What are some routines or practices that you follow daily to sustain mental health?

Tanoy Chowdhury
60 replies
I have been thinking about this for a while. Pandemic, remote working, deadlines, with so much going on, do you find it challenging to cope with the mental stress? How do you manage it? Are there some ideas that are effective for maintaining mental health? If you're someone battling with mental health, feel free to share your experience in the comments section.

Replies

NotesbyHugh
Meditation, reading and turning all notifications off on my phone (game changer!)
Tanoy Chowdhury
@hugh_dawkins Indeed Hugh. That's a great trio for disconnecting from work and spending time with yourself. Thanks for writing, Hugh.
Lior Galante Cohen (Vaza)
Physical exercise (yoga, pilates, jogging, gym).
Tanoy Chowdhury
@lior_galante_cohen Yes, shedding some sweat is great for your body and mind.
Fabian Maume
Drink coffee, it is nice a way to have a frequent breaks.
Miriam Barchilon
Saving at least 5 minutes a day of complete silence: no music, no TV, no music, no phone, no company... Just you without any exterior distractions.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@miriam_barchilon_elbaz Zoning out is great for shrugging off work responsibilities, and online social interactions. Connecting with yourself even for 5 minutes can have a considerable impact on one's mental health. Great suggestion, Miriam.
Paul-Henri Hersen
@miriam_barchilon_elbaz from your experience, when is the best moment during the day to do it?
Miriam Barchilon
@ph_hersen I tend to do this after I am done with my work day and before I continue with my evening. I find it to be a good way to from my professional to my private life.
Joanna Radecka
@miriam_barchilon_elbaz that's an excellent idea, especially when most of us are frequently overstimulated (speaking from my experience). Def gonna try it!
Ana
I talked about it on another feed, but I always need something to look forward to. So I plan out my weekends a month ahead and whenever I feel overwhelmed I can just sit and meditate on those plans, go to my happy zone :)
Tanoy Chowdhury
@justana Wow! This is a brilliant idea. Getting your brain hooked to a joyful idea, and then meditating over it is great for soothing the anguishes. Building a happy zone is something that I will try for sure. Thanks for commenting, Ana.
Exercise and gaming :) Body and Mind
Tanoy Chowdhury
@maxwellcdavis Yup, great combination. Hitting PRs and crushing high scores both have their own advantages. Thanks for commenting, Maxwell.
Mahak from Outgrow
Music, Coffee, and an evening walk after work help me a lot to be settled down for a period of time from deadlines, the latest pandemic news, home issues, and obviously whole workday mental exhaustion.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@mahak This combination works! I can vouch for it because I have done this for a while. Maybe I should get back to this routine. Thanks for sharing this, Mahak.
Joanna Radecka
Reading, meditating and exercising (yoga and swimming works best for you, it really does calm my mind!). Also, seeing a therapist is not a bad idea if you are feeling really overwhelmed by your daily responsibilities and things happening around you.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@joanna_radecka That's a very healthy lifestyle you're following there, Joanna. Right now, I'm trying to fix my mental health based on the suggestions shared by others here. If it gets too overwhelming, like you said, I will consult a therapist. Thanks for commenting.
Joanna Radecka
@tanoy27 I'm trying to balance my life and those ways work the best for me. :) I cross my fingers for you!
Uchenna Duru
For me, in these mentally stressful times I resort to lessons of emotional intelligence especially from the Bible perspective. It has continued to work wonders for me. Suicidal thoughts, high-level depression, information overload, etc. are enough to drive one bonkers but for EI and EQ.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@uchenna_duru Finding solace in religious books is recommended by many elders and people who have read them before. I have often thought about picking up Bhagavad Gita, and making it a habit of reading a few pages every day, but I have been unsuccessful so far. Your answer has given me new hope. Thank you for writing Uchenna.
Uchenna Duru
@tanoy27 Thanks for your comments. Indeed, many are in the same shoes today, not having the slightest idea about the emotionally soothing lessons of the Bible. For example, the book of Proverbs 4:23 says, "guard your heart with all diligence as out of it are the issues (good or bad (sic)) of life." So in this scripture you, nobody else, can own and control your flow of emotions. Again, Philipians 4:8 says, "...whatever is pure, whatever is of good report, ...if there's any virtue in it...think on them regularly." We cannot say enough on these. Then, finally, Proverbs 23:7 says, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Here, we can deduce that if you desire good life, do your best to think only good thoughts, etc. All the references above are from KJV. Best, Uchenna.
Mondeep Thiara
physical exercise - recently joined orange theory and it's been amazing
Tanoy Chowdhury
@mthiara Physical training is one of the most effective ways of battling mental stress. I remember feeling all pumped up after sweaty exercise sessions. It's time for me to put on the gym shoes and get into that rhythm again. Thanks for commenting, Mondeep. Keep crushing.
Mondeep Thiara
@tanoy27 thanks! After about 10min of a good cardio ssession stresses do actually fade away. Stretching is also good!
Priyanka Ramabhadran
Meditation mainly, but sometimes watching cringe shows to unplug
Tanoy Chowdhury
@priyanka_ram Meditation and cringe shows, WOW! That's quite a combination. I'm curious to know what cringe shows do you watch normally? I think they will be great for stress-busting. Maybe I can pick up a few shows from your list. Thanks for contributing to this thread, Priyanka.
Priyanka Ramabhadran
@tanoy27 oh, there are a couple. But right now I am watching an American show called Superstore on Netflix.
Vaibhavi Patil
Long walks without the phone and earphones :P
Tanoy Chowdhury
@vaio_0819 Long walks are refreshing. Best way to declutter your mind. I usually go for long walks with earphones plugged-in. But, I think I should try to go without them. Good way to practice digital detox. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Vaibhavi.
Amirali Nurmagomedov
I walk my dog twice a day. It also helps me maintain my physical health. I know it may not be suitable for all, but having a pet (any) brings a lot of good emotions.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@amirali_nurmagomedov Certainly! Pets can be a blessing for mental heath stability. A walk with them is great for strengthening the connection with them, and maintain physical health too. Thanks for commenting, Amirali.
Maria Batrin
@amirali_nurmagomedov I visit my mom because she has lots of Maine coon cats :) That's a great stress relief!
Maria Batrin
I ask myself questions about my goals and daily plans, then reflect on the outcomes of the day, and always end with the practice of gratitude. Questions for things I focus on to achieve my goals: -What am I trying to achieve? -What makes me happy? -What’s important to me? Questions for things I should ignore to achieve my goals: -What am I willing NOT to achieve? -What makes me unhappy? -What’s NOT important and gets in the way? These two are long-term, my map for each day - I review my answers each morning along with my plans. I also start each morning by questioning myself: What’s the plan for today? Where will I spend my time? How will it further my focus? How might I get distracted? That helps me find the courage to follow through, make choices, and maybe disappoint a few people today. In the evening, I summarize the day, recall it hour by hour, and reflect on lessons learned from it: How did the day go? What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to do the same—or differently—tomorrow? But, most importantly, I focus on the positive aspects of my day as well: What experiences, however mundane, gave me pleasure? What praise and feedback did I receive? What were the moments of pure good fortune? What made me feel grateful? How did I express kindness? Oh, and I also use our affirmation app - Able. Launched on Product Hunt just today, so hope to get some feedback from the community 😊
Tanoy Chowdhury
@maria_batryn This is so good! The questions, goals and plans, all of these make a lot of sense. I have not tried this, but after reading your answer I think it is worth trying out. I have not checked Able yet, but I will go ahead and do that. Thanks for commenting, Maria.
Style and Trends
Stay physically healthy. You know, basic things like get good sleep, eat well, and exercise. Other than that, I just make sure to have some downtime every week to recharge, that's all.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@styletrendsnews Nice, I think everyone deserves a downtime every week. What do you usually do during the downtime? Anything specific? Thanks for writing though.
Fajar Siddiq
Less noise, Getting things more organize. Small habits for workout & have enough healthy food/drink
Tanoy Chowdhury
@fajarsiddiq Superb! Keeping things organized definitely cuts the chaos out of life. Great combination you have built there. Thanks for commenting, Fajar.
Tsz Hoi Lee
Drink water. Workout. Take long walk.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@tszhoi_19 Yeah, following all the above three religiously does give great benefits in the long run. Thanks for sharing your views here, Lee. Btw, I used Jupitrr and it's amazing. Good luck. You're doing a great job.
Tsz Hoi Lee
@tanoy27 Hey Tanoy, thanks a lot for trying out, will keep you updated. Glad you like my small input!
Anna Voronina
Hey Tanoy, Recently, I've added 2 sections to my diary: What are the results of the actions I took yesterday? What was a success yesterday?
Tanoy Chowdhury
@anna_voronina148 Hey Anna, that sounds great. I think maintaining a diary is perfect for keeping track of tasks and self-affirmation too. Thanks for commenting
Kyleigh Smith
1. Walk around the block 2. Meditate for 5 minutes 3. Journal Started doing this every morning (tracking w/ my product heyitsharold.com) and I love it. It's super easy and manageable and helps prevent me from going into "checking mode" right away (where I'm stuck in a loop between checking email, twitter, analytics, etc. and not actually getting any work done)
Tanoy Chowdhury
@kyleighsmith Meditation and walking are turning out to be very popular ideas for maintaining mental health. Journaling is something that I have to try. I will make sure I check out heyitsharold. It sounds fun. Thanks for sharing your ideas, Kyleigh.
Shay
Daily running followed by meditation always gets me into a good place.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@roamingship I have been planning to start running for some time now. Do you have any tips for beginners to start running? Thanks for sharing your views, Shay
Shay
@tanoy27 My advise would be to just start whichever way you can, even if its a 100 meters a day. Starting is the hardest part. Once you start you'll start to find your own rhythm.
Tanoy Chowdhury
@roamingship Thanks Shay. Yes, getting started is the key. Taking incremental steps will be helpful. I will try to follow your advice, and see how far I go.