Nonnegotiable Habits To Protect Your Mental Health
Prioritize wind down time - Read, watch an episode of a show (yes, TV is not the enemy), journal, listen to music, tidy up. I don’t really care what this is as long as it’s low intensity, doesn’t include your phone, and has nothing to do with work!
Limit alcohol. If you are someone like me that gets hangxiety, skip the second round, opt for a mocktail, or try suggesting activities that aren’t centered around drinking. (Blog post coming on this soon!)
Stick to a bedtime / wake up time - we are creatures of habit and that applies to our sleep as well. When we go to bed and wake up at different times every day, our body is constantly trying to acclimate and adjust, causing us to struggle to fall asleep and feel tired when our alarm goes off in the morning.
Eat 3 high protein meals a day. By maintaining a stable blood sugar level, we are able to better stabilize our hormones, allowing us to effectively regulate our emotions and energy throughout the day.
Get outside daily. Whether you eat your lunch outside or take a 20-minute walk, fresh air and sunlight provide significant benefits to our mood and mental focus.
Chosen social interaction - Introvert or extrovert, we are social beings and need human interaction and connection to thrive. While in person is always ideal, I recognize this isn’t always realistic so pick up the phone and FaceTime a friend.
Movement! Yup, you’ve heard this one many times and there is a reason for that! Go on a walk or do a workout class with a friend and check 3 of these habits off the list in one go ;)