15 Unusual Ways to Boost Your Mental Health

Axe throwing – Book with a friend(s) to go axe throwing as it can be therapeutic. It puts your body through a physical workout that is also beneficial to your mental health. It can help relieve built-up anxiety and stress. Feel the tension quickly vanish as you hurl metal axes at wooden targets. Google your nearest axe-throwing venue.

Dancing and mental health – dancing is a known great way to improve your mood. It also helps to reduce stress levels. I know what you are thinking “am not a good dancer or am shy”. You don’t have to be a good dancer. Lock the room, put on some music, and try it. It’s impact on mental health might be positively surprising. Dancing is a known proper fun workout, it might surprise you how much fun it is.

Sing and mental health – When you sing, vibrations from singing move through the body altering your emotions. This then brings a calming effect that provides energy. It releases 2 types of hormones called endorphins and Oxytocin (secreted within the brain). Endorphins are associated with pleasure while oxytocin is known to alleviate anxiety and stress.

Pet therapy and mental health– Pets will encourage you to be active. Stroking or walking the pet are 2 healthy ways of managing stress. Stroking will calm you down and can lower blood pressure helping you feel less stressed. Pets can help alleviate loneliness and give you a routine that is beneficial in managing stress. If shy, pets also make great conversation starters and may help in making new friends.

Jumping on the bed – Try to have a connection with the playful part of yourself. This is how we access joy, and almost certain to lift our mood. Playfulness drives away anxiety and worry, increases freedom, and may make you friendlier. Several studies have shown playfulness’s importance to functioning and mental development.

Clean your room and mental health- it gives you that feeling of completion and achievement. Seeing a clean room will help lift your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. It will give you that good feeling about yourself. A dirty and untidy room on the other hand may make you stressed and feel overwhelmed.

Hold a sizeable stone – this is another grounding technique. Holding a stone in your hands or lap (or an object with personal meaning value) and feeling its weight will help you feel grounded. Make use of the 5 senses (smell, see touch, etc..) This is helpful in reconnecting us with our bodies especially when feeling overwhelmed. The goal is to bring your attention to the here and now instead of the past or current distress.

Wearing sexy clothes – This will make you feel good about yourself and boost your confidence and self-esteem, doesn’t matter even if no one sees it. Feeling confident is known to make us appear more attractive. This is so because we tend to display positive body language for example standing, walking, speak. It is also a kind of self-care.

Completing jigsaw puzzles and mental health– puzzles or board games are reported as a great of boost cognitive functioning. It tests your problem-solving skills and concentration. Look at it as a good mental workout because we make use of our visuospatial skills.

Watch birds/nature – studies have associated this with lower levels of depression, anxiety & stress. Watching nature lessens stress, promotes healing, and improves mood.

Talk to yourself – this also involves thinking things through quietly, without speaking out loud. talking out loud helps to slow down our thoughts to process them differently. This is because in so doing we engage the language regions of our brain. We become more deliberate which makes us think, feel, and act slower which alleviates being overwhelmed by our thoughts.

Swearing and mental health – This may not be for you; however, many people have felt better after swearing, and studies have associated it with improving mental health. Whether in public or on your own, the occasional F-word taps into the emotional part of your brain. This promotes the release of those emotions you might have bottled up. It helps with anger issues as well.

Screaming – if swearing is not your thing, then try screaming it works too.

Eat something Crunchy – When stressed or angry,tension builds up in our jaws and facial muscles. This often causes us to grind our teeth which may lead to pain in the jaws. To ease this tension, eat something crunchy for example nuts, snacks, or an apple. Chewing offers physical relief. The rhythmic sound from the motion of chewing will soothe you into a calmer state of mind.

Smashing bottles/glass – this should be done with caution and in a safe environment due to the risk of physical injury. It may involve cups, glasses, plates, bottles, computers, etc. The mental health benefit of smashing is that it is an alternative way to vent anger and rid of rage. It also gives you an increased sense of self-empowerment and excitement. That’s because you just did something you’ve been told you “Cannot do”