Simple and effective ways to support your mental health. These daily practices can help you reduce stress and overwhelm so you can feel your best and elevate your life. 

How are you really feeling? So often when asked how we’re feeling we downplay our emotions. Offering up a “fine” “doing great” or “pretty good” without thinking too much about it. But how are you really feeling? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Tired?

Even if you’re feeling great now, these feelings are bound to come up. It’s only natural. Stress is one thing that we all deal with from time to time. It can manifest in different feelings and we all have different thresholds for which we can handle stress. I know when I’m busier with Nourished by Nutrition and take on more projects, don’t take time for myself, or don’t ask for help, the more my mental health takes a hit. I feel more anxious, procrastinate (which I know only leads to more anxiety), and lose the motivation and energy I need to live out my full potential. You too?

I think we can all agree that taking care of your mental health is important. I’d even go as far as to say it sets the foundations for your overall well-being. In order to reduce the amount of stress, anxiety, overwhelm and burnout it’s really important to be engaging in daily practices that support your mental wellness. In order to show up fully, you need to prioritize your mental health.

5 Ways to Support Mental Wellness

Taking care of your mental wellness doesn’t need to contribute to your overwhelm. Try adding in moments throughout your day to pause, reduce stress and make your life easier. These daily practices can go a long way in positively affecting your life. Here are five ways you can tend to your mental health and elevate your life.

Create a journaling practice

This has to be one of the most tried and true stress-reducing practices out there. But for good reason! Simply getting your thoughts onto paper is a highly effective daily ritual in reducing stress and anxiety. If you’re looking for guidance on how to start, don’t overcomplicate it! Grab a pen and a blank notebook and write what you feel. There are journals with daily prompts but I often find that writing whatever is on my mind at the moment works best for reducing overwhelm and having me feel more at ease.

Move your body daily

Movement in many forms can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. But I get it. When you’re busy exercising can feel like one more thing to add to the to-do list.

Instead of looking at movement as needing to break a sweat everyday, try thinking about it as a daily practice where you can allow yourself to get out of your head and be in your body. Some days this may look like a 30 minute Peloton class, while other days looks like getting a 10 minute walk in after lunch and some light stretches before bed. The most important thing you can do is commit to the practice every day. Check in with yourself and give into what you need. Once you finish your body and mental health always benefit.

Simplify meal time

Cooking often takes a backseat when life gets busy. Making shopping lists, going to the store, cooking the meal can feel really overwhelming when you’re already stressed. This is where Blue Apron can help. You can skip the stress of meal planning and ease any anxiety you may feel about cooking by having nourishing meals shipped straight to your door. It eliminates the stress and hassle of going to the store and worrying about leftover ingredients you won’t use.

I’ve been leaning on Blue Apron during busy weeks and it’s been so nice not having to think about “what’s for dinner?”. I love that I’m still able to enjoy a home cooked meal with my family but don’t need to put the effort into planning or shopping for ingredients. Blue Apron’s Wellness offerings are full of nutritionally dense ingredients like vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins and fit in line with exactly the way I like to cook for my family.

Plus, if you’re really short on time, Blue Apron has Wellness Heat & Eat options. These are great ready-to-eat options that don’t sacrifice nutrition for convenience.

Try something new

Getting out of your comfort zone not only helps you get out of a rut, but it helps keep your mind sharp. I’ve been using Blue Apron as a way to try new recipes with ingredients and flavors I wouldn’t have thought to try. I’ve made pan-seared scallops with a blood orange relish and a sambal-glazed salmon with marinated carrots recently and they were both phenomenal (Charlie was even a fan of both dishes!).

Engaging in activities that challenge your mind in new ways can help take your mind off the stress of the day. Plus, oftentimes we get so busy with all of the projects and daily tasks that we forget to just have fun! With Blue Apron you may find it’s actually fun to cook and learn new kitchen skills with each meal.

If you’re interested in taking the stress out of meal time, you can sign up for Blue Apron and get $130 off across 6 boxes + free shipping on your first box!

Prioritize sleep

Who isn’t feeling tired right now? I’d like to think I’m not alone here. The fact is inadequate sleep leaves you feeling exhausted, anxious, and irritable. When you’re running on empty your mental well-being suffers. And your physical body suffers too. Your body also isn’t as efficient at healing and recovery when you’re not getting enough sleep. Aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep a night can help you feel refreshed and mentally sharp and give your body the time it needs to recover.

Like with any habit, prioritizing sleep gets easier the more you do it. Save the Netflix binge for the weekend and try winding down with with a book and a cup of herbal tea. Put your phone on airplane mode and tuck it away for the night (preferably 1 hour before you hit the hay) and see just how refreshed you feel in the AM.

Don’t forget, if you’re interested in taking the stress out of meal time, you can sign up for Blue Apron and get $130 off across 6 boxes + free shipping on your first box!

This post was created in partnership with Blue Apron. As always, I only partner with brands I love and recommend. I share them because I want you to love them as much as I do. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep Nourished by Nutrition going!