By Lillian Liebke

With all that has been going on in our society and our world as a whole on top of all of the little things that go on in daily life, focusing on your mental health is one of the most important things you can do. Taking little steps throughout your daily life and slowly getting into a positive routine can really change your mindset, and it can be as easy as little self-care steps or daily affirmations. But what are some things you can do to get started on the right foot?

First, start your day off with some productive habits. Starting off your day with sunlight and a light meal starts your mind and stomach the minute that you wake up, making you more ready for the day. Also getting into habits like making your bed, showering, doing a skincare routine, and cleaning up your living area. A clean space around you leads to a more productive day. Prioritizing things you have to do throughout your day with a daily to-do list gives numerous benefits like keeping your priorities in check and being able to keep an eye on any events going on that day. 

There are numerous things that you can do throughout your day or randomly through your week that can change your mindset for the better. For starters, the people you surround yourself with. You are most like the people that you surround yourself with the most, so making it a priority to have goal driven friends with high motivation will move you to want to strive with them. Another thing you can do is track your gratitude through a journal. Journaling frequently about things that are going on in your life or even just rambling about random things acts as a huge resource of getting stress off your chest, and writing things you are grateful for can serve as positive reinforcement. 

Lastly, there are some bigger things that we can control that affect our mental health. Getting a good night’s rest every night makes a huge difference on your day since when you sleep it’s directly connected to your prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, which affects your emotions and anxiety levels. Doing productive things away from phone screens and spending time with your friends and environment makes a tremendous amount of difference in your happiness. 

There are so many stresses that we all have to individually deal with, but there are little things that we can do to make it easier. Things like planning out your day, eating three meals a day, getting good sleep, and surrounding yourself with a positive environment will positively influence your mental health.