The tough part about “feeling down” is not knowing what to do about it.
We might opt for lying in bed and curling into the fetal position, lost, empty, and hopeless. While this is completely a-ok (hey, we all do this sometimes!), having a checklist you can turn to during these tough mental times can help you bounce back or at least, feel incrementally better.
Logically, you can go through your mental health checklist, ensuring you’re doing everything in your power to feel mentally good once again.
- But what should this kind of checklist include?
- What habits can you use to elevate your mental health when you realize it’s not in a good place?
Keep reading! Because we are going to uncover it all.
What Are the 7 Components of Good Mental Health?
Our mental health impacts our physical health and vice versa.
And our health determines our quality of life and the fulfillment we obtain from it. Inevitably, that makes it pretty important!
And this makes mental health a little bit more complex than you may initially think. Good mental health actually incorporates seven key components, including:
- In-person therapy
- Community
- Physical health
- Intellectual health
- Environmental health
- Boundaries
- Self-care
While some of these may be partially out of our control, focusing on the variables you can actually change is critical.
For instance, for physical health, you can move more or go for daily walks. In the community, you can join a club or workshop. For intellectual health, you could learn a new hobby or skill. There are tons of options here!
Related Article: 10 Ways Your Environment Affects Your Mental Health & How You Can Improve It
How Can I Improve My Mental Health? A Checklist
Maybe you’ve already got one of these mental health checklists. Whatever the case may be, here are a few tips and tricks to improve your already existing list or create a brand new one.
1. The Basics
Some days, you just feel in a funk! We all have those days. And it can help to start by assessing some basics that we usually know help, but when we’re in a funk, we tend to forget about including the following:
- Brush your teeth
- Wash your face
- Shower
- Get outside and get sun (if you can, get in a daily walk here!)
- Eating a healthy and balanced meal or snack
- Hydrating with water
- Brain dump (this means writing down anything and everything that comes to mind. Just let it out!)
- Change your posture for a more confident and energetic posture (even if you don’t feel like it!)
- Smile (fake it until you make it. There’s actually science behind this one!)
Related Article: 5 Simple Ways Minimalism Can Improve Your Mental Health
2. Beyond Basics
Okay, so maybe you go through the basics. What else can you do to feel better (even just a little bit)?
- Connect with friends (This can be over the phone or in-person.)
- Chat with your therapist (Or start seeing one!)
- Eliminate known factors, such as alcohol and/or drugs, that cause mental health declines
- Do an activity you enjoy (Love pottery? Sign up for a class!)
- Start a regular exercise routine (Go slow here… Too much, too fast can feel overwhelming.)
- Meditate first thing in the morning or evening
- Take a warm bath
- Journal (Questions and prompts coming up below on this one!)
- Do 5 push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, or another exercise
- Practice a relaxation technique, such as progressive relaxation
- Write down 5-10 things you’re grateful for
- Practice positive self-talk (Do you often bash yourself? Change gears. How can you be more positive? Can you challenge your thoughts?)
- Take some time for yourself and say “no” to anything else
3. Mental Health Checklist Questions
Taking this even further, you can track how you feel from day to day by answering some questions.
This can help you gauge what’s going on (even though it might not present itself immediately) and help you understand your own triggers.
Try journaling using these:
- How do you feel on a scale of 1-10? Why?
- What time of the day do you feel your worst? What can you do to make it better (eg. Cooking your favorite breakfast in the morning to quell anxiety)?
- What can I do to make today great?
- Who do you trust the most? Why?
- What are your three biggest strengths?
- When you do feel the most happiness in your life?
- What is your favorite part of the day?
- How can I show up today as ____ (mom, coach, boss, etc.)?
- For women specifically, where am I at in my menstrual cycle? How might this affect my mood?
- How can I make a difference today?
Yes, all of this will take some time. However, it will be worth it!
You’ll have actionable steps to help you feel better. You can also add your own to your checklist, such as activities or things that help you gain perspective or take on a good mood.
Find Your Ultimate Mental Health Checklist
Create one today, so that on those less-than-ideal days, you have a resource to turn to! And remember,
“Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” (Thank you to Noam Shpancer for the quote!)
Read Next: 3 Tips For Keeping Your Mental Health in Check When Working From Home
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Aug 5, 2022 and has been updated to improve reader experience.
Photo by Alex Azabache