27 Small Habits That Will Transform Your Mental Health

1. Keep A Schedule

Decide on, and commit to, a daily schedule. Stick to it regardless of how you feel. Avoid being a slave to your thoughts and feelings.

2. Daily Objective

Select your top 3 priorities for the day. Don't go to bed without identifying your next three for tomorrow.

3. Gratitude

Schedule some time, reflecting on the blessings in your life. Engage in the daily 5 and 5 and reflect on gratitude questions.

4. Be Balanced

Invest time and energy in 7 life areas, especially those areas you have been neglecting.

5. Sleep

Your body and mind require at least 7.5 hours of sleep each night, and often even more. Block off at least 8 hours each night for rest.

If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘I know these are good for me, but I struggle to stay consistent,’ I recorded a podcast episode that breaks down how to actually move from stress to strength through small, daily actions.

6. Strengths Orientation

Focus on the intrinsic qualities that you like about yourself for at least 5 minutes each day. Choose to be grateful for these talents.

7. Laugh

Find funny things to enjoy. Hang around light-hearted people. Healthy humor and fun feed the soul!

8. Eat Healthy

Minimize eating what you know drains you, and maximize your intake of healthy, nutritious foods. Drink 24 ounces of water when you wake up, and at least 64 ounces of water total each day.

9. Friends

Plan to spend time consistently with positive, encouraging people. Make new friends and reconnect with old ones.

10. Read

Read something positive and inspiring to rest and stretch your mind for at least 20 minutes each day (e.g., blogs, articles, or books).

11. Have Fun

Engage in activities that energize you. If you don't know what energizes you, connect with a friend to brainstorm ideas.

12. Breathe

Take 5 minutes each day to focus on your breathing. Identify and let go of thoughts and emotions that arise when distracted.

13. Resolve Issues

Address lingering issues with those you love in a calm, intentional, and assertive manner. Share how you feel, why you feel that way, and what you hope for.

14. Resist Perfectionism

Strive for being satisfied with a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. Let yourself be the imperfect special person you are.

15. Focus on Long-Term Goals

Have 3 - 4 one-year goals posted where you see them each day. Create quarterly, monthly, or weekly objectives moving towards each goal.

16. Move Towards Goals

Invest 70% of your time and energy into activities that move you towards your short and long-term goals.

Watch the FREE Shatterproof Yourself Lite course—on your desktop or in the Decide Your Legacy app—and learn the 7 steps to a major boost in your confidence.

17. Express Strong Emotions

Write down how you are feeling (positive & negative), why you feel that way, and what information that feeling gives you. Share these emotions with someone you trust. "You must feel it to heal it."

18. Organize Your Finances

Living within your means gives you a foundation for long-term success. Follow a written budget, minimize debt, cut expenses, and increase income potential.

19. Avoid Procrastination

Focus on your priorities. Resist binging on social media & streaming. Take action instead of staying stuck in anxiety. Procrastination tends to contribute to perfectionism.

20. Minimize Alcohol

Only drink socially or on special occasions. It is important to avoid regular drinking or using it as a way to deal with stress or numb emotions.

21. Apologize

Own your mistakes! Let yourself be human. When you mess up, say "I was wrong, no excuses". Amazingly, owning your mistakes is energizing.

22. Take Risks

Stop playing it safe. Do things each day that are uncomfortable (i.e., trigger anxiety). Prove to yourself that you can face your fears, and potentially fail (i.e., get rejected, no results, etc.), and still move forward.

23. Move

Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity each day (e.g., walk, run, swim, cycle, sports, weights, yoga, etc.). Mix it up and make it fun.

Watch the FREE Shatterproof Yourself Lite course—on your desktop or in the Decide Your Legacy app—and learn the 7 steps to a major boost in your confidence.

24. Live Out Your Values

Live your life aligned with your moral compass and avoid temptations. Be honest, live the golden rule, do what you say you're going to do & don't live with secrets.

25. Connect Spiritually

Give yourself 30 minutes each day of solitude for prayer, meditation, scripture reading, or self-reflection.

26. Forgive

Choose to forgive yourself and others. You may not trust those who hurt you, but you can move towards letting go of your resentment, so you're free of them.

27: Journal

Consistently write down your thoughts and insights. It's clearer on paper than in your head. Use these 100 journaling prompts to get started, or use your thoughts on items 1 - 26 above.

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