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3. Track Your Physical Health Habits

Physical and mental health are closely connected, so tracking physical habits like sleep, exercise, and nutrition can offer significant insights into your mental well-being. When you’re physically healthy, your mood and cognitive function often improve. Conversely, a lack of sleep or poor nutrition can negatively affect your mental health.

How to do it:

• Keep a log of how many hours you sleep each night and track the quality of your sleep.
• Record your physical activity, noting how often you exercise and how you feel afterward.
• Monitor your eating habits and whether your diet includes the nutrients that support your mental health (such as omega-3s, vitamins, and minerals).
• Many people benefit from using a smart watch and other devices. They can count steps, monitor your pulse, track sleep among other things.

Why it works: Regularly tracking your physical health habits can highlight any areas where improvements are needed, which can then boost your mental health. For example, tracking sleep might help you notice that lack of rest correlates with mood swings or anxiety.

I use an elliptical, three to four times per week. I like to use it when I first wake up in the morning. This helps me to wake up, be more alert and get my blood flowing. It is not a rigorous workout by any means. Even just a few minutes stimulates the endorphins and gives me focus. My muscles respond better to the days demands on my physical body. My mental state is more clear and I find myself being more sharp and attentive.