When it comes to improving your behavioral health, the key is to build healthy and sustainable habits. Small changes in your daily life can have a big impact on your behavioral health, which takes into account both your physical and mental health. While you should also check in with your doctor at your primary care clinic, these three habits are ones that you can try out today.
Daily Walks
Getting out to take a walk every day is a simple habit that can really improve both your physical and mental health. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, getting outside (or on a treadmill) and getting moving can help improve your physical health. Over the course of a week, 10 minutes a day of walking adds up to over an hour, so this small change can really make a difference over time. This can also make a difference to your mental health since exercise is a common way to treat the symptoms of anxiety. A short walk is also a great time to unplug and leave your phone at home, allowing you to check in with yourself and your mental health.
Get Enough Sleep
If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your physical and mental health will both suffer. In the short term, not getting enough sleep can cause irritability, lack of alertness, and impaired memory, but in the long term, bigger issues can arise, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. Take a few weeks to listen to your body and figure out what the best amount of sleep is for you and try to meet that amount of sleep every day.
Praticing Gratitude
If you’re one of the 47 million Americans that experience mental illness, you may find it hard to find things to make you feel happy or grateful. Luckily, this habit can help you make searching for things to be grateful for a daily habit. Every day, try to list out at least three things that make you feel grateful. These can be small things like having a fuzzy blanket that you love or something bigger like a friend or partner. By practicing finding things to be grateful for, you may start to see more positives in your daily life.
Improving your mental and physical health doesn’t happen overnight. By trying out these three habits, you can begin your journey of improving your behavioral health. For more help, you can also ask your primary care doctor to refer you to a behavioral health specialist.
