Taking care of your mental health may seem like a difficult task, but in practice, it can start with small daily adjustments. Behavioral changes, if done consistently, help reduce stress, organize emotions, and facilitate routine.
The biggest challenge is usually identifying what really works and how to fit into that care without increasing the feeling of pressure. Experts consulted by Metropolises has listed the five best habits to strengthen mental health. Check it out:
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1 – Validate your own emotions
Acknowledging how you feel, instead of ignoring or minimizing it, reduces the tension built up throughout the day. By admitting that going through a particular situation has been really difficult, the body comes out of the alert state and thoughts become organized.
Psychologist Veruska Vasconcelos, from Alvorada Moema Hospital, in São Paulo, explains that this emotional honesty works as an “internal relief”, which prevents stress from increasing.
“A lot of suffering comes from the habit of ignoring what we feel. Therefore, validation is a habit that changes the way the mind organizes itself. When a person learns to say internally: ‘this makes sense, this is really difficult,’ it reduces half of the emotional overload,” points out Veruska.
Validating emotions also avoids having to resolve everything immediately. Often this attempt to “fix” something too quickly increases anxiety. First understanding what’s going on – whether it’s irritation, sadness, fatigue or frustration – helps create clarity and then act calmly and less impulsively.
2 – Have an organized routine
Having an organized routine does not mean following everything to the letter, but rather making everyday life easier. When basic tasks – like waking up, eating, studying or cleaning – are already planned, the brain doesn’t need to spend energy deciding everything at all times. This reduces mental fatigue and leaves the possibility of facing unforeseen events more calmly.
People with good emotional stability tend to rely less on motivation and more on small, repeating habits. Once you have the basics in order, life becomes less chaotic and the feeling that everything is urgent diminishes.
A predictable routine helps the body and mind maintain balance throughout the day.
3 – Benefit from quality sleep
Sleeping well is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your emotions balanced. During the night, the brain organizes memories, calms stress-related areas and adjusts mood. Therefore, sleeping little or poorly makes everything more difficult.
“Poor sleep unbalances mood, increases irritability, impulsivity, anxiety, alters serotonin and dopamine. Sleep is the conductor of the emotional orchestra, and yet it is what we leave most for later,” explains psychiatrist Pedro Leopoldo, from Brasilia.
Creating a simple ritual before bed helps your body settle into the rhythm of rest. Dimming the light, avoiding screens, and opting for something calm, like reading or a few minutes of slow breathing, makes this whole process easier. This preparation reduces repetitive thoughts and improves sleep quality, leaving the mind more stable the next morning.
4 – Take care of your body
Mental health also depends on basic physical habits. Eating balanced meals keeps your energy stable, prevents sudden mood swings, and improves mental clarity. With long periods of fasting or very irregular and restrictive diets, the body activates stress mechanisms that affect emotional well-being.
Additionally, moving your body regularly – walking, stretching, light or moderate intensity training – helps release substances that improve mood and reduce muscle tension. A great performance is not necessary because, in this case, consistency counts more than intensity.
5 – Cultivate good relationships
Living with people you can be yourself with makes a difference to your mental health. Relationships in which conversation occurs without fear of judgment reduce tension and provide a feeling of security. By having this natural space, the body relaxes and the mind is less overwhelmed.
Such connections also reduce the feeling of having to “perform” all the time, which tends to increase anxiety and fatigue. In environments where a person does not need to measure every word or maintain rigid roles, the brain functions more calmly and copes better with life’s challenges.
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