Have you ever engaged in an activity that left you feeling like a calm, flowing river? Or doing something that felt like a cold breeze on a warm summer evening? Maybe it was not calming, but rather something that fueled you with enough energy to carry out the rest of your week efficiently!

Witnessing such significant changes really gives us a clear idea of what we can inculcate in our daily/weekly routines or lives to work towards our mental wellbeing. 

But, what is mental wellbeing? 

Mental wellbeing is the state of having the ability to cope with the difficulties of life, maintain healthy relationships, work efficiently, contribute to the community, and have a sense of satisfaction and pleasure within the mind. It is focused on the development and growth of our strengths.

So, how do we achieve it? 

Here are a few steps that can help you create a mental wellness routine to nurture your mental wellbeing:

• - Note down your strengths & weaknesses

What are you good at? What do you usually struggle with? What are the areas in which you think you need improvement? What do you think you need to avoid in order to have a better quality of life? 

These are some questions you would want to answer in order to know yourself better, having a thorough assessment of your strengths and weaknesses provides a clearer idea of what you might need to make yourself feel better! We also recommend doing a personal SWOT analysis to have more organised answers!

• - What makes you feel present in the moment?

We all have some kind of activity that makes us forget about our past or future. This helps us ground ourselves in the moment and truly dedicate all of our energy to it. It is important to choose something that aligns with your area of interest. 

It can be meditating, painting, listening to a podcast, exercising, going on a walk, talking to a loved one, writing about your day in a diary, or even admiring nature or a piece of art! Taking part in such activities soothes our mind and brings a sense of stillness and calm.

• - Avoiding anything which feels forced or doesn’t align with your lifestyle.

There are general notions of what we "should" consider as activities that cater to mental wellbeing. However, mental wellbeing can be subjective. For example, you may not enjoy reading a book but feel exceptionally well listening to a podcast about it, or you might think exercising requires too much movement to feel stress-free but feel extremely calm during meditation, etc. Hence, it is important that you choose something that aligns with your area of interest and lifestyle. So, remember to work towards your mental wellbeing to have a better quality of life!