foods that can adversely affect your mood, such as sugary snacks, refined carbs and trans fats, and replace them with mood-boosting foods like fresh fruit, leafy greens and beans.⁴ And since omega-3 fatty acids are linked to decreased rates of depression and schizophrenia, work foods like wild salmon, flaxseeds and walnuts into your diet.⁶ By eating a balanced diet — and drinking plenty of water — you can stay focused and energized throughout your day.²

12. Limit Screen Time and Digital Overload

Excessive screen time can affect your brain — and not for the better. In fact, young people who spend excessive time on digital devices are more likely to have mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and social anxiety after two years of regular use.¹⁰

To reduce your screen time (and give yourself a mental health break), try turning off push notifications, silencing group chats and setting your phone to "Do Not Disturb."¹¹ At night, keep your phone in a drawer or outside your bedroom.⁷ And every once in a while, turn off your phone completely — you might be surprised how liberating it can be.¹¹

13. Spend Time Outside

Need a reason to get outside? Sunshine is a great source of vitamin D, which can elevate your mood.⁶ Plus, spending time in nature can increase your energy, reduce depression and improve your well-being.⁶ In fact, going outside for just a half hour a day can reduce cortisol levels and lower your stress.¹¹

If you don't have that much time, you can still glean the rewards of the great outdoors. Try taking a quick walk around the block, eating lunch at a nearby park or even just standing outside to breathe some fresh air and feel the warmth of the sun.⁷

14. Practice Self-Compassion and Self-Acceptance

Being kind to yourself is a much more effective way to boost your mental health than self-criticism or negative self-talk.⁷

Try this: Every time you think something negative about yourself today, respond with something positive. Or, at the very least, write down any negative thoughts that surface, and then tear up the paper. You can also decorate your mirror with little notes of affirmation to boost your mood whenever you see them. A little self-love can go a long way.⁵

15. Seek Professional Help When Needed

If you've been taking steps to improve your mental health and you're still not feeling like you're at your optimal function, consider seeking professional help.⁴ Signs that professional help may be needed include consistently struggling to get out of bed in the morning because of mood; appetite changes that result in unwanted weight gain or loss; inability to perform daily tasks; and loss of interest in things you once found enjoyable.²

But don't wait until your symptoms are overwhelming — help is available now.² Contact your primary care provider, who may refer you to a mental health professional for therapy and/or medication.³

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Author Bio

Robyn Tellefsen is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, finance and more. Her work has appeared on sites such as LoopNet, Beachside Rehab, First Horizon Bank, SoFi, A Place for Mom, American Express, Chase and more.