As we all know, life can be challenging. Thankfully, there are tips and tools we can do daily to boost the way we feel. On World Mental Health Day, here are a few. By Dawn Carey of In Charley’s Memory.
1. LIVE IN THE NOW
Enjoy the moment. Really savour your coffee, chocolate, dog walk. Forget the past. Run the mile you are in.
2. GET OUTSIDE
Simply being in nature can boost our mood. Think park, woods, sea.
3 EAT HEALTHILY
Eat your way happier. Think fruit, vegetables, fish. Cut down the junk.
4 BE THANKFUL
Thankful, content people are happy people. Write down every positive thing you can think of with thanks. It works!
5 POSITIVITY POWER
Get rid of all negativity. Think positive. Spend time around positive, enthusiastic people. It’s infectious.
6 BE KIND
It’s true – doing an act of kindness makes us feel better! Give to charity, help a neighbour, give a gift.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
7 GET GOALS
Set little goals. And head towards them slowly. Be patient with yourself. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
8 EASE OFF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media can make you feel really really bad. The internet is packed with fake airbrushed photos. The images on social media are not real. Comparison with others is the enemy of a happy mind.
9 LAUGH
Take time to laugh. Hang out with a funny friend, watch a comedy or watch a clip or film that makes you chuckle. Laughter helps reduce anxiety. Even smiling helps lower your heart rate and calm you down.
10 STROKE A PET
Time with animals lowers the stress hormone – cortisol, and boosts oxytocin – which boost feelings of happiness. Our cute King Charles Spaniel mascot Jeffrey does it for me.
Dawn Carey runs the mental health charity, In Charley’s Memory.