Simple Ways to Improve Your Mental Health

Using a Journal

• Pick a journal that you like – a colourful or patterned journal can be more motivating to write in.
• Keep your journal next to your bed – you can write in it as soon as you wake up and before you go to sleep.
• Keep it simple – in the morning, write a single sentence about what you are looking forward to that day or something nice that you noticed when you woke up, such as hearing the birds chirping. This will help you appreciate little things out of the day.
• Reflect on your day – write down positive things and negative things that happened during the day, but focus more on the positives. This will help you to notice patterns of what makes you feel good and identify things that lower your mood.
• Don’t make journaling a chore – if you don’t enjoy using your journal, don’t force yourself to do it – there is something else that will benefit you.

Use Social Media in a More Positive Way

• Set a time limit on your social media – most social media platforms allow you to set a time limit where you can get notified when you have spent a certain amount of time on the app. Set a realistic time limit for yourself on each app.
• Hide likes on apps – this will help you to stop comparing your like count to others.
• Follow positive accounts – follow mental health accounts or other accounts that promote positivity, as well as things that you are passionate about.
• Unfollow triggering accounts or accounts that make you feel negatively about yourself – following lots of celebrities may create a false impression of how you should look or act.
• Remember social media is not real – you are comparing yourself to a fake version of someone else’s life.

Make more time for yourself

• Set aside time to do things you enjoy – it can be hard to find time for yourself, so make it realistic for you. For example, dedicate an hour every Friday evening to do something that you want to do, with no distractions.
• You don’t have to be “alone” – not everyone enjoys time by themselves. You could use your free time to catch up with friends, for example, for a coffee or a walk.
• Use the time for interests/hobbies – such as exercising e.g. yoga, running, cycling or for research interests.
• Use the time for relaxation – such as having a hot bath with candles or meditating.

Talk to people

• Don’t be afraid to speak out – even if your relationships with others are strained, try and push yourself to speak to just one person that you are most comfortable with.
• Lots of people feel the way you do – while it seems like everyone has got everything together, this is very rarely the case. You are not alone in the way you are feeling.
• Offer mutual support – express to your loved ones that they can speak to you when they are in need; this will strengthen bonds and make you feel less like you’re bothering others with your problems.
• You don’t have to talk about heavy stuff – just spending time with someone and catching up will be beneficial.
• Don’t take on too much – while it is important to listen to the way others feel, don’t let your mental health worsen at the expense of someone else. Remember it is not selfish to prioritise your own mental health.