A 10-step chill guide to mental health
Some days, you can’t be bothered to throw on athleisure, drive 30 minutes, and attend a yoga class. Other days, sitting down to write a full journal entry feels like a Herculean task. While these are the common ideas that come to mind when you think of the phrase “mental health,” they can require a little more effort on some days.
This October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and also a timely occasion to remember that taking care of our minds doesn’t have to be through expensive therapy or complicated routines. Because sometimes, the tiniest, laziest habits can make all the difference (even if you’re horizontal, under the covers in bed).
Here’s a cheat sheet for low-effort mental health care.
1. Bed yoga
One of my favorites. When I’ve got to be on time for work, or I don’t feel like doing a full hour in a studio or even a 20-minute yoga video in our living room, I do it from my mattress, sheets unmade and all.
There are tons of videos for “bed yoga” online that guide you gently, with mindful stretches, to rolling up and out of bed. From spinal twists to arm stretches, just a few minutes of bed yoga can wake up your body, release tension, and calm your mind before the day officially starts.
2. Lazy gratitude journaling
Forget essay-length journaling. If you already have a journal or any blank notebook at home, jot down three things you’re thankful for each day. You can do it from your phone, too. Bullet-pointing your mental health could be as short and simple as a good cup of coffee, a fun chat with a friend, or that you slept in that day.
An article by Jose, Paul et. al, in the Frontiers in Psychology journal describes these as “savoring strategies… an effective emotion regulation tool that can actively help individuals maintain and extend positive emotional states.”
3. Play affirmations in the background
Our brain often tends to focus on the negative, and a part of “savoring strategies” includes positive words that affect your mindset subliminally.
Got YouTube Premium? Play motivational talks, prayers, or affirmations in the background while making your bed in the morning, on your commute, or brushing your teeth. These can train your brain to nurture self-compassion and reduce negative self-talk.
And you don’t have to sit upright, Indian-style, too. Incorporate these throughout your day, multitasking self-love without even really trying.
4. Raise it up or inward
When the daily grind starts getting you down, take it to the higher beings. Whether you’re religious or just like the idea of grounding yourself, silently talking to a higher power, like God, or even just connecting with your inner self, can help.
Not into half-hour meditations? That’s fine. You can whisper a “thanks” to the universe, God, or your inner self while stuck in traffic in your Grab, standing in line for coffee, or waiting for water to boil.
As Marcus Aurelius suggested, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Or emulate C.S. Lewis, as he wrote, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”
5. Mindful movement (in front of the microwave)
As you wait for the oven to preheat or the kettle to boil, do a few squats, calf raises, or gentle lunges, all in time with the microwave timer. Tiny bursts of movement boost endorphins, help release tension, and, as a bonus, could even count as your exercise if you’re having a “rest day.” You can do this throughout the day, doing what are usually mindless tasks.
6. Stare at the trees
When we first moved into an apartment, I was feeling out of balance. In our family home, I would spend the morning looking out at the trees in the garden, before checking my phone. But our view from our apartment was just building after building. Now we have a little plant that suffices.
In a study conducted by Bangor University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, they found that those who focus on greenery feel more restored, with reduced anxiety.
7. Nap!
A quick 10- to 20-minute “disco nap” can reset your mind and body without leaving you groggy. Harvard Health released a study that shows, “naps can enhance mood, reduce fatigue, and improve alertness.”
If you can’t lie down, just close your eyes in front of your computer, focus on your breathing, and let yourself unplug. Check out 432 Hz videos on YouTube, too, which subconsciously stabilizes your breathing into a steady rhythm.
8. Phone-free minutes
A study by Sonali Deshbhratar from the Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology proved the real results of “digital detoxes” for better mental well-being, cognitive abilities, and sleep quality.
Disconnecting just for a little bit every day can work wonders. Those group chat “pings” and endless Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook scrolling can make your brain feel like it’s running a marathon, so scheduling minutes of “no-screen” time while on your commute, eating, or before bed can make all the difference.
9. Don comfy clothes
Another simple reset is slipping into your coziest clothes. Go easy on yourself, and wear pajamas in the middle of the day, an oversized shirt, or that pair of sweatpants you’d never wear in public. Your loose clothes can signal your brain that it’s a good time to rest.
10. Military visualization
Sounds intense, right? It used to take forever for me to fall asleep. But then my husband told me about this YouTube video about how the US military falls asleep in two minutes in battle zones.
Called the “Military Sleep Method,” you systematically imagine relaxing your body from head to toe, then envision a peaceful scene: by the beach, lying in a field, or in a boat in a still lake. I do the latter and I’m out like a light.
No-guilt rest days
Begone, fancy studios, marathon journaling with color-coded tabs, and guilt! You can find your own small, simple habits that fit into your life, wherever you are: in bed, in the kitchen, or even stuck in traffic.
Self-care and good mental health needn’t be complicated or expensive to work. Just like in the gym, rest days are important, and the chillest ways to take care of your mental health can be in sweatpants, in nature, or under a blanket.
