5 Ways to Have Happy Mental Health

 
Hello Everyone!

I hope the new year is treating you well so far. I myself, am incredibly happy and excited that it's  finally 2016. Last year was a bit of a roller-coaster for me, and judging by social media 2015 wasn't kind to any of us. With a new job and a hovering existential-crisis I had to learn to take better care of my mental health and learn how to deal with new situations. I spent a lot of my time learning to listen to what my mind was trying to tell me, as well as dealing with anxiety issues like never before. 

No one's mental health is perfect and it's something that needs to be talked about more regularly. We all have bad days and thoughts that plague us, it's what makes us human after all. A lot of us are over-thinkers too, which never helps.

I thought I would share with you how I keep my mental health in check and be as happy as I can. I'm not expert, but it's what works for me, and can hopefully be of help to you guys too.

To stay happy I...

Question my own thinking 
My mind tends to be a bit scattered sometimes and I stop myself from doing something because of a really silly reason. I've learned to ask myself "What's the worst that can happen?" or "Do you really care what a stranger thinks?" and it really does help in an anxious situation. I've also learned to simply ask someone a question instead of being too shy to say anything. I promise it's never as scary as it seems.


Plan essential me-time everyday
Being introverted, this is really important for me. I find it very draining to be around other people for even a few hours. If I can have time to just put my headphones on and browse the internet by myself, I'm one happy girl. It's all about recharging yourself for the next day; you could do yoga, watch TV, go to the gym, or have a bath. Make sure there's a time in your day just for you.


Allow myself to have a bad day
Despite what all the inspiration posts on Pinterest tell us, we don't have to be happy every single day. It's great if you are, but I don't put pressure on myself to be perfect and up-beat 365 days a year. If I've had an experience that has set off my anxiety or my hormones are turning me into the Hulk, I just do everything to stay afloat that day and start again tomorrow. Bad days happen, we all have them, so just eat some chocolate and wake up the next day with a positive attitude.


Do something everyday that makes me happy
Because that's what life should be about! Sometimes it's the small things like wearing my favorite lipstick, finding new blogs, or watching The Sacconejoly's on YouTube. When I was working full-time, starting up my blog made my life so much better because it became my creative outlet. Working on it a little everyday made me feel productive and happy. It made the work days worth it (kinda. Not really.) Find your happy things that set your soul on fire and do them everyday!


Take care of my body
I can't stress enough how much your mental health is linked to the state of your body. We all know how amazing it is when we've had enough sleep, eaten good foods, and had lots of water. When you respect your body, it will reward you. Exercise is another essential for me, it has taught me to be tougher with myself and that there are no excuses to be had. I have honestly never been happier, and I owe a lot of it to how I treat my body now. This is the most important step for me and it has taught me more than I ever thought it could.

So those are the five things I do regularly to stay happy. I think 2015 was either going to make me or break me, and realizing how important my mental health is really made all the difference.

How do you guys take care of your mental health? 

Steph x.