by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 10, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Learn Why Mental Health is Just As Important as Physical Health!
I’m sure ever since you were a child you’ve learned how important physical health is. It’s why they have PE and recess in elementary school.
And in high school, people who played football or soccer were praised by their peers.
Physical health is society’s proof of how healthy you are. Because if you’re overweight and have high blood pressure, you’re at risk for a number of health issues.
But, if you have depression this can go unnoticed for years. If you’re OCD, this is often seen as a quirk to your personality.
Since we cannot physically see mental health, we do not take it as seriously.
Even though mental health affects every single one of us, and suicide is a leading cause of death. Just like having a heart attack.
Needless to say, mental health is just as important as your physical health.
And it’s time to start treating them equally so you can have a healthy body and mind.
Your mental health affects your physical health
If you’re depressed and unwilling to get out of bed, you definitely don’t have the motivation to go to the gym for a workout.
And you most likely don’t care too much about how healthy you’re eating.
This is one of the main reasons why taking care of your mental health is so important. It affects every other thing around you.
And if you don’t know how to manage your mental health this can cause a string of negative effects.
Being in good mental health improves your quality of life
When you know how to handle tough situations, can talk to a therapist about your struggles, and don’t view mental health as a waste of time, you will live a fuller life.
Because you know just how important your mental health is to your overall well-being. Stress, anxiety, and depression are serious things.
They keep you from doing things that you normally love doing. And once you learn how to manage these things you become more resilient to what life throws at you. Lowering your stress levels and bringing you to a much calmer state of mind.
Knowing the importance of mental health can help save someone else’s life
When you take mental health seriously, you know what to look out for in other people. If you have a friend who is struggling, you could save their life.
By listening and being there for them, instead of ignoring the symptoms out of fear or denial.
When we all learn how to take the stigma out of mental health we learn how to be better support systems to the people around us.
You become more understanding and it can help the people around you in more ways than you know.
Improving your mental health improves your self-love
When you decide to make your mental health a priority, you are practicing self-love. You are choosing to put yourself first and take care of yourself.
So many people struggle to love and fully accept themselves because a lot of us aren’t taught how to as we grow up.
And society doesn’t really support you loving yourself. It’s often seen as selfish and unnecessary.
But as you practice improving your mental health you will see that self-love is just one of the many benefits that comes with it.
Working on your mental health makes you stronger from the inside out
I think it’s beneficial to have a strong body and mind. When you have both, you can conquer the world. If you only have one, it’s difficult to live a healthy life that you’re proud of.
You can have a super and healthy body while still having a negative mindset. And that becomes self-destructive after a while.
As you work on building body strength, make sure to set aside time for your mind, too. Exercising is a great way to improve your mental health but you’ll want to do other things too, like:
- Practicing mindfulness
- Talking to a therapist
- Writing your thoughts in a journal
- Unplugging from social media
- Eating right
- Avoiding alcohol/drugs
- Listening to upbeat music
- Taking time for yourself
Just as you set aside an hour each day to work out, make time for these things, too.
Working out and eating healthy isn’t always enough
Because looking your best and eating healthy is seen as such a great thing in society, it can easily turn into something destructive.
Eating disorders are formed due to trying to look your absolute best. If you work out obsessively and always track what you eat, this is actually a sign of a mental health disorder.
And it’s just another form of proof that being physically healthy isn’t always the healthiest thing.
Moving Forward
Taking care of your mental health is so important. I will say this until I sound like a broken record.
I care about this so much because it matters. I’ve struggled before with my mental health because of not knowing these things.
I used to starve myself just so I looked good in skinny jeans. And I would ignore all of my thoughts and feelings, going for a run instead.
I ignored all of it until I couldn’t any longer and I became severely depressed. I was resentful towards everyone in my life who taught me that what you look like is more important than how you feel.
So now, I want to tell you that this just isn’t true. Your mental well-being is the most important, because once you learn how to take care of your mentality then you will want to work out.
You will feel motivated to take care of yourself because you learned how to love yourself and accept who you are.
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 10, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Here’s a list of 50 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Down!
When you’re not feeling your best mentally, it can put a cloud over your whole day.
I’ve found that writing out lists really helps to activate different parts of your brain, and it takes your mind off what you’re struggling with.
Grab a journal and a pen and let your mind go. This can help inspire you once you see that you can think about positive things, even when you’re feeling down.
Choose which items below sound the most interesting and start writing!
- List all the things you’d do if you weren’t so afraid
- List the places you go in your mind when you want peace and quiet
- What the perfect day looks like to you
- All the reasons why you’re amazing
- What always makes you laugh
- All the qualities in yourself you like the most
- All the people who love you for who you are
- Things you’d get rid of to make the world better
- The best gifts you’ve ever been given
- The things you can’t live without
- All the ways you’ve changed for the better
- The things you must do before you die
- The moments in your life that taught you the biggest life lessons
- The biggest turning points in your life
- All the ways you sabotage yourself from having a great life
- How you’d like to change your life for the better
- The major losses you’ve survived in your life
- All of your favorite movies
- All the songs you know by heart
- Your favorite life quotes that inspire you
- The nicest thing anyone’s ever done for you
- The people you’d like to weed out of your life
- What values you need in your life to have a fulfilling life
- The things you will not tolerate no matter what
- The times you said yes when you wish you’d said no
- Any miracles you’ve seen happen
- The times that remind you of your connection to the “Big Picture”
- The most important turning points in your life
- All the things you can do with your eyes closed
- All the foods you’d eat if calories didn’t exist
- Your favorite parts about your body
- Your favorite ways to exercise
- The teachers that have changed your life
- The best stuff your parents taught you about life
- Suddenly you can recreate your childhood – list what you would change to improve your present life
- Your favorite animals
- What you would do right now to improve your mood, with zero limits
- All the things you still want to learn
- The traits you love in other people
- The things you always worry about and what you would do if they didn’t worry you anymore
- What you would do with 10 million dollars
- The top 10 places you want to travel to
- All the foods you’d love to always have in your fridge
- The books you want to read
- Your favorite scenes from TV/movies
- The things you would tell your younger self
- All the things included in your 5-year plan
- Everything you need to get done this week
- The times you’ve put your mind to something and succeeded
- Everything you’re grateful for in your life
Related: The Ultimate Mental Wellness Bundle
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 7, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Most days you’re stuck in a daily routine that is slowly becoming very dull? And waking up to a new day doesn’t feel exciting, because it just means starting the cycle all over again.
It feels like a trap. You have to get up and get to work to pay the bills.
And the constant stress of trying to keep it all together is wearing on you.
If it feels like your life has come to a halt, and you aren’t sure if it’s ever going to get any better, you’ve come to the right place!
The truth is, you don’t have to live on a hamster wheel for the rest of your life.
There are things you can do every day to improve your life. And I’m not talking about things you think you “should” be doing, like being more successful or making more money.
I’m talking about the things you enjoy. Whether that’s reading a book, sitting out in the sun, or playing with puppies.
Doing more of the things that fill up your cup will drastically improve your life.
1. Write down everything you’ve ever wanted to do
Think about the things you’ve always wanted to try in your life.
Write those down, and then write down why they haven’t happened yet.
What is holding you back from trying these things today? Tomorrow? Is it fear, or a legit reason like lack of money?
It all starts with your own mindset on how you view your life.
Maybe you think that you need to stay at a job for a few years to get promoted, and make more money, then you can afford to travel more.
After it’s all out in front of you, think about how you can start doing these things on this list.
Once you determine your reason why, write down how you could actually make it happen this year.
If you want to travel more, you don’t need that much money to start.
Circle the top 3 items on your list, and start focusing on how you can make these things a reality.
This will help you get off the hamster wheel, and pay attention to the things that actually bring you happiness.
2. Spend time finding authenticity
Do you know that one favorite song you keep coming back to?
The song that got you through breakups, shitty jobs, and the song that just gets you?
That’s authenticity.
It’s what makes you feel like you belong.
Or when you spend time with someone who you instantly click with and can spend hours talking to.
Now, let me ask you when was the last time you felt that way?
Does your daily life consist of basically doing things that you don’t fully believe in, but you do anyway because you have to?
Life can start to feel empty when you don’t experience those moments that tug at your heartstrings.
It can actually turn into a dark and gloomy world when you lose sight of what your purpose is.
So, start looking for authentic things that truly lift your spirits.
Where is it that you belong?
Some things that bring authenticity are:
- Friends and/or family
- Finding a new album
- A hobby
- Going back to your favorite place as a kid or anything else you can think of!
3. Practice Gratitude
It’s easier to be negative than it is to be grateful.
And to think “Once I get this, my life will be better”.
Chasing after materialistic things isn’t what will bring you happiness.
But, for some reason our society makes us believe that having a new car or a better job will get us closer to it.
Unfortunately, thinking this way will only leave you feeling confused and empty.
It’s why a lot of people have a mid-life crisis later on in life.
They spent 20 years working so hard for all of these “things”, but never took the time to understand what is real happiness.
The good news is you can start today practicing gratitude.
Look around at your life right now and think about all of the good you have in it.
I understand that life is not easy at times, and sometimes it’s very hard to see the good.
But, even if it’s just the bed you get to sleep in. Or your dog, or your best friend.
Write down all of the good things in your life, and think about these things daily.
Practicing gratitude is free and feeling good about what you have right now won’t make you feel like you have to go out and buy something to feel better.
4. Learn something new every day
Learning can improve your life because it teaches you more about life.
It gives you more confidence and challenges you to push your limits.
Learning something new also brings excitement to your day because you don’t know what to expect.
Some ways you can start learning more are:
- Practicing a new language
- Taking a class at a local community college
- Reading a non-fiction book about history
- Starting a new hobby like knitting or drawing
5. Change up your daily routine
Routines are good and bad for the same reason: they are mindless.
They don’t require much thought from your brain, so you can focus on other things while you do them.
Daily habits like waking up at the same time, brushing your teeth, or working out are great, and I would suggest keeping up with those to help improve your health.
But, things like your commute to work can change.
If your whole life has turned into one big routine, you might find it hard to find excitement in the day.
Instead, Google a different route you could take to work. Or, do you live close enough that you could ride your bike?
You have the most control over your day during the hours you’re at home.
Think about how you can change up those times.
Maybe you don’t have to spend an hour cooking every night.
You could get takeout and spend that time working on a new hobby.
Also, changing up your morning and evening routine can be enough to improve your life.
Whenever you find that your days are all becoming too similar, try changing up your routine.
6. Work on getting enough sleep every night
I get it, sleep is usually what goes out the window when you run out of time during the day.
Our lives are crazy busy at times, and it just makes sense to miss out on some sleep here and there.
But, sleep is so important for your health and quality of life.
Not sleeping enough can cause:
- Moodiness
- Depression
- Inability to focus
- Overeating
All of these things can ruin your mood.
If you aren’t getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night, try to work on making this a priority.
It can and will definitely improve your daily mood, which will help improve your overall life!
7. De-Clutter
Look around your home, and find the things that you haven’t touched in the last 2 years.
Clutter can impact your happiness, because it feels like you’re life is a mess.
Work on getting rid of the things that don’t provide much value in your life anymore.
That might be cleaning out your closet, or distancing yourself from toxic people.
Evaluate where your life is at right now, and think about the things you could get rid of that would help improve your life.
8. Practice being more kind
Kindness goes a looong way. For other people, as well as for you.
Helping others can actually make you feel much better about yourself.
Our world is turning into a place where looking at your phone while you walk is more acceptable than looking someone in the eye and smiling at them.
We are becoming anti-social, which is making it difficult to put more good out into the world.
I get that we all have places to be and limited time.
But, that isn’t really an excuse to be rude to other people.
Being kind isn’t a sign of weakness, and if you can practice it every day, you will feel like a much nicer person.
9. Put yourself first
If you do relate to feeling stuck on a hamster wheel, then you aren’t putting yourself first enough.
It’s not a selfish thing to do, so get that thought out of your head!
Putting yourself first is actually one of the best ways you can be there for other people.
Once your cup is full, then you will have the patience and tolerance to be around people who need you most.
If you don’t, then you’re cup will be sucked dry and you’ll feel irritated and impatient with everyone.
This is also a great way to improve your life.
Listening to your body and doing the things you love will make your days a lot more exciting.
It will also give you much more control over how you truly want to live your life.
10. Let go of your excuses
Do you want to try new things, but think of every excuse in the book not to do it?
Coming up with excuses is very easy to do.
And once you get used to making excuses, there won’t be enough reasons to try out something new.
So, start by letting go of all the excuses that are holding you back.
If you want to try something new, like start a business, travel, or buy a house, take all of the excuses out of it.
Come up with a realistic way to make it happen for yourself.
If it’s what you truly want with your heart and soul there should be NO reason why it can’t happen for you.
Even if it feels like the craziest idea in the world, get rid of the thoughts that trick you into believing it will never happen.
Everything is worth trying out, even if it doesn’t end up being what you wanted.
It’s much better to test the waters than to never try in the first place. So just do it!
”
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 5, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
It doesn’t help when other people tell you to “just be more positive” or to “stop thinking so much”.
Repressing your thoughts actually does more harm than good. Eventually that negativity will rise to the surface.
For the longest time, I struggled with this cycle myself. I remember deciding to make the word “positive” my new favorite word. Because I got called negative way too often.
It felt like a flaw I needed to fix ASAP. I wanted a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset.
I wanted to be the fun and relaxed one that everyone wanted to hang out with. Not the negative Nancy people only tolerated.
And yet even when I tried so hard to think positively, those negative thoughts crept in time and time again. Leaving me wondering if it was even possible to change my mindset for the better.
What I learned was wishing your problems away doesn’t work, and using affirmations to fake a happy mindset doesn’t last.
You have to put in the effort to have a better mindset.
I chose to make a complete lifestyle change, which consisted of online therapy, going on anti-depressants, and opening up to the people around me.
It also meant filtering out all the unnecessary things that were holding me back. Like the unsupportive people who told me to just be positive but never stuck around to help me through that.
It took me deciding to improve for myself, not for anyone else. And it wasn’t easy at first because my mind was so stubborn. I was set in my ways of being negative and complaining all the time.
Today, I want to share some of my tips on how to improve your mindset and reduce anxiety.
Challenge Your Negative Thoughts and Replace Them With Positive Ones
When your brain starts going down the spiral of negative thoughts, take a step back.
Think about what is causing you to feel bad at that very moment.
Saying “I feel anxious” or “I’m just stressed” isn’t enough to understand what’s actually going on.
It helps instead to dig deeper and identify why you feel anxious. Is it because you’re nervous about a presentation at work? Or being around large groups of people?
Once you identify the specific problem, think about the facts.
If you tend to be negative towards yourself and say things like “I’m not good enough to present to all these people.”, replace that thought with a fact. Like “I’m nervous to get in front of everyone but I’ve practiced enough times to know I will do a good job.”
This is how you can become neutral in your thinking.
You even out the bad thoughts with the good ones.
And this is a quick way to start to calm yourself down.
Think About What Makes You Happy
Do you know what sucks about having a negative mindset? It’s that most of the time, depression tags along with it.
So, seeing the good in things becomes very difficult.
Even the things you normally love don’t seem as important when you feel depressed.
Our anxious and depressed thoughts feed off of each other.
When you are feeling this way, you have to pull yourself out of it.
Even if you hate every second of it.
Think about the things that usually make you happy.
Like your dog or going to the park or watching a movie.
Do those things. But, don’t focus on the fact that they might not bring you the happiness you’re expecting.
These things will help you, and what’s most important is to keep doing those things, no matter how you feel.
Take care of your soul during these times. Don’t give up on the things that connect with your heart.
Eventually, your mind will catch up and remind you that you really do enjoy all of those things.
And they will start to make you feel happy again.
Stop Complaining
I am the queen of complaining.
It’s something I’ve had to work on for a while now. It’s hard.
Complaining is such an easy thing to do. It gives me something to talk about when I can’t think of anything else.
Try to be more conscious of the times when you hear yourself complaining about something happening in your life.
Complaining is giving complete power to the negative things that occur in your life.
Laugh More
I personally hate it when people say “smile more”.
When I’m in a shitty mood, the last thing I want to do is smile for no reason.
But, I have found that laughing at something instantly boosts my mood.
Look into funny YouTube videos, or watch a funny TV show that you know always makes you laugh.
Laughing stops you from taking everything so damn seriously.
It breaks down negative thoughts and allows you to feel good no matter what moment.
Smiling is a challenge for me. But, laughing at something that truly gets what I’m all about makes me feel not so alone in the world.
Find the Right People to Hang Out With
I say this often, negativity breeds negativity.
If your group of friends all sit around and talk crap about one another, they aren’t the best people to be around.
We are the average of the top 5 people we hang out with most.
Think about who you are around most often, including co-workers.
Then evaluate who you might need to reduce seeing to improve your mindset.
There isn’t really a point in being around someone who is constantly bringing you and everyone else down.
The ones who just can never see the good in anything.
Sometimes, venting about issues is ok. Like if you just need to talk to your best friend about a situation that happened that made you feel like crap.
You need that. To let it all out.
When it gets bad, it’s the majority of what you and the other people talk about.
Focus on the good things in life.
Do the stuff you love doing, with the people you love being around!
Don’t waste your time around people who just like to suck the life out of everything.
Stop Being so Hard on Yourself
Anxiety ruins self-confidence.
When you don’t think you’re capable of having a good life and overcoming these tough mental roadblocks, it’s impossible to keep a positive outlook on things.
If things don’t go exactly as you planned, who cares? It is not a reflection of who you are as a person.
Stop holding yourself to such high standards.
Trying to be perfect and always do the “right” thing will leave you feeling burnt-out and hyper-aware of everything.
It’s no way to live your life.
When it comes to improving yourself and your mindset, you have to learn how to forgive yourself.
Always be on your side, no matter what.
If you aren’t there right now, work on it. Make that your #1 priority.
We often beat ourselves up over things that are out of our control.
It’s not fair to you, and it ruins how you see yourself.
You can live a great life feeling as though you deserve it.
Relieved of the pressure to be a certain way or to do a certain thing.
So just let go. Go easy on yourself, and go after the things you want in life.
It’s the best way to have a fulfilling life and a healthy mindset.
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Mar 29, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Are you starting to burn out from how overwhelmed you feel?
Life is a lot to handle even when you’re in the right mindset. And if you’re struggling to keep a positive outlook on life then being overwhelmed can be the tipping point.
Whether it’s from trying to get good grades in school, do a good job at work, or just having enough energy to get by every day. Being overwhelmed can lead to a lot of other feelings, like anxiety and depression.
You start to easily get down on yourself for not accomplishing enough and it feels like everything around you is crumbling apart. And yet you’re overworking yourself and barely have enough time to get a good night’s sleep.
Something’s gotta give, right?
The good news is it’s possible to live a hectic life without feeling totally and completely overwhelmed. It just takes some focus and determination on your part.
Finding what really matters to you and letting all the other crap go. If you’re trying to do a million things at once and only care about a quarter of those things, you’ll easily become burnt-out.
It will even make you hate doing the things you actually enjoy doing. So, let’s talk about some ways you can stop feeling so overwhelmed starting right now.
What to do When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed & Anxious
1. Identify What You Do And Don’t Care About
This is what I like to call filtering out your life. Filtering allows you to be more in tune with yourself because you only do the stuff you actually care about and let all the other crap go.
As you look around at your life think about the things you love and want to make time for. Maybe that’s your family, your job, hobbies you enjoy, or being around your pets.
This is different for everyone so it’s important to clear out all the noise around you and truly identify what YOU want. Not what anyone else wants.
Then, go through and identify all the things you’re making time for right now that you actually really don’t enjoy.
Maybe that’s going to the gym, being around people who are really negative, or going to college just to please your parents.
If you’re doing a lot of stuff you hate doing, you will burn out. And it’s partly from your inner spark going out.
You aren’t listening to your own wants and needs enough.
2. Get Organized
Once you figure out the things you really like to do, then figure out how to add more of that into your life.
You get to create the life you want and it’s entirely in your hands. You don’t have to keep doing things you don’t enjoy.
And getting organized helps clear up all the thoughts going on in your head.
Use a planner or a calendar to sort out how you will start adding these things into your life.
What I like to do is write down a big list of all the things I want to do or have more of, and then I plug those into my planner. That way each week I know what to focus on.
And it’s a reminder of what’s really important. It will help keep you in check of doing the things you want to do and stop doing the things you don’t want.
3. Make Time for Peace & Quiet
Life is a hectic crazy mess. And a lot of the time we can’t control what is thrown at us.
What you can control is how you react to it. And trust me, if you’re walking around like a volcano about to erupt, you will not be able to control it when you finally explode.
Overwhelm will make you feel like you’re going crazy if you allow it to. If you allow life to keep throwing shit at you, you will eventually explode on whatever innocent bystander happens to be in your way. Whether that’s your boyfriend or someone who cuts you off in rush hour traffic.
To avoid getting to this point make time for peace and quiet. Make it your intention to unwind every single day. If work makes you stressed out, take time out of your day to be alone in your thoughts.
Shut the door to your bedroom, put on some calming music, and put your phone in the other room. Shut out all of the noise from the world. Shut out of all of your responsibilities and the things you need to get done.
Make time for yourself and make this a priority every single day. It might not feel like it will do anything, but trust me it does.
4. Try Out EFT Tapping
I’m not that into “just think positive and your problems will go away”. Because I’ve tried it enough times to realize it only makes me feel worse instead of better.
So, as I recommend EFT tapping don’t think I believe it’s the end all be all solution. I do believe it is a very helpful tool and a different form of meditation.
I personally can’t just sit down and be with my own thoughts, what helps is doing EFT tapping. And how it works is you tap certain pressure points around your body while saying affirmations.
I’ve linked a video below to better explain how it works. This can help you relieve a lot of built-up tension and anxiety.
Coming from someone who overthinks way too much, this is a tool I love to use on a daily basis to realign myself and it works.
5. Limit Your Options
If you have an Instagram account you know how easy it is to get sucked into the alternative world.
The beautiful photos can make it seem enticing to have a big house, toned abs, or more followers.
And if you set those things are your ultimate goals in life, you’ll constantly be hustling for more.
Seeking more external resources to make you happy.
When you can start with what you have right now.
Try to work on making your life simpler, not more complicated.
With a simple mindset change, you won’t have to feel like you constantly have to hustle your butt off to get all of these things.
Start with the things that bring you fulfillment, that don’t cost money or require a lot of effort.
A simple hike up in the mountains can bring you way more happiness than materialistic things.
When you limit your options, you get rid of all the unnecessary stress you’re causing yourself.
7. Create an Action List
Start taking action today.
Instead of thinking you have to live in this constant state of mind, you can choose to take action.
Set aside time every day to focus on your to-do list.
Keep taking action every day. Make it a point to focus on the most important things that mean the most to you.
Focus on reducing the things that don’t provide a whole lot of value to you.
If you hate your job, figure out a way to put a plan into action to find something better.
Taking action is the best way to get out of your overwhelmed state of mind and move on to better things.
So if you are feeling overwhelmed, try to work on reducing the things that are causing you stress. Some things are out of our control, and that’s what I’m trying to learn myself.
Learning how to control what you can and let go of what you can’t is tough! If you can ask yourself ‘Is this out of my control?’ and accept the answer, then you’re on the right path to making improvements.
Moving Forward
As you choose to do more of the things you want and enjoy doing, you won’t feel so overwhelmed.
Learning to set boundaries and stop doing the things you hate will keep you more aligned with your values and goals.
It all starts with you and how you choose to live your life.
“
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Mar 17, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Having a Hobby When You’re Feeling Anxious Can Do Wonders For Your Mental Health – With Benefits Experienced Almost Instantly…
Ready for a full list of hobbies that reduce anxiety and make you feel better?
If you were to believe everything social media and Main Stream Media told you – becoming ‘distracted’ is something that should be frowned upon.
The truth is there are two types of distraction. There are those that are unhealthy for our minds. And then those that can reduce and even eliminate that shaky feeling of uncertainty and fear.
One super-effective way I have found to reduce my anxiety is by engaging in a wide range of hobbies.
Think about it this way…
We’re often told we should exercise our bodies – you know, in a physical way. But we don’t hear anywhere near as much about exercising our minds.
And when we engage in hobbies – both physically and mentally, we can create the perfect conditions to reduce our anxiety.
And the best part? This can all be done with very little effort. It’s a win-win.
Hobbies that reduce our anxiety can help us feel more connected, increase our ‘fun-factor’, and improve our mental health both in the short AND long term.
Make sure you try at least one of these things the next time you’re feeling really anxious. I promise they can help bring you to a much calmer state of mind – sometimes in a mere matter of minutes.
13+ Hobbies That Will Reduce Anxiety and Make You Feel Better
When you struggle with anxiety you want as many helpful tools in your toolbox as you can get. This is why I put together this list of hobbies to try that reduce anxiety and make you feel better!
1. Practicing Mindfulness
Becoming more mindful allows you to feel less anxious and more in control of your surroundings. Mindfulness helps reduce intrusive thoughts and overwhelming negative feelings towards your life.
This is something I personally love to do.
Every day I set aside just 5 minutes to practice being mindful and have done this for the last year. My anxiety and depression have reduced tremendously and I actually feel way more in control of the thoughts I have.
I always recommend it to anyone who’s really struggling with anxiety. For some tips on this, download my free Mindfulness Activities book.
2. Hanging Out With Animals
I have 6 geckos, 2 cats and 2 dogs. Needless to say, I find being around animals helps my anxiety a lot. If you don’t have your own animals, you can volunteer at your nearest animal shelter.
Or go to a reptile sanctuary and examine all the exotic animals. Animals are fun because they love to cuddle and don’t talk back.
Who knows, maybe it’s time for you to adopt a new furry creature into your life. It could benefit your mental health in ways you don’t even know.
3. Meditation
The idea of meditation sounds nice but it’s kinda hard to get into. Setting aside time daily to do it ends up being a chore.
But, if you want to give it a shot then set an alarm on your phone. Use one of these many popular meditation apps:
As you can tell meditation just starts with 5 minutes a day. Taking that time to be more present in your mind will help you instantly feel better.
I actually look forward to my daily meditation sessions now because they allow me to take a break from all the craziness and be at peace. Which leaves long-lasting effects on my mental wellbeing.
4. Taking a hike
Another benefit to owning a dog is having a companion to go on hikes with.
Being out in nature gives you many mindset benefits. We need exposure to the sun on a daily basis. And nature provides a calming effect that helps center you.
The next time you’re feeling anxious look up a nearby hiking spot. Take some time for yourself and be in nature for the afternoon. Guaranteed you’ll feel much better!
5. Writing in a Journal
If you aren’t ready for meditation yet, journaling is a great alternative. Take a step back from your busy life, cozy up on your couch with a journal, and let all your thoughts out.
This is a great form of self-care and a natural remedy for anxiety. If you can get in the habit of getting your thoughts out on paper, your mind will quiet down.
Expressing your thoughts in any form shines a light on your personal struggles. When there is light, there is very little room for negativity to survive.
That’s why writing can be so helpful in the healing process.
6. Blogging
Having a creative outlet like a blog can be a wonderful hobby to reduce anxiety. But it can also be a very lucrative career.
Chelsea from HerPaperRoute earns over $20,000 per month as a blogger and work-from-home mom, and she teaches others how to start money-making blogs via her online blog school.
The awesome thing is you can start a blog about anything that interests you, and then monetize it with any product and brand partnerships that you love. Chelsea teaches clever marketing strategies and simplifies the tech stuff, so you can confidently grow your blog into a career even as a total newbie.
Go and take her free blogging class for beginners to learn how to start your own blog in 10 minutes, and then enroll in Be Your Own Blog Boss to learn how to develop it into a stone-cold business.
7. People Watching
Whether you have social anxiety or not, people watching can be a very fun hobby. Think of a busy place, like a mall park, or library, where you can discretely people-watch.
It’s peaceful to see how other people go about living their lives. There is a lot of relatability in people-watching. As long as you remove any judgment you have of other people.
And if you do struggle with social anxiety, this helps you see how other people are just like you. Everyone else cares about what others think of them and they make mistakes, too.
People-watching can be a humbling experience and can help relieve anxiety.
8. Gardening
Imagine going to the Home Depot gardening center on a nice, spring afternoon. Picking out your favorite types of flowers and the sweet smell of grass and soil all around you.
Even if you don’t buy anything, hanging out in the gardening center can help with your anxiety.
But, no matter where you live, you can create your own little garden if you like. That might mean starting with one or two succulents that are easy to maintain.
9. Doing a Puzzle
Puzzles and board games are a great and healthy distraction from anxiety. They help you focus on other things for a couple of hours.
And in a way, they can be so freaking peaceful. Cozy even.
And the cool thing about puzzles is you can start and stop them at any time. They can take as much time as you want them to.
See the top-rated puzzles on Amazon.
10. Yoga
Anyone can get into yoga and it’s actually much better for you than a lot of exercises.
You can reap the benefits of a healthy body by doing yoga a few times a week. Not only will your mind be less anxious, but your body will also become stronger over time.
Here a few yoga exercises you can do in your own living room.
11. Acting Like a Kid Again
Sometimes you just gotta let go of the serious adult and let your inner child play.
Do things you loved to do as a kid. If you have kids or nieces/nephews, make a playdate to go to Jumpstreet. Or go play some laser tag. Even a bike ride around the block will increase your fun levels.
Make sure you are allowing enough fun into your life. This is something we tend to forget when we’re so engulfed in being adults.
And sometimes acting like a kid can be exactly what you need to relieve anxiety.
12. DIYing Your Own Sugar Scrubs
You can get essential oils on Amazon or at your nearest Whole Foods.
Find your favorite ones that help relax you and create some DIY sugar scrubs.
This can make you feel like a kid and aromatherapy will naturally reduce your anxious thoughts.
Win-win!
13. Creating Music Playlists or Listening To A Podcast
Most people have Spotify or Apple Music nowadays (and if you don’t, I highly recommend Spotify). Put your membership to good use and spend an afternoon creating a playlist of all your favorite songs.
The ones you loved as a kid. The ones you listened to during a break-up or tough time in your life. Put all of your feel-good songs into one playlist so you can listen to them whenever you need to.
Or, put on one of these inspirational mental health Podcasts.
14. Knitting
There are a lot of places that offer free knitting classes, like your local Recreation Center.
And there are also plenty of online tutorials that will teach you how to knit.
If that has been something you’ve wanted to try, now is the perfect time to do it! Use this as a doctor’s note for your anxiety. This is your excuse to learn how to knit and you’ll reap the rewards of a calmer mind.
Related: Knitting Basics: Getting Started
13+ Hobbies That Reduce Anxiety And Make You Feel Better – Conclusion
At the moment when you have anxiety, it doesn’t seem like anything will help. But, taking action and just doing one of these hobbies will help.
They might not completely rid you of anxiety but they will help distract you and make you feel better.
This is so helpful, especially if you don’t have immediate access to a close friend or therapist to talk to. You can even chat or text with an online therapist at any time right here.
Hobbies are a great way to self-soothe your anxiety and make you feel a whole lot better.
