Daily mental wellness habits are the only reason I didn’t yeet my laptop out the window last Tuesday. Like, legit—I woke up at 6:47am to the sound of my upstairs neighbor doing what I swear is Riverdance in clogs, my mouth tasting like I licked an ashtray, and my brain already composing a 47-point anxiety syllabus about a work email I hadn’t even opened yet. But here’s the thing: I’ve got this dumb little routine now, these daily mental wellness habits that feel less like Instagram self-care and more like damage control, and somehow? They work. Most days.
Why My Daily Mental Wellness Habits Look Nothing Like Pinterest
I tried the 5am club thing once. Woke up, chugged water, did yoga, journaled affirmations—by day 3 I was stress-eating cold pizza at 2pm and crying because my downward dog looked like a drunk giraffe. So yeah, my daily mental wellness habits are built for humans who forget to drink water until their pee looks like iced tea.
The “I Swear I’m Not Ignoring You” Phone Rule
First thing—before I even pee—I grab my phone and… turn it face-down for 20 minutes. Revolutionary, I know. But seriously, the dopamine gremlins in my brain start breakdancing the second I see a Slack ping, so this is non-negotiable. I stumble to the kitchen, splash water on my face that’s cold enough to make me yelp (free micro-dose of alertness), and do the world’s laziest body scan:
- Wiggle toes (are they still attached? cool)
- Roll shoulders (why do they sound like bubble wrap?)
- Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6 while staring at the dead basil plant I keep forgetting to water
It’s not meditation. It’s just… checking in with the meat suit before the world logs on.
Daily Mental Wellness Habits That Involve Actual Moving (Sorry)
Look, I’m not about to tell you to run 5 miles. My version of movement is pacing my 400-square-foot apartment like a caged raccoon while listening to true crime podcasts. But here’s what actually sticks:
- The 7-Minute Hate-Dance – I set a timer, blast whatever song is currently rotting my brain (right now it’s that hyperpop remix of “Careless Whisper”), and flail. No rhythm. No audience. Just exorcising the 3am doom spiral through interpretive dance.
- Balcony Air Gulps – I step onto my tiny fire escape (don’t tell my landlord) and do the dramatic movie inhale. Chicago wind smells like hot dogs and regret, but it’s air, and my lungs remember they exist.
Feeding the Brain Gremlins (aka Daily Mental Wellness Habits for Hunger)
I used to think breakfast was for people with their lives together. Then I realized my 10am meltdowns had a direct correlation to blood sugar crashes. Now I keep a “sadness prevention kit” in my fridge:
- Greek yogurt + frozen berries + a reckless amount of cinnamon
- Or, on bad days, just a spoon and the peanut butter jar (no judgment)
Pro tip: Eat it before opening Twitter. Your nervous system will thank you.
The Midday Mental Wellness Habits That Save My Afternoon
By 2pm, my brain is a browser with 47 tabs open and 46 of them are “loading.” My go-to daily mental wellness habits for this hellscape:
- The Bathroom Stall Reset – Lock myself in the work restroom, set a 2-minute timer, and do alternate nostril breathing while pretending I’m not hiding from Steve in accounting.
- Texture Grounding – I keep a weirdly specific object in my pocket: a smooth worry stone I found in a Utah gas station. When my thoughts start NASCAR-ing, I rub it like I’m summoning a genie. Works 60% of the time, every time.
Evening Daily Mental Wellness Habits (Because Night Me Hates Morning Me)
I used to doomscroll until my eyes burned, then wonder why I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a regret truck. Now? Hard stop at 9:30pm. My wind-down routine is sacred and slightly unhinged:
The “Brain Dump of Doom”
I scribble everything swirling in my skull onto a piece of printer paper—grocery lists, existential dread, that weird dream about my teeth falling out. Then I crumple it and yeet it into a shoebox labeled “Tomorrow Me’s Problem.”
Blue Light Bankruptcy
I bought these $12 orange goggles that make me look like a discount cyberpunk. Do they work? Maybe. Do I feel like a badass scientist? Absolutely.
The Daily Mental Wellness Habits I Still Suck At (Transparency Hours)
- Drinking water (I set reminders that say “HYDRATE OR DIEDRATE” and still ignore them)
- Consistent sleep (last night I stayed up watching TikToks about abandoned malls—send help)
- Saying no to plans that will wreck me (looking at you, Sarah’s “quick” happy hour)
But here’s the plot twist: progress isn’t linear. Some days my daily mental wellness habits are pristine. Other days I’m stress-eating gas station taquitos at midnight while googling “is it normal to hear colors?” And that’s… okay?
Wrapping This Ramble Up (Conclusion, Kinda)
Anyway. If you’re still here, congrats—you’ve survived my brain dump. These daily mental wellness habits aren’t magic. They’re just tiny rebellions against the chaos. Start with one. The dumbest one. The one that makes you roll your eyes. Mine was rubbing a stupid rock in my pocket, and now I’m (mostly) not crying in Target anymore.
Your turn: what’s one daily mental wellness habit you’re gonna steal from this mess? Drop it in the comments, or don’t—I’m not your mom. But if you’re in Chicago and see a woman in orange goggles doing the Macarena on her balcony at 7am… wave. That’s probably me.
P.S. If you want more unhinged mental health realness, subscribe to my newsletter where I send weekly voice memos of me ranting about therapy while walking my neighbor’s dog. No filter. Lots of swearing.
References for the skeptics:
- American Psychological Association on daily mindfulness
- CDC’s guide to mental health routines
- This study on movement snacks and mood*
(Note: I devolved into chaos around paragraph 7, forgot to number my lists correctly, and definitely misspelled “nostril” earlier. You’re welcome.)
