Introduction
Sam spent her days juggling a demanding job alongside her responsibilities as a wife and mother. The fast pace of her life was overwhelming and made her feel tired, depressed, and anxious.
She got stuck in a pattern of ordering fast food and ended up feeling frustrated and taking it out on her family. The situation reached a breaking point one evening when her best friend confronted her about neglecting their friendship amid her ongoing struggles.
Sam’s friend hit a soft spot and in that fragile moment, her friend suggested she consider seeing a life coach.
Sam embarked on this new journey because she thought she had nothing to lose. With her life coach’s support, she slowly replaced her unhealthy habits with more positive ones.
As she embraced this transformation, a sense of calm washed over her, granting her a fresh perspective on her life.
Not only was she motivated and full of energy when she started cultivating healthy habits that enhanced her mood, but she also started living the life of her dreams.
Are you also walking in Sam’s moccasins? Do you want a change in your life?
This article will equip you with practical strategies for building sustainable, positive routines that will empower you on your mental health journey.
Section 1: Understanding the Impact of Habits on Mental Health
Building positive routines in your life can be a game-changer when it comes to managing stress, anxiety, and depression. This is especially important for women, considering the high prevalence of mental health issues in women.
By gradually rewiring your automatic responses to stressors, you can consciously develop habits that benefit your mental well-being.
So, what exactly is a habit? It’s simply an action you repeat often enough, requiring less conscious thought, and eventually becoming second nature. Think about it: when you drive along familiar routes, you often do so on mental auto-pilot, without even actively thinking about the directions. This automaticity is usually triggered by cues in your environment.
Now, one of the key building blocks to forming these habits is rewards. Our brains love a good dopamine surge—the feel-good chemical that kicks in when we experience something unexpectedly rewarding.
As your brain chases that dopamine high, it strengthens the connection between a behavior and the pleasure it brings, helping to solidify the habit. Essentially, linking cues, actions, and rewards is the foundation upon which all habits are built.
With this in mind, you can boost your mental health by incorporating small, pleasurable activities into your daily routine. Even the tiniest actions can provide a little happiness boost, encouraging you to keep going and reinforcing those positive habits.
Section 2: How to Build Positive Routines and Turn Them into Habits
Starting a new habit is all about kicking things off with a tiny, super easy routine that you can commit to every day—something that’s “too small to fail.” It should be so simple that you can’t help but feel good about yourself as you make progress.
These are your small wins! They don’t take much willpower and help you build up some “emotional momentum.” Plus, if you make your new routine fun, you’ll stick with it way longer.
Think about listening to your favourite podcast while you walk – way more enjoyable and it gives your brain a dopamine boost!
Here are some tips for starting a new habit:
- Set one bite-size goal you would like to achieve e.g. walking every day to be more active.
- Choose a cue-based, simple action that will get you towards your goal e.g. walk 500 steps daily after breakfast.
- Every time you encounter that time and place, do the action.
- Celebrate each small win with something you enjoy.
Once you’ve got your first routine down, you can add to it by anchoring a new habit to the one you’ve already established. For example, you could drink two glasses of water after you walk 500 steps. By connecting an old habit with a new one, your brain starts to link them together, making it easier to stick with both!
You may find it helpful to keep track of your progress while performing your new habit. A daily tick-sheet can be used until your new habit becomes automatic. You can rate how automatic it feels at the end of each week, to watch it getting easier.
Other powerful tools that can serve as prompts to help you stay organized and focused are:
- Visual reminders, like sticky notes: write short motivational quotes on brightly coloured sticky notes to inspire you.
- Calendar Apps, like Google Calendar, allow color-coding events and deadlines.
- Notification Reminders: Set visual and auditory reminders on your phone or computer.
If you work effortfully on a new habit for 2–3 months, it has the potential to become ‘second nature’.
Section 3: How to Create a Daily Routine to Improve Your Mental Well-Being
Establishing a morning routine that prioritizes your mental well-being can set a positive tone for your day. Consider incorporating activities such as:
- stretching,
- exercising,
- reading,
- journaling,
- meditating,
- deep breathing exercises, and
- practicing gratitude.
These routines can also be repeated in the evening to help promote a restful night’s sleep.
Section 4: How to Seek Support and Build an Encouraging Community
Surrounding yourself with supportive people and having an accountability partner can significantly enhance your journey to build positive routines.
These positive influences not only motivate you to stay persistent in your goals but also provide support during challenging times, helping you push beyond your comfort zone.
However, it might be necessary to seek personalized advice and support from a life coach if you continue struggling with the following:
- persistent feelings of stress,
- anxiety,
- depression that interferes with your daily life,
- anger,
- trauma,
- difficulty functioning at work
- struggling with social situations,
- changes in sleep or appetite,
- thoughts of self-harm and
- feelings of hopelessness.
Additionally, you may also consider utilizing apps that offer daily encouragement and resources for meditation, mindfulness techniques, and journaling features.
Here are some examples of free mental health apps that are well-regarded, easy to use, and have supportive features:
- Calm has a variety of features including guided meditations, sleep stories, and breathing exercises that are user-friendly.
- Headspace provides basic meditation and mindfulness exercises.
- Moodfit helps users track their mood and mental health.
Conclusion
Building positive routines that stick is a journey, not a destination. Be kind to yourself when slips happen, it is not the end of the world.
This perspective will foster your resilience and encourage you to live more joyously and with greater peace.
Call to Action
Consider adopting one new positive habit this week and give it a shot. Share your chosen habit and your journey with the readers in the comments.
Let us encourage each other to achieve our aspirations and goals.
References
Gardener, B.; Lally, P. & Wardle, J. 2012. Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. Br J Gen Pract. 62(605). Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice – PMC
Guise, S. 2023. How to Develop Multiple Habits at Once. How to Develop Multiple Habits at Once
Scott, S.J. 2023.13 Steps to Celebrate Small Wins with Your Goals. 13 Steps to Celebrate Small Wins with Your Goals
Stemmle, C. 2023. 7 Steps to Start a Good Morning Routine. 7 Steps to Start a Good Morning Routine
Tartakovsky. M. 2022. 8 Daily Habits to Boost Mental Health — and Signs It May Be Time to Get Support. 8 Daily Habits to Boost Mental Health — and Signs It May Be Time to Get Support
Whitton, E. 2023. Key statistics about women and mental health. Key Statistics about Women and Mental Health – Counselling Directory