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If you are struggling with your mental health, such as with anxiety or depression, reach out to someone. No struggle is insignificant. Your mental health matters. If you are in need of crisis resources, regardless of where you are in the world, 13reasonswhy.info is a great website.
Please keep in mind that in this post, I am talking about general mental wellbeing. I am in no way suggesting that you can improve your mental health just by making small physical changes.
Sometimes, life can get too much, and our mental wellbeing suffers. When that happens, it can trickle into other aspects of your life. Consider this: when you're super stressed from work, you might go home and take out your frustration on other people. I for one have done so on multiple occasions before I started practicing mindfulness. That's why it's important to maintain mental wellbeing. Here are five physical changes you can try out:
Skin
A good skincare routine not only does wonders for your skin but for your mental wellbeing as well. An enjoyable skin care regime in the morning gets you refreshed and ready to face the day ahead. At night, it calms you down and removes all stresses from the day. It doesn't have to cost a bomb either. For me, all I use in the mornings are a gentle cleanser, a soothing toner, a hydrating moisturizer, and sunscreen. In the evenings, I use the same gentle cleanser followed by a foaming cleanser as well as witch hazel as toner and then face oil. Twice a week, my evening skincare routine is fancier - I add in a pore cleanser and then whatever sheet mask I need on the day, be it hydrating or soothing or brightening. I try to minimize the use of brightening-type sheet masks, though, because they tend to include exfoliating properties, and my sensitive skin can't handle too much of that.
Hair
A new hairstyle can make you feel like a brand-new person. When you find yourself feeling bored and uninspired by how you look, a change in hairstyle can make a huge difference. Of course, this can range anywhere from changing the part in your hair to a drastic haircut. For me, I've kind of settled on a default hairstyle (the one that's in pretty much all my pictures), but when I feel like I need something different, I just put in curlers to sleep in, or if I have more time, I dye my blonde streak a different color.
Posture
Something less obvious is a change in posture. We hear so much about the benefits of good posture, but honestly, when you feel yourself drifting off in the middle of the day, something small like sitting up a little straighter can clear the fog. If you have a little more time and the room to do so, a quick stretch also helps a bunch. Stand all the way up on your tippy-toes and reach all the way up to the ceiling with fingers outstretched. Alternatively, do a few toe touches. Stretching out the kinks is a quick and easy energizer. Plus, it gives you a break from sitting all damn day. 😉
Surgery
This is certainly a drastic step, but it's definitely an avenue to consider, especially if you've found yourself feeling deeply unsatisfied with a physical feature. Plastic surgery is heavily stigmatized, but it really shouldn't be. I have personally observed two students of mine whose confidence level skyrocketed after they underwent plastic surgery (one did eyelid surgery, and the other had her nose done). If it's going to help you feel like your best self, I say go ahead. Just make sure you go in as fully informed as possible. Websites like the PSC can serve as great resources, but remember to always consult with your options of surgeons before diving in.
Smile
Last but definitely not least, turn that frown upside down: ☹️➡️🙂 (not to be confused with 🙃). Everyone has got a beautiful smile, even if you don't feel like it. I don't have the nicest set of teeth, so I've always been super self-conscious about showing my teeth when I smile, but when I'm genuinely smiling, I honestly don't give a shit, ya know, and that's the point. Smiles are contagious, even more so than yawns, tbh, because emotions rub off on others. When you smile, the whole world really does smile with you.
How do you maintain your mental wellbeing?
