Daily writing prompt

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

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How Can You Best Support Your Own Mental Health?

Someone once asked in my class survey if I would share anything that I do on a day-to-day basis that they could do, too, to support their mental health. Which is a great ask, as most of my students will never be in formal treatment but we all have a mental health status to maintain! I figure the same is true for you, so here they are:

Wood’s Rules For Health and Happiness.

I don’t do them all, all the time–obviously. But they are at the forefront of my mind and I try to do them as often as I can.

1. Take good care of your body, take good care of your brain.
   • Establish and maintain a healthy, natural sleep/wake cycle.
   • Stay hydrated. Dehydration has immediate cognitive consequences!
   • Eat well.
2. Stay connected to nature–acknowledge, respect, and accommodate your animal self.
3. Take in the good.
   • Make gratitude lists–minimum of three events/items/people/whatever daily
   • What’s in your Pockets of Joy? What gave you happiness today? Again, minimum of three.
4. Give your busy brain a break every day. Nap! Meditate. Read. Play.
5. Incorporate fun movement into your day.
6. Journal

I tell my students not to try to change everything about your life at one time. It’s too overwhelming, and if you change more than one thing at a time, how will you know what’s working and what isn’t? Pick one that looks easy or the most effective and start there. Add something else next month.

You could do two at once, however, if they make sense together–for example, trying to regularize your sleep schedule and starting a journal to track your progress.

You can read more about gratitude (Tip #3) and journaling (Tip #6) here:

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Develop An Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude lists and why/how they work.

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Journaling

Probably the most important and useful habit I’ve ever taken up was journaling, back in 1979. I’ve lost that first little notebook, given to the members of my Outward Bound school that August, but I still have every one I ever started after that.

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How About You?

Which of these have you/do you use? What works for you? What did you try that didn’t? What do you do that’s not listed here?