The months of lockdown has had a huge impact on us all, and prioritising our mental health is more important than ever. Making positive changes can sometimes seem hard, especially during uncertain times. However, making small healthy changes go a long way towards establishing simple habits to improve your life. For small actions over time can produce great results.

By just including these few simple healthy actions into your day daily, you will progress closer to a healthy clear mind!

1. Exercise

Exercise isn’t only for your physical body. Regular exercise can help to reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and symptoms of depression while boosting self-esteem and happiness! You don’t have to be an athlete or hit the gym for hours (unless that makes you happy). Just thirty minutes of physical activity each day can make a huge difference.

Consider these restorative exercises to begin with:

• Take a walk out in nature.
• Sign up for a beginner’s class in yoga or tai chi.
• Start your day with 5 minutes of stretching.

2.      Get plenty of sleep

No matter how much modern society steers us toward less sleep, we know that adequate sleep is vital to good health, brain function, and emotional well-being. Adults should aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you find yourself fighting the urge to nap during the day or just generally feel like you’re in a fog, your body may be telling you it needs more rest.

Here are a few tips to help you get better rest:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
• Reserve the hour before bed as quiet time. Take a magnesium bath, read, or do something relaxing.
• Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
• Spray your pillow with some dreamy lavender spray.

3.      Stay in Control of your Diet

Often, people who are stressed and burnt out will eat emotionally. Stress may also cause us to shovel down unhealthy food quickly and mindlessly at our desks, without paying attention to the type or quantity of food our body really needs. Changing our eating habits can greatly help our bodies handle stress better. Listen to your body’s signals: is your hunger truly coming from your gut, or is it just your brain craving food to help cope with stress? When you’re hungry, carve time out of your busy day to eat, and only eat. Sit outside or by a window, and focus on filling your body with nourishing food, away from distraction and work.

4.      Breathe deeply

We all know that feeling of tight shoulders and feeling as though you might just “lose it”. Well, the next time you feel stressed or at your wit’s end, breathing deeply may be the answer.

Try these few easy steps:

• Close your eyes. Try to envision a happy memory or beautiful place.
• Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose.
• Slowly breathe out through your mouth or nose.

Repeat this process several times, until you start to feel yourself calm down.

If you’re having a hard time taking slow, deliberate breaths, try counting to 5 in your head with each inhale and exhale

5.      Create a Relaxation Zone

It can be challenging to find a space just to be you in the middle of busy family life, but it’s so important. Dedicate a room, a nook, or even just a chair in your home to be your personal relaxation space. Add a cosy blanket, a diffuser with your favourite scent, and make sure the rest of your family know not to bother you when you’re curled up there with a cup of tea and a good book.

6.      Add Some Greenery

Spending time in nature can have a hugely positive effect on your mood so it’s important to get out of the house when you can. However, you can also bring nature inside with the addition of some pot plants and even artwork or photography of landscapes. Studies have shown that just looking at a picture of beautiful scenery is enough to lower stress levels. Our favourite way to bring greenery into the house is with Urban Greens window sill plant boxes!

7.      Unplug From time to Time

If you are like most people, you’re probably surrounded by technology in your home – televisions, computers, mobile phones and other gadgets. While all that technology can help you to relax at times, it can also cause stress – especially when you feel compelled to keep checking your email in the middle of the night. Unplugging your electronic devices at night and turning off your phone not only saves money but also helps you to stay calm and focused.