Summary

The article outlines six daily habits that contribute to maintaining mental health and overall well-being.

Abstract

The author of the article emphasizes the importance of daily routines for mental clarity and emotional balance, especially when life becomes chaotic. They share personal experiences of how deviating from their usual habits led to feelings of frustration and being overwhelmed. The six habits recommended for a healthy mind and happy soul include morning meditation, gratitude journaling, seeking moments of stillness, daily reading, writing down thoughts, and living authentically. Each habit is described in detail, highlighting the benefits of even a few minutes spent on these activities, such as improved mental clarity, flexibility in handling stress, and increased self-awareness. The article encourages readers to integrate these simple practices into their daily lives to enhance mental wellness.

Opinions

The author believes that meditation is crucial for mental health, even if it's just for five minutes on busy days.
Journaling gratitude is seen as a way to rewire the mind to focus on positive aspects of life.
Introversion and the need for alone time are acknowledged as important for personal well-being.
Reading is recommended as a daily escape that provides perspective and appreciation for one's life.
Writing down thoughts is advocated for increased self-awareness and understanding of personal values and desires.
Authenticity is highlighted as essential for happiness, suggesting that one should engage in activities and work that they genuinely enjoy and find fulfilling.
The author asserts that the realization of what's right often comes from understanding what goes wrong, emphasizing the importance of practicing what's beneficial for one's mental health.

6 Tiny Daily Habits for a Healthy Mind and Happy Soul

Your wellness isn’t an option

The past week, my routine fell into a big mess.

First, relatives came over and our house felt like an overcrowded hotel and then my friends lay siege to my home.

My usual 5 am to 9 pm routine fell apart. I felt messy, frustrated and overwhelmed. My brain was left scrambled in a thousand directions. When I was sitting with my friends, I couldn’t stop thinking about the work I was missing out on. When I was working while my friends chilled around, I felt frustrated that I was left out.

But it wasn’t sleeping at 2 am and waking up at 10 that did me in. It was the lack of mental clarity. It was the ignoring of small wellness habits that I usually follow that ruined my mental health.

So here are the habits I know I need to stick to daily to feel like my best self. It’s only when you lose your routine that you realise how valuable it is.

Morning meditation

I usually meditate for 30 minutes each morning. Of course this isn’t going to be possible every day of my life. But I promised myself I’ll do ten, even five minutes on the super busy hectic days.

You only notice how important meditation is for your mental health on days you don’t practise it. Your head is all over the place, instead of enjoying the moment you’re lost in a million things and overwhelm is the norm.

But on days you meditate, you feel clarity. It’s easy to take on a messy schedule when your mind is aligned and clear. You can handle stress easier, you become more flexible and you’re able to let go of mental fog and overwhelm.

Gratitude journaling

Honestly, up till now I doubted the benefits of this. The practise felt mundane but I still went ahead and journaled 5 things I’m grateful for every night before I went off to sleep.

The past week, it slipped my mind.

Last night I finally got back to it and it felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders.

It rewired my mind to focus on what was going well instead of what was going wrong.

I was able to focus on the fact that I was seeing my best friend after a year instead of stressing over my work. I was able to give thanks for all the good things that were happening to me instead of lamenting over things I couldn’t control.

Write down what you’re grateful for every day. Then focus more on the things you’re grateful for. I bet it’s not a 10-hour work day.

Stillness

I’m a big introvert. I love my alone time and I need a week to recoup after a night out.

But sometimes, it’s hard to come by.

You might be busy with work and only come home to eat and sleep. You might have guests staying over for long periods of time without any warning, especially if you’re from India. You might be travelling with a close friend and be unable to find this time for yourself.

On days like these, seek out small moments of stillness whenever you can.

I like to take my morning glass of water to my balcony as soon as I wake up and stand there gathering my thoughts as I hydrate. Even this small moment is enough to ground me and help me start my day on a more peaceful foot.

Reading

I think it’s extremely important to escape your life on a daily basis. To get away for a little while. And reading does exactly that.

It doesn’t matter how you’re feeling- you might be happy, sad, joyful, confused, excited even frustrated. Reading for just 10 minutes a day helps you escape into someone else’s world, someone else’s thoughts.

You disengage from your life and realise this world is big and you’re a tiny speck. It helps you appreciate the good moments more and understand the tough times better.

Read a little everyday. Even 5 minutes a day will do the trick.

Take it a step further

And write down your thoughts. I’m not a traditional journal girly, but I use this blog to sort out my thoughts and feelings.

It’s led to more self-awareness than I expected. You’ll find that you understand yourself more, you’ll learn what’s important to you and what your values are. You’ll learn what kind of life you want, and how to take care of yourself.

So every day, even for just 2 minutes, do a thought dump.

A self-aware person knows what they want, and has the necessary tools to get it.

Authenticity

The biggest tip here- don’t pretend to be anyone you’re not. It will slowly crush you. Live your life with complete honesty.

Fill your days with activities you enjoy, people you love and work that fulfils you.

It’s the only code to a happy state of mind. And we all know happiness isn’t found outside you, but in your own self.

Last thoughts

It’s often when things go wrong that we realise what’s right for us.

Knowing what to do and actually going out and practising what’s good for you are two different things. Most of what I listed takes 5 minutes at best but showers huge benefits. Take this journey with me to ensure your mental wellness?