Mental Fitness: 5 Daily Habits to Boost Your Mood and Energy Through Fitness
Working out has immediate and long-term benefits on your mind as well as your body. Getting your blood moving can clear your mind in the midst of a foggy afternoon. Short workouts can alleviate stressful and aggressive feelings throughout the week. In the long run, all of these small efforts contribute to mental fitness. This is similar to physical fitness in the sense that building mental fitness takes simple daily efforts. The World Health Organization states that performing physical activities regularly can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
It’s a common myth that you need a gym membership or have extra time during the day to incorporate fitness into your schedule, but that’s not the case. These five daily habits, grouped into practical steps, can help lift your mood and increase your energy for the rest of the week.
Habit 1: Start Your Morning with Movement
You don’t need to do an intense workout. Ten minutes is enough. Try a couple rounds of bodyweight squats, some countertop push-ups, a quick stretch, or a short mobility flow. Movement helps with grogginess, and coffee can’t fix everything.
It also has psychological benefits. Doing a quick workout in the morning gives you an early win. It gives you that “I already did something good for myself today” mindset that can influence your choices later, for example what you eat, how you respond to an upsetting email, etc.
Make it stick: Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Keep your routine short; consistency is key at this point.
Habit 2: Take a Daily Walk in Natural Light
Walking is an easy, low-risk, free mood booster. It offers the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, getting outside, and the encouragement of daylight.
Walking outdoors early gives your body exposure to natural light and helps bring your inner clock back in line. Having your inner clock out of whack makes you feel physically drained, depressed, and irritable.
Strive for 20 to 30 minutes. Any activity counts. Take a lap around the block at lunch. Make phone calls while walking to the store instead of driving. Park farther away and take the stairs. If you work a desk job, set an hourly reminder to get up and walk around for a minute.
Don’t always wear headphones. Taking a walk without distracting yourself gives your mind a chance to catch up and process. Many people miss this opportunity to clear their mind, and it can help relieve stress.
Habit 3: Add Strength Training to Your Week (and Your Day)
Many people think of bodybuilding when they think of strength training. In actuality, using your body weight to do exercises such as push-ups or planks builds body and mental strength just the same as using weights. Lifting weights or using bands is a measurable way to challenge yourself and see progress. This can build confidence and a sense of control, which can help relieve stress if other aspects of your life feel chaotic.
You don’t need to train every day to establish this as a daily habit. Think of it as a decision to do something strong each day. On your training days, do a quick full-body circuit. Each circuit should consist of a lower body move (i.e. squats), upper body move (i.e. rows or presses), and a core move (i.e. dead bugs or planks). On your off days, do five minutes of very light work (i.e. wall sits or glute bridges).
For beginners, a realistic goal is to strength train two to three times a week, as long as you maintain the daily efforts. Starting with a weight that challenges you but allows for proper form is essential. Use good form to protect your joints and ensure you continue to train.
From all of us at Phoenix Fire Fitness: habits like these stick best when the equipment is already at home — a set of resistance bands, a pair of adjustable dumbbells, or a treadmill that’s kept in good working order removes the friction on the days motivation runs low. If you’re setting up a small home gym, or your current equipment needs servicing or repair, we can help.
Habit 4: Wind Down With Breathwork
Recovery is when the benefits of exercise truly set in. Without adequate recovery, the best workouts will leave you drained.
Practice controlled breathing. Controlled breathing can be done at the end of a workout or to combat the effects of a stressful day. Spending three to five minutes controlling your breath helps your mind and body re-center and recover. A technique to help shift your nervous system out of “fight or flight” is to inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale for six to eight counts. You can also incorporate light stretching to help ease your mind and body before bed.
Habit 5: Protect Your Sleep
Sleep helps repair and recover your muscles, and processes your emotions and experiences from the day. Sleep is very important and helps you avoid lots of problems. Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. However, you need to make sure that you space your workouts out. Intense workouts should be done at least a few hours before your bedtime.
Create a simple bedtime routine that helps you get ready for bed and signals to your body that it’s time to go to bed. Your routine should include dimming the lights and putting the screens away about 30 minutes before bed, and making your bedtime consistent.
Knowing When to Ask for More Support
Exercise is very effective and powerful, but it is not a substitute for getting professional help. Talking to a qualified professional is not a substitute for exercise, but they work great in tandem. If you are feeling extremely exhausted or depressed and feel like you can’t function and take care of yourself, talk to a professional. It can be difficult to make the first appointment, but talking to a virtual psychiatrist at Mind Align Psychiatry can make the first step easier.
Conclusion: Small Habits, Big Shifts
Mental fitness is not about perfection. It is about showing up in small ways consistently. In the morning, move your body. Walk in the daylight, and build strength. Breathe slowly, and protect your sleep. The habits are simple, but they all help each other.
You do not need to acquire them all at once. In fact, you will probably be more successful if you do not. Find the most approachable habit, and do it every day for a week. Then add the next habit. By the end of a month, you may feel steadier and more focused, and even have more energy.
Guest post contributed by Mind Align Psychiatry. This article is general information only and is not medical advice; if you’re struggling, please reach out to a qualified health professional.