You can be doing “all the right things” and still feel anxious, flat, or exhausted. That doesn’t mean you’re failing—it usually means your nervous system is working overtime, and your life needs steadier support than willpower can provide.

Mental wellness isn’t a personality trait or a perfect morning routine. It’s a set of skills, supports, and daily choices that make it easier to handle stress, recover from setbacks, and stay connected to yourself and other people. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, the goal isn’t to force yourself into constant positivity. The goal is to make your days more workable, one small decision at a time.

Best practices for mental wellness (the sustainable kind)

The best practices for mental wellness are the ones you can repeat on your hardest days. They aren’t about optimizing every hour; they’re about building a baseline that protects your mood and helps you notice when you’re sliding.

Think of mental wellness like a three-legged stool: your body, your mind, and your connections. If one leg is shaky, the whole thing wobbles. When you support all three—even in small ways—you create stability that shows up in calmer mornings, fewer spirals, and a little more room to breathe.

1) Start with “minimum viable” routines

When anxiety is high or depression is heavy, big plans can backfire. An ambitious routine that’s perfect on Monday can turn into shame by Thursday.

Instead, aim for a minimum that counts as success even on rough days: get out of bed, drink water, eat something with protein, step outside for a minute, and do one small task. If that’s all you do, you still practiced mental wellness.

As you have more capacity, you can build up from there. The point is to create habits that don’t disappear the moment life gets hard.

2) Regulate your nervous system before you problem-solve

A lot of us try to think our way out of distress. But when your body is in fight-or-flight (or shutdown), logic doesn’t land the same way.

Try a short regulation practice first—something physical and simple. Slow your breathing (longer exhale than inhale), unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders, or place your feet flat and feel the ground. Even 60 seconds can change what’s possible next.

Trade-off: regulation won’t solve the root issue by itself. But it gives you enough steadiness to choose your next step instead of being dragged by the wave.

3) Make sleep support your mental health, not the other way around

Sleep is one of the most powerful mood stabilizers we have, and it’s also the first thing anxiety and depression disrupt.

If you’re struggling, stop treating sleep like a test you can fail. Focus on making it easier for your brain to power down: keep a consistent wake-up time most days, dim lights in the hour before bed, and reduce “alerting” inputs (news, heated conversations, intense scrolling). If racing thoughts hit, keep a notebook nearby and write a quick “tomorrow list” to let your brain release it.

It depends: if insomnia is persistent, severe, or paired with panic, nightmares, or trauma symptoms, extra support may be needed. You’re not “bad at sleep.” Your system may be on guard.

4) Eat for steadier energy (not perfection)

Mood and blood sugar are connected. Skipping meals can mimic anxiety symptoms: shakiness, irritability, brain fog, and a sense that something is “wrong.”

A steady approach is more helpful than a strict one. Try to eat within a couple hours of waking, include protein or healthy fats with carbs, and keep an easy backup option available (yogurt, nuts, a sandwich, soup). This isn’t about diet culture—it’s about giving your brain predictable fuel.

If appetite is low with depression, start tiny: a banana, a smoothie, toast with peanut butter. Eating “something” is often the first win.

5) Move your body in a way your mind can tolerate

Exercise can help anxiety and depression, but the best form is the one you’ll actually do. For some people, high-intensity workouts feel empowering. For others, they spike anxiety.

Think in terms of “dose” and “fit.” A ten-minute walk, gentle stretching, dancing in your kitchen, or a few bodyweight movements can shift your state without requiring a huge mental push.

If motivation is your barrier, attach movement to something you already do: walk while you’re on a call, stretch after brushing your teeth, or do two minutes of movement before a shower. Small counts.

6) Practice thoughts skills, not thought control

You can’t always control what your mind throws at you. You can learn how to relate to it differently.

A practical mental wellness skill is labeling: “I’m having the thought that…” or “My anxiety is telling me…” This creates distance without denying your feelings. Another helpful skill is reality-checking gently: “What do I know for sure right now?” and “What’s one other possible explanation?”

Avoid the trap of arguing with your mind for an hour. If you’re stuck, shift from thinking to doing: drink water, step outside, text a friend, take a shower, or do one small task. Action often softens the thought loop.

7) Use boundaries as mental health equipment

Boundaries aren’t about being cold; they’re about protecting your capacity.

If you notice that certain people, apps, or obligations consistently spike your symptoms, you’re allowed to adjust access. That might look like limiting late-night texting, turning off notifications, shortening visits, or saying yes with conditions (“I can help for 20 minutes, not two hours”).

Trade-off: boundaries can feel uncomfortable at first, especially if you’re used to people-pleasing. The discomfort doesn’t mean the boundary is wrong—it often means it’s new.

8) Build connection that doesn’t require a “good mood”

Anxiety and depression both isolate. They whisper that you’re a burden, that you should wait until you feel better, that other people won’t understand.

Connection doesn’t have to be deep, long, or emotional to count. Send a simple message: “Thinking of you.” Sit in a shared space like a library or coffee shop. Join a community activity where the focus isn’t your feelings—walking groups, volunteering, a class.

If you want a low-pressure place to start with supportive, accessible resources, you can also explore what we offer at Fitness Hacks For Life.

9) Replace “motivation” with friction and flow

When mental health is hard, motivation is unreliable. Design your environment to make helpful choices easier and unhelpful choices harder.

Put your water bottle where you’ll see it. Keep a comforting playlist ready. Store meds or vitamins next to something you use daily (if you take them and it’s safe to do so). Move doom-scrolling apps off your home screen. Prep tomorrow’s clothes so mornings ask less of you.

This isn’t about discipline. It’s about reducing the number of decisions your tired brain has to make.

10) Track patterns without turning life into homework

Self-awareness is powerful, but tracking can become obsessive if you’re prone to anxiety.

Keep it simple: once a day, rate your mood and energy from 1–10 and note one factor (sleep, food, conflict, movement, hormones, workload). Over time, patterns appear. You’ll learn what helps and what reliably drains you.

If tracking starts to make you more anxious, scale it back. Awareness should create options, not pressure.

When “self-help” should become “extra help”

Best practices for mental wellness can make a real difference, but they aren’t a substitute for professional care when symptoms are severe.

Consider reaching out for clinical support if you’re unable to function at work or home, if panic attacks are frequent, if substance use is rising, if you’re not sleeping for days at a time, or if you’re having thoughts of self-harm. If you’re in immediate danger or feel like you might act on those thoughts, call 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US) or 911.

Asking for help is a mental wellness practice too. It’s a way of choosing your future self.

A realistic way to start this week

Pick two practices: one that supports your body (sleep, food, movement) and one that supports your mind or connections (breathing, boundaries, reaching out). Make them so small they feel almost silly. Then repeat them for seven days.

You’re not trying to become a new person. You’re giving your nervous system consistent evidence that you’re safe enough to keep going—and that you’re worth caring for, even on the days when you don’t feel like you are.