I have dealt with depression for many years now, and I have incorporated many things into my life to help improve my quality of life and mental health. These are just a few of the things that have changed my life.
Taking care of a plant.
This may seem insignificant and weird for those of you that feel like they always kill plants, but this helped me immensely. I have a room all to myself, and a lot of the time it feels really lonely and lifeless, especially since I come from a large and loud family. Having a plant gave me something to take care of, and another living thing in my room. It helped me feel like I have something every day that needs me.
​Sitting in the sun.
Last year I decided that I wanted to sit in the sun for 15 minutes every day (when the weather allows). When I started doing this, it forced me to leave my room and not default to going back to my room after class and hop right back in bed. I would sit outside and listen to music, do homework, or listen to podcasts. I was soaking up vitamin D and filling my body with good things instead of isolating myself.
Taking the stairs.
I have committed to taking the stairs every day. I never take the elevator anymore. I did this for two reasons. The first is so that I could increase my daily activity level. A very wise person once said, "an object in motion stays in motion," this is true of humans too. If you have a mindset to continue moving forward in all of your little decisions it makes a big difference throughout the day. The second reason is so that I could force myself to encounter more people. Because I live on the top floor, I have to walk past all of the other floors, and the chances of me seeing other people is a lot higher. This allows me to feed my extroverted need for human connection.
​Making my bed.
I have been a big bed maker my entire life, but when I got to college the constant rushing got the best of me and I stopped making my bed. I started making my bed again first thing in the morning this school year, and it is nuts how much this has helped me. When you get up and make your bed first thing in the morning, you have already completed one task. This sets up your day to allow you to complete many more tasks. This has also helped me because it makes it so that I can't just get right back into bed. I can't spend all day in bed, I have to sit at a desk or on the couch where people can talk to me. This helps me not isolate myself and increases my productivity and activity level.
Not rushing in the morning.
This is a huge one. I used to wake up 30 minutes before my class started and I would have to rush through my morning routine and that trend would always continue throughout the rest of my day. Taking time to get ready, eat breakfast, and get ready for the rest of the day is so vital. Whenever I didn't do these things I always found that I was more tired throughout my day, and my overall mood and productivity really suffered. When you prioritize self-care first thing in the morning, it carries through to the rest of the day.
​Going to bed before 11.
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This ties into not rushing in the morning. If you go to bed earlier, then you can get plenty of sleep and not have to sleep in right up until class to get your full eight hours. Going to bed earlier helps ensure that you will get the right amount of sleep and not over or under sleep. This can help boost your productivity and energy level. It is unbelievable how much happier and accomplished you feel when you sleep properly and can get up at a decent hour.
Doing homework before Sunday
I absolutely used to be five assignments crammed on Sunday night type-o-girl, but no longer. I make time throughout the week to complete assignments gradually. Normally I shoot to complete one assignment a day. This makes it so that I can decrease my overall stress level, and increase my enjoyment of the weekend (i.e. my only time off of school, work, and life leading). This also increases the quality of my assignments as I don't have to rush to complete them.
Having one day of rest every week.
I started having one rest day (Sabbath day) a week about two years ago. This has continued to be the highlight of my week ever since. On this day I only do the things that I want to do and I don't do the things I don't want to do, with just a few rules. I cannot do homework on my rest day, I don't set any alarms, I cannot go to the gym on my rest day, and if my friends ask me to hang out and I don't want to, I say no with no guilt at all. This has helped me relax and take care of myself so much more throughout the craziness of life.
Wearing comfortable clothes.
Back in the day, I would force myself to wear fashionable outfits that were horribly uncomfortable and miserable to do your day in. Now I choose to wear clothes that I like and that is very comfortable and functional for my life. I want to enjoy every moment and not by pulling, tugging, itchy, or unlike myself in my clothes. This has made me feel so much more empowered, ready to live my day, and productive.
​Not having social media.
I think this has been one of the biggest factors in my mental health improvement. A year ago I deleted all of my social media accounts. This has improved my sleep, confidence, comparison issues, friendships, social interactions, intentionality with people, quality of experiences, how much I care about what other people think about me, and just my overall quality of life. This is a huge game changer, and one of the best things I have ever done for myself. Don't just delete the apps, delete the accounts. It is one of the most liberating things you will ever do.
