Three daily habits to improve your mental health

“How are you feeling, Troy?” said my therapist.?

“The same,” I told him.?

“Okay let’s up the dose then,” he responded.?

Every week I went to his office off the 5 freeway in Mission Viejo, California.?

And every week my therapist prescribed me more medication. The “sessions” lasted a couple minutes and I was off.

Needless to say, this approach did not work. My mental health continued to suffer because I had no way to deal with my depression or anxiety.?

Years later, when I started my career, my depression and anxiety still held me back.?

I would drive to work anxious about what would happen. And then I’d drive home depressed because I didn’t make any sales.?

After a few months of this in the real world, I had had enough. It was time for me to make a change.?

But how??

I had no idea where to start because I knew therapy and pills didn't work for me.?

So I decided to find ways to improve my mental health.?

This decision was over 4 years ago and I can say with certainty, my mental health has never been better.?

AND I have everything I ever wanted. The home, the career, the partner and the confidence.?

How did I do it?

While I do work with a coach, these are three habits which radically improved my mental health. The best part about these, they require no insurance or cost. But they can change your life.

Here are three habits which improved my mental health…

Habit 1: Exercise

Exercise is a commonly recommended mental health booster. The reason is because exercise releases endorphins, the chemicals that improve your mood.?

Getting started with exercise is not difficult. It can be as easy as taking a long walk or as strenuous as a spin class.?

It does not matter how much you do, it matters that you start. Ohh, and that you make it fun!

Habit 2: Gratitude

I am going to be honest with you, this one was the hardest for me to adopt. I had such a hard time believing gratitude could affect my mood so much.?

But then I heard Tony Robbins make a great point...?

“When you focus on what you're grateful for, there is no room in your mind for any negative emotion.”?

The way I made gratitude a habit was with a gratitude journal. But you don’t need one to start. All you need to do is focus on at least three things you are grateful for everyday.??

Habit 3: Journaling?

Not gratitude journaling like I mentioned above. Here I am talking about pouring all your thoughts and feelings onto a blank page.?

Journaling is so powerful because it helps you identify negative patterns. It also helps you practice positive self talk as well as gain more self awareness.?

The best way to start journaling is with some journal prompts. Journal prompts are usually questions. If you’re looking for a few to get started, check out Amanda Stern's (tagged in the comments) page!?

These habits have given me daily practices to keep my mental health in check. Like the fruits and veggies we feed our body to keep it healthy, we need to feed our mind healthy nutrients to keep it healthy. But, the nutrients our mind needs is not limited to food. We also need to feed it with understanding, awareness, compassion, kindness, love, grace, empathy and progress.

Do not replace anything you are currently doing with these exercises, simply add them to the mix. Then enjoy the benefits of improved mental health.?

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