Habits To Up Your Mental Health: A Mindset Reset

Our habits have a way of defining our lives.

What we don't do is often as important what we do.

This week's question comes from Ash Moore in New York City,

New York.

She wrote in and said,

Hi,

Danielle,

I've been listening to your podcast religiously for the last six months.

I take notes and do my best to put what you teach into practice within my life.

I've had great success in many ways over the last six months.

I feel happier,

I can tell a difference in my attitude,

My thoughts are clear and my emotions are much better.

But I've been thinking about the things that I shouldn't do that could be impacting my physical,

Emotional and mental health.

I know I'm not getting enough rest,

At least for me,

And I know that it's something I've struggled with for a long time.

That has led me to ask,

Are there habits that impact us that we should be watching out for or should be quickly changing?

Ash,

What a great question and thank you for sending it in.

I'm so grateful to know that the podcast is helping you get your life together.

I love that you are already experiencing a difference and to answer your question,

Of course,

There are some areas that we wanna key into that dramatically impact all of us.

And you've already hit on one,

Sleep.

So let's jump in and chat about those things.

And there is great news for everyone.

These small things that impact us pretty greatly at times actually are among some of the easiest to change.

So that is the good news.

Most of these things are things that we talk about pretty often here on the podcast or on Instagram or any place else that you may be following me.

And so they shouldn't really come as a big surprise,

But having them maybe in one place may be beneficial to everyone.

So let's talk about them.

The first biggest one is chronic stress.

Now,

Most of us think about stress as a physical feeling only.

We do know that stress causes us to have anxiety or to perhaps have heart attacks,

These kinds of things.

However,

There's a bit more to this that's not really discussed that we need to talk about right now.

So chronic stress has been proven to kill brain cells and it shrinks your prefrontal cortex.

That's the area responsible for memory and learning.

When we accentuate the negative things in our lives,

The life grudges,

The resentments,

The negative thoughts,

Negative inner voice,

We actually have physical and mental decline.

One study even showed that adults who dwell on the negative have higher biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.

That's a really scary thing when you think about it.

If your negative thoughts could lead to you literally losing your memory later on,

Would you think those thoughts?

I sure hope not.

So we have to get into a place where we're reducing stress and become a little bit more flexible in our lives.

We're never going to fully get rid of stress,

Right?

We live in a fast-paced world,

Lots of expectations.

The way we connect to our lives is definitely a lot more stressful,

But we have to get into a place where we're practicing certain things that help us find calm and recenter ourselves.

So,

You know,

Meditation is the big one for me.

Journaling,

We'll talk about physical exercise here in a moment.

Whatever it is that best serves you,

You have to get into a space where you're using that on a daily basis.

Consistency is the only thing that battles stress.

So I want you to think about that.

Going to the gym once a week will help,

But it's not going to have the same benefit as exercising four times a week.

You might want to meditate once a month,

And that's okay.

Some,

Of course,

Is better than none,

But we want to get into consistent,

Healthy habits.

So chronic stress is one of the biggest things to look out for.

The next,

Ash already said it,

Unhealthy sleep habits.

Listen,

Quality sleep is crucial to have a productive mind and a healthy mindset.

Consistency here is also a really important thing.

We want to really get into a space where we understand that consistent,

Healthy sleep is the marker of good quality sleep.

So go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

I know for me,

I don't even have to set an alarm any longer.

I wake up between four and five every morning.

I know exactly what my morning's gonna look like,

But get into a space where you are really focusing on that sleep rhythm.

Take a look at your lifestyle and see if you need to shift some things around,

Because according to the CDC,

One third of us adults don't even get seven to eight hours.

And of course,

We all have had that experience where we sleep really,

Really well,

And we're refreshed,

And we're ready to take on the day.

And on the flip side,

We also know what it feels like to not have enough sleep.

And of course,

It impacts our memory and our reasoning and our problem-solving skills.

And we see a decline in our overall happiness.

It's also really important to understand that the less sleep you have,

The greater stress hormone rises within you,

And you're going to find the edge of your mood far faster.

So don't just focus on getting enough sleep.

Find a better approach that gives you more time to sleep.

That's something that we're not talking enough about.

Consistency when it comes to sleep is far more important than crashing and sleeping for a very long duration and waking up feeling like you're refreshed because you're not solving the actual problem.

So that needs to be your priority,

Not focusing on more sleep,

But finding a better approach that gives you more time to sleep.

Set alarms,

Find stillness before bed,

Meditate,

A hot bath,

A hot shower,

Downgrade your schedule,

Whatever you need to do,

More time to sleep is the priority.

The next thing is a lack of socialization or loneliness.

Loneliness is linked to depression,

But it gets much deeper than that.

We've found that the less socially active people are,

The more gray matter declines with age.

So if you don't have a community of support,

Of fun that's uplifting,

It's time to find one and lock into it.

The Get Your Life Together Girl Instagram community is a great place to start.

And then I want you to get into your local community,

Take an art class,

Take a cooking class,

Find something that you love,

Whatever your interest is,

Try to find a community in your area.

This goes a very long way in supporting us mentally,

Emotionally,

Physically,

Spiritually,

And sometimes even financially,

Because we find a passion and we create something from it.

Okay?

Speaking of getting creative,

If you don't have a sense of purpose,

Your mindset can certainly tank.

When everyone is relying on you,

It's hard to put yourself first,

But new studies showed that people who have a strong sense of purpose in life score much better in mental health and wellness tests that actually helps them feel more sustained and more steadfast throughout their lives.

So if you're feeling this distant lack of purpose,

Do your brain a huge favor by embracing some new responsibilities.

Find a new hobby.

Do something that allows yourself to venture into some self-exploration that allows you to shift your focus and get into your life.

That's a big one.

Get into your life.

What do you love?

And the last one,

At least for today,

Is not feeling physically well.

Right?

This is a big one.

If we're sitting too much,

If we're not physically moving our bodies,

We're eating unhealthily,

Or doing things that are anti-health,

Drinking,

Smoking,

Drug use,

Not prioritizing your mental health,

Not taking medicines if you need them.

These all impact areas of our life,

So you must move your body.

It's one habit that's great for you across the board,

And it doesn't have to be complicated,

Right?

It's more about just being the same way that you're prioritizing getting space and time to sleep.

You're getting space and time to be physically well as well.

Again,

Not complicated.

Go for a walk.

If all you have is 10 minutes,

Move your body for 10 minutes,

But you also have more time in your day than 10,

So don't fool yourself.

Don't lie to yourself and say,

I only have 10 minutes.

You have more time.

You just need to be mindful of your time.

And in that,

We can't forget the conversation about getting enough water.

Water is essential for our bodies to function properly.

Our bodies use water in all of its cells,

In all of its organs,

In all of its tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other body functions.

And we lose water every single day when we sweat,

When we breathe,

When we use the restroom.

We need it for proper gut health and digestion and even getting all the vitamins and minerals we need from all of our food.

We need water for that.

And poor gut health has been linked to negative mindsets,

Even to long-term negative mental health issues.

So really take care of yourself physically.

And remember,

Physical health is mental health and physical health is emotional health.

Now,

Those are some top areas,

And of course,

They're pretty low-level items to look at,

But I want you to really put your focus on what causes your mindset to meet all of those five areas of your life that I call the masters.

It rules everything.

So mental,

Emotional,

Physical,

Spiritual,

And financial.

Of course,

Like I just said,

There is a deeper conversation as to what to watch for and what to dive in,

But start with those five masters and look at how you're supporting each of those areas of your life.

Write them out.

What am I doing every day to support myself mentally?

What habits do I need to put in place that would help?

Or what habits do I have that are already in place that are hindering?

Do this for all of those masters and get it on paper,

And you should be able to identify what you need to increase and what is causing you to go down the rabbit hole of bad habits.

I hope that helps.

You know,

Recognizing is always step one.

Step two is formulating the plan.

Step three is getting into action.

Ash,

I hope these are great starting points for you,

As I hope they are for everyone.

Thank you so much for your question and being a faithful listener.

I am interested to know as what you decide to increase and what you let go,

So definitely let us know.

I challenge each of you to do the same.

And remember,

A healthy life starts with healthy habits.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode,

Which originally aired on the Get Your Life Together Girl podcast.

Please take the time to review this conversation and follow me here on Insight Timer for more courses,

Meditations,

And additional conversations.

Until next time,

Be kind to yourself and others.