14 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health

It's a wacky time, says every news article and YouTube video and blog post that's come out in the last two-ish weeks. And it is. It really, really is. I kinda feel like I'm living through a contemporary take on the classic YA Dystopia. We haven't come to The Hunger Games yet, but the hoarding of toilet paper (and according to my sister's questionable source material, maple syrup?) might be just as violent. In light of all of this, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

Right now, I'm out of school. We're pretty much confined to our houses and cars. Brussel sprouts are sparse at the grocery store, which ought to be everyone's number one concern. During the year history will remember by the coronavirus, we are extremely isolated. Despite this, I think it's important we all stick together and take care of each other; we need to call our friends, support people who've lost their jobs, maintain a sense of community. Isolate your physical self, but find ways to remain connected. Case study: in Italy, they're singing and playing music from the balconies. It's really important to care for ourselves and others. As someone with clinical depression, I am well aware that time alone (especially when confined to your home) can lead to not-so-stellar mental health. I think this can apply to anyone, but I'm most concerned about two demographics: senior citizens and youth.

According to TIME, "The latest National Poll on Healthy Aging finds that about a third of seniors are lonely. 'Research shows that chronic loneliness can impact older adults' memory, physical well-being, mental health, and life expectancy,' write the authors of the new report. 'In fact, some research suggests that chronic loneliness may shorten life expectancy even more than being overweight and sedentary, and just as much as smoking.'" If one-third of seniors were lonely before the quarantines, I wonder how many are lonely now. Additionally, the CDC says that teens and children are at risk for increased mental health strain: "Children and teens react, in part, on what they see from the adults around them." Adults in my community and on the news are panicked; that panic diffuses to kids and teens. Media is a whole different animal. I'm currently (and forever) off of social media - but if my NPR News Briefing causes my anxiety to soar? I can't imagine what effect Instagram or SnapChat would have. Other demographics I'm worried about include people with COVID-19, health care providers, and the Asian American community, due to the racism they're facing left, right, and center.

Things aren't great.

And because they're not great, it's that much more important to take care of you. Here are 14 things I do to boost my mental health.

- Sleep early, rise early. Teenagers need a ton of sleep, and the five hours you are squeezing in between Netflix binges are just not cutting it. I do my best to get anywhere between eight an ten hours of z's. And it's hard, I know, because high school means piles and piles of homework. On top of that, teens usually have volunteer hours, jobs, extracurriculars, sports, and a whole lot of other stuff to attend to. Of course, school and volunteering and all that jazz are out at the moment. But you know what I mean - life's moving really, really fast, and our clocks don't always accommodate that. I've found that if I sleep for any less than eight hours, I am much more likely to be irritable, anxious, and depressed. Here's another thing I find helpful: waking up with the sun. It's the way our bodies are wired, sunrises are beautiful, and waking up early leaves me feeling inspired and excited for the day to come.

- Drink a glass of water first thing. After the alarm goes off on my Amazon Echo and I wake the whole neighborhood with a chorus of "ALEXA, STOP!"s, the first thing I do is drink a big glass of water. You've spent the whole night (hopefully) deep asleep, and in that time, you've probably had nothing to drink. Having a glass of water first thing is a good way to get in some hydration at the start of your day and will definitely leave you feeling refreshed.

- Open the blinds. Water? Check. Next? Open the blinds! The sunlight will help your body recognize it's time to start the day. Also, it's always nice to take a moment and look out at nature. It's pretty. You're a part of nature, and you're pretty, too. Don't you forget that.

- Make the bed. My bedroom is normally quite clean. If I'm in a space for a good amount of time, it needs to be tidy. Keeps my thoughts tidy. Keeps me on track. And so, every morning, I make my bed. It's really nice to get something done first thing, especially something so simple. Just smooth out the sheets and... voilà! That's one thing done for the day. (Also, the feeling of getting into a made bed at the end of the day is pretty fantastic. Definitely worth the five minutes it takes to straighten the covers.)

- Move. Exercise has been a very important factor in maintaining my mental health. To quote Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins; endorphins make you happy!" There's obviously a lot more to it than that, but for the most part, our law-and-fashion savvy protagonist hit the nail right on the head. At some point in the day, I'll do my best to exercise. I'll do an Alo Yoga yoga flow or go on a long walk. No matter what form of physical activity I choose, I know it'll help me feel my best for the remainder of the day.

- Eat breakfast. Pretty please. I know it's not for everyone, but it's good to fuel your body with real food, specifically at a time when illness is so prevalent.

- Coffee. Again, not for everyone. Less necessary than breakfast. But if you enjoy coffee or tea or hot cocoa, go for it. It can be a sort of ritual, a moment to just sit and sip and ground yourself (hee hee see what I did there?). Best paired with a long book.

- Water, p. 2. It helps your skin. It helps with memory and brain fatigue. It makes you feel like a refreshed little... cucumber. Just drink your water.

- Veggie-centric meals. We've got red from the tomatoes. We've got green from the balsamic brussel sprouts, brown mushrooms, orange sweet potatoes, and tan chickpeas. My ideal lunch is basically an edible crayon box. Just eat the veggies. Eat lots of them. They're pretty, they're delicious, they're full of nutrients, and they make your tummy very, very happy. It can be kinda hard to find fresh veg at the mobbed grocery stores, so your second-best bets are: lentils, tuna salad, and Thai take-out. As it turns out, you can get tired of green curry.

- Review your agenda and plan. Or make a plan. To all my fellow kiddos - we have to do our best to stay busy. I have not suffered this far through Honors Algebra 2 to let my brain go to mush. I'm taking this time off to read. I learned how to macrame. Today's challenge is origami cranes. Walks are also good, I'm a big fan of those.

- Do something you enjoy. It doesn't have to be big. For me, something enjoyable can range from walking the dog around the block to writing a blog post. I'll paint, read (I recently downloaded the Libby app to get free audio-books from my local library), make Spotify playlists, pet the dog, attempt difficult French baked goods... you get the idea. Binge Gilmore Girls. Watch a free concert celebrities are streaming on YouTube.You do you.

- Journal. We're living through history, so your words might become history books one day. Journaling helps digest the day. It's a chance to let go of things that bothered you, and plan for the day(s) ahead. Simply put pen to paper for five minutes, don't worry about how good or bad your words sound, and write. Let it all out. And then let it go.

- Meditate. It works incredibly well, I promise. Meditating comes with a plethora of benefits, including stress reduction, enhanced self-awareness, and better sleep (check out this article). I like using the feature on my Amazon Echo (just say, "Alexa, open guided meditation"), but you can look up videos on YouTube, download apps, or just sit in silence with your thoughts.