10 Mental Health Hacks That Don't Involve a Bubble Bath

Do you ever have one of those hard mental health days where taking a bubble bath just isn’t going to cut it? Here is a quick list of hacks that don’t involve overflowing your tub and upping your water bill.

1. Go for a walk outside.

I don’t care if it’s the middle of the winter. I don’t even care if it is the middle of a South Dakota blizzard. Ok I do, but you can still do it. Put on your long johns, snowsuit (I highly recommend bibs if you live somewhere with less-than-ideal winters), Buff, hat, and fuzzy mittens, high-vis sweatshirt and get outside. If you have a dog, your dog will thank you as well.

2. Hit your local tanning salon.

I’m not advocating for you to go for cosmetic reasons. But it has been proven that getting a little extra “sun” can help to promote the release of serotonin, which can help to offset the increased levels of melatonin during the dreary winter months. And if you do tan for cosmetic reasons I’m not shaming you, just trying to encourage those who do not already.

3. Play with someone’s pet.

I don’t care whether or not you have a furry friend of your own. But I guarantee that you know at least one person out there who has a pet that you could love on for 10 minutes. Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease cortisol levels (a stress hormone). Better yet, go volunteer somewhere that involves animals (**insert shameless plug for HorsePower horsepowersf.com here**) and then you’re not only interacting with animals but also doing a good deed within your community.

4. Get some sort of physical stimulation

No, I’m not telling you to go get your freak on. I mean, if that works for you then you do you, booboo. But do something to move your body. Have a 30 minute stretch session if you feel too run down to do anything strenuous. Go for a gym sesh if you have the energy. Go for a swim. Go for a run. Use the milk jug in your fridge to do some curls, or a few cans of beans to do some shoulder presses when you don’t have the energy or resources to go to an actual gym. Get creative in how you move your body, and I guarantee you will feel better afterwards.

5. Cook yourself a meal.

You don’t have to be a good cook to make yourself something tasty. However, the process of simply creating something to nourish your body can help you feel accomplished. And you’re giving your body the food-fuel it needs to help you mentally recover.

6. Eat the dang ice cream.

Now I’m not one to advise binge-eating because that of course comes with a whole different set of issues to deal with in the aftermath. However, it’s okay to have a bad day and console yourself with a couple of scoops of mint-choc-chip icecream. Or make yourself a bowl of mac and cheese. Maybe even eat that whole box of Kraft Mac in your pantry. But maybe don’t eat the mac, the icecream, a large pizza, and a box of donuts all together. Then we’ll have to chat about the guilt you’re feeling about that, and also how to combat that gnarly indigestion.

7. Read something that makes you feel good

If you’re going through a tough break-up, you probably don’t want to read a lengthy romance novel. Maybe try to read a mystery that forces your attention or you’ll miss key details. Maybe read non-fiction on a subject that you’ve been wanting to learn more about. Whatever it is that spikes your interest, let your mind be consumed by your reading to help you healthily escape for awhile.

8. Meditate

Yeah, maybe this seems a little hokey but let’s be honest. I love the holistic-western medicine integration and here is the holistic side of it. A common misconception is that meditation means you sit on a floor-pillow cross-legged and do nothing but breathe and only think about your breath for the next hour. That’s wrong. Yes, people can work up to that. But be gentle with yourself. The mind is a powerful tool that you can train and exercise, but just like any other muscle you have to work up through some conditioning. Sometimes when you start, your meditation is closing your eyes, and focusing on each breath, for three breaths. Your meditation may be two minutes long and you may have thought about everything but your breath for a minute and a half of those two minutes. But that’s okay. You still brought yourself back to your body for a few moments.

9. Set out your clothes for the next day, the night before.

This is a life-hack that takes about a minute on a tired night that is going to help set up the next morning for success. Having your clothes laid out is just one less step for you to take for the start of a new morning after a difficult day prior.

10. Buy a plant.

Maybe you can’t own a pet, but I bet you can own a plant. Trust me, there is a plant out there that even the most horrible plant parent can take care of. Like me. Somehow I have kept my three house plants alive for the last few years, and quite frankly I don’t even know what they are called. But having something living in your house can be a good mood boost. And sometimes it feels good to know that you’re taking care of something.

Of course, everyone has their own little to-do’s that help to get them through a rough day. But if you ever come to a day where the normal routine just isn’t cutting it, try something new.