You’re here! That means it’s Monday, or it’s feeling like one. Don’t worry — Greatist has your back. Subscribe to our newsletter for direct access to Mondays with Minaa, a mental health column by our resident self-care expert, Minaa.
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Hi and Happy Monday!
I hope you’ve been able to find ways to foster your mental health lately. The good thing is that you don’t always have to make big life changes to do so — it might come down to just resetting a few of your habits. That’s what we’re focusing on this week.
We all have habits — daily rituals that help us navigate and cope through the many facets of life. We can quickly get used to them, but after too long, some habits can grow sour and start feeling like burdens.
Taking a step back to do a personal habit check — cutting the ones that don’t help and resetting the ones that do — can go a long way toward improving mental health.
Here are two habit resets to consider:
- If you have a habit of saying “yes” to everything, try mixing in a “no” sometimes. Setting boundaries is vital for your mental health and well-being. Doing so can help you preserve energy and determine how to best use it to be productive. Start setting boundaries this week by off-loading some things that aren’t priorities but have been creating too much weight.
- If you have a habit of being a perfectionist, practice some self-compassion. Nobody’s perfect, and forcing yourself to be can become a form of self-oppression. Consider ways you can honor your imperfections this week by being spontaneous and adjusting some of the standards you’ve set in your life. Breaking a few rules and giving yourself some grace when following other rules will ultimately help you feel more empowered.
As you work on resetting habits, remember to pace yourself and give it time. You can make as many adjustments as you need. Tune back in next week as I share more tips on how to honor each step of your mental health journey.
With love,
Minaa