5 Daily Habits for Mental Clarity and Emotional Balance by Miranda Spears.

(image: Roxana Zerni, Unsplash)

You need daily habits in your life for mental clarity; these daily habits are often vital for wellbeing. Sometimes your mental health might take a dip, you might feel drained, depressed or feeling like you are left behind and cannot keep up. Here are some daily habits that can help to boost your mental health:

Practice Morning Mindfulness

Mindfulness can include simple tasks such as starting off the day on a positive note and setting good intentions by writing or speaking affirmations or engaging in prayer. Every day after you get up, you should make your bed as this is a small exercise that will only take two minutes of your day and prepare for a good day. As soon as you get up, do some simple, mindful stretches like swinging your arms in circles or doing the cobra pose to prepare your body for a focused day quickly. 

Move Your Body

You should move your body and avoid sitting in one place, as moving around ensures that blood flows to your brain better and faster, providing it with oxygen, and activities like taking a stroll, especially early morning strolls when the weather is nice and there is calm in the air, are also good for you. You can breathe in fresh air and it makes you look at things from a new perspective. So, take morning or lunchtime walks so you may be prepared for the day. You can also do activities like yoga which boosts mindfulness and helps you get mental clarity. It can also calm your mood, and you can also do cardio workouts like cycling and running to give your brain the pump of blood it needs and help you think more clearly and better. 

Fuel Your Brain 

If you want your brain to think clearly, you must provide it with the right type of nutrients, too. You should make a list of foods that are good for your mental health and incorporate them into your daily routine. You can have fruits and vegetables, healthy carbs and proteins as your brain cells need nourishment to think better, too! You should also drink water and get yourself hydrated, as water makes your blood move around the body faster, wakes up your brain, and increases brain function. Also, you can take supplements like chlorella, a high protein plant. Some chlorella benefits include detoxification and improved focus, which are good for mental clarity.

Journalling for Emotional Release

There are some activities, like journalling, that you can do at the end of the day to let go of any stress that your body has. You can write about the things that went wrong in the day and what went well. Take your time to reflect on things so you do not end up overthinking things and overstimulating your brain. You should have a journal by your bed so if you feel like some unprocessed thoughts are coming to you, you can vent them out in your journal, which should help your mental health. 

Sleep Better

Establish a bedtime routine for yourself that is unique to you so that you can look forward to it every night, and it helps you sleep better. You can read a book, lower the brightness of the lights in your room, and have decaffeinated tea or water. You should also avoid screens before going to bed, the LED light is not good for your eyes and does not let you sleep well. The use of screens has proven to have a strong link with less sleep time and delayed sleep. 

Daily activities for your mental health require you to be consistent and true to yourself if you really want to see the results.. So, start with something small like making your bed and practicing mindfulness and then keep on adding some activities to your routine so by the end of a few days, you meet with a better, improved version of yourself, one with a clear mind and better health.

This blog was written by Miranda Spears.

Author Of ‘Sophie Says’ Ground-Breaking Children’s Book Series, Esther Marshall, Launches ‘Feelings And Affirmations Cards’ Encouraging Children To Communicate Their Feelings.

(image: Sophie Says)

I have followed Esther Marshall’s journey for a while as a children’s author, speaker and mental health advocate for the next generation. On World Mental Health Day, Esther released a surprise and wonderful new product- Feelings and Affirmation cards to help children to communicate their feelings and emotions (and understand them).

420,000 children and young people in England are treated for mental health problems every month. Mum of three and author of the Sophie Says children’s book series is on a mission to make a positive impact on the world specifically for the next generation. The empowering children’s book series ensure critically important lessons in self-belief, mental health and gender equality are shown in an authentic and fun way.

Sophie Says Feelings and Affirmations Cards have been made specifically to help a parent or carer and child talk about their feelings together in a fun way through the much-loved Sophie Says characters.  Affirmations and feelings cards are a proven tool for developing positive thinking, The Sophie Says affirmations cards have been designed to make exploring feelings a fun and interactive experience for children, parents, and carers, to empower self-belief and to help children believe they can achieve their dreams.

(image: Sophie Says)

Esther began her writing career with her debut book Sophie Says “I Can, I Will”, she wrote this during night feeds with her firstborn son as she wanted to teach him that girls were just as strong and powerful as boys, that people from different backgrounds to him could teach him things and he should listen and be kind to everyone.

The second book Sophie Says It’s Okay Not To Be Okay was written in memory of Esther’s younger sister Rebecca, who tragically took her life after her battle with mental illness at the all too young age of 28. The passion and driving force behind Sophie Says is to keep Rebecca’s legacy alive, teach young children about the importance of mental health, and talk about their feelings from a young age. The Sophie Says series now includes three books ‘I Can, I Will’, ‘It’s Okay Not To Be Okay’, and ‘Be Proud Of Who You Are’.

Esther Marshall says: “My mission is to help create a world where all children grow up feeling equipped and empowered to face their futures. Our new Sophie Says affirmations cards will help parents and carers communicate with their children and encourage them to express their feelings from an early age to help children, avoid harmful stereotypes before they set in.”

I love these cards and can’t wait to use them too!

To explore the new cards and full Sophie Says range visit www.sophiesaysofficial.com

This is not an ad or paid, I loved the cards and chose to review them.

On Developing Positivity and Hope: A Self Development Journey

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(image: motivation grid)

Its a brand new week. I have of late been struggling with anxiety attacks again (when I go to sleep sometimes the feared situation pops up in my mind and stops me from doing what I want to do) so I am taking time to heal myself and be more positive. I want to find hope and live a more positive life so I can live the life I want to live.

This prompted me to start my friend Holly Matthews 21 Day Happy Me Project. This blog is not an advert for it, but the course is something I am doing for me, using positive affirmations and thinking, the law of attraction and goal setting to find techniques to live a happier, healthier life. So, I have printed off my work book, listened to the first webinar and audio and aim to set a few mini goals and start work. Also, Holly is awesome and a big inspiration to me!

My anxiety disorder is  a struggle- I still can’t seem to get it under control, its like taming a beast. However I hope that through finding a more positive mindset and talking out my feelings in therapy (separate to this project) that I will start to feel better again.

I am working on self development at the moment, however long it takes but must remember to be kind to myself and keep going through the storms.