You can enhance your wellbeing immediately, whenever you need to. You can also do it your way and tailor your actions to suit your personality and wellbeing needs of the moment. This list of quick actions is sorted by purpose: what do you want right now? Take a look, and put the ones that appeal to you in your wellness toolbox.
Our Multifaceted Need for Wellbeing
Have you ever:
- Experienced stress, both good and bad?
- Had difficulty concentrating on something or found yourself distracted even when facing a task you love?
- Felt pent-up energy or not enough energy?
- Wanted to socialize? Wanted to be alone for a while?
If you’re human, you likely have felt all of these and more, and it’s equally likely that you’ve felt frustrated and discouraged because of these, too.
And you know what? That’s okay. Admittedly, it doesn’t always feel okay.
There’s great news: you have the power to make it okay. Even when things are going wrong around you, you can take control of what’s going on inside of you.
It’s possible to take action to improve your mood and enhance your mental health and wellbeing. These short, sweet, and simple ideas work in bursts to help you to take control of your inner world. Pick one, pick several, or create your own strategies to add to the lists.
The important thing is to find something to do not only in times of difficulty, but in good times too in order to maintain optimal mental health. Doing so leads to power and control over our wellness. You choose what works for you!
Ways to Be Well
THINGS TO DO TO CALM YOUR MIND AND BODY
- Take 5 (or 15 or 25) minutes to breathe deeply.
- Listen to relaxing music.
- Take a shower or soak in a tub.
- Dim the lights, light a candle .
- Go somewhere quiet (a room in your house, a favorite spot outside) and get away from stimuli.
- Sit in a pleasant place or step outside and practice mindfulness: breathe slowly and deeply, use your senses to be present in your moment. When your mind wanders, return to your senses.
THINGS TO DO TO RELEASE PENT-UP ENERGY
- Exercise indoors (with a video at home, in a gym, on your own equipment).
- Listen to peppy music and dance (even if, like me, you really don’t know how).
- Get outside and walk/run/bike/hike/climb/garden/wash a car.
- Do jumping jacks.
- Listen to or watch something funny and let yourself laugh.
THINGS TO DO TO IF YOU WANT TO BE ALONE
- Go for a walk.
- Read a book.
- Write in a journal.
- Go for a bike ride.
- Go for a drive.
- Color a picture.
- Work on a craft or other relaxing project that brings you pleasure.
THINGS TO DO IF YOU FEEL LIKE BEING SOCIAL
- Do any of the above with a friend, spouse, partner, or child.
- Call a sister, brother, friend and talk on the phone.
- Invite someone over for an afternoon/evening of coffee/drinks and board games.
- Get a hold of someone you like and go do something you find fun! Perhaps choose one of the activities for wellbeing listed here.
Find something you like to do, and pick yourself up or calm yourself down. You are in control of making that happen!
If you live with anxiety, learning about it, exploring your unique anxiety (what it is like for you and how it’s affecting your life), and reflecting on ways to get past it is an effective way to enhance your wellbeing. That’s why I wrote The 5-Minute Anxiety Relief Journal. You just might find it to be a helpful and enjoyable tool.
