10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Mental Health | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

10 Simple Things That Take Little Effort But Will Greatly Impact Your Mental Health

These things take less then fifteen minutes every day and could change your life forever.

293
10 Simple Things That Take Little Effort But Will Greatly Impact Your Mental Health
https://unsplash.com/photos/QofjUnxy9LY

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.

images.unsplash.com

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.

www.shethepeople.tv

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.

image.freepik.com

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.

www.thespruce.com

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.

www.wellandgood.com

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.

mindbodygreen-res.cloudinary.com

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.huffpost.com

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.

media.swncdn.com

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.

images.agoramedia.com

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.

www.aconsciousrethink.com

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.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

172
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1504
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2339
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments