Eight healthy habits to improve mental health

When you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, improving your mental health can feel like a big task. The truth is, small, intentional habits practiced every day can have a lasting, positive impact. Daily habits like taking a few mindful breaths, moving your body, or turning off your phone before bed help build a stable emotional foundation.

By starting small and staying consistent, these mental health tips can help you manage stress, boost your mood, and respond to life’s challenges with greater ease. Think of each one as a simple commitment to yourself — a way to care for your mind and body every day.

Practicing mindfulness to start your day helps regulate mood, reduce stress, and boost resilience. Just 5–10 minutes of intentional breathwork, reflection, or presence is a healthy habit for your mental health. The effects are immediate and long-lasting, as you’re setting an intention for peace and strength that will support you all day long.

TIP: Use Headspace’s Wake Up content, morning meditations, or short mindfulness sessions.

Therapy is a tool anyone can benefit from. It’s not just for moments of crisis or after you’ve experienced a trauma. Seeking mental health support is a sign of strength, not a weakness or something to be ashamed of. Whether you’re navigating feelings of anxiety or depression, a major life transition or challenge, or you want someone to talk to, the therapy process can have a genuine impact on your life.

TIP: Headspace’s online therapy is accessible, convenient, and stigma-free.

Sleep isn’t just a time to rest and relax. It’s time your body uses to repair your brain and heal your emotions. Maintaining sleep-positive habits can significantly improve the quality of sleep you get each night. Prioritize a regular bedtime, a screen-free wind-down, a cool room, a peaceful sleep environment, and waking up at the same time every day.

There is no one rule that works for everyone when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. Practice until you find what helps you feel the most rested in the morning.

TIP: Headspace’s sleepcasts, wind-down meditations, and sleep music are great additions to your sleep routine.

Nutrition plays a role in your mood and cognitive function. What you eat throughout your day affects your blood sugar, gut health, and hydration levels. Food is linked to emotional regulation, mental clarity, energy levels, and your ability to focus. If food is something you struggle with, remember, this isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being kind to your body and mind.

TIP: Headspace’s mindful eating meditations and nutrition-focused content can help you improve your relationship with food.

Use daily movement as a tool to support mental stability, reduce anxiety, and boost your mood. On days you don’t have a lot of time, as little as 10 minutes of walking, yoga, swimming, or stretching can offer benefits.

TIP: Headspace’s Move Mode sessions, wake-up workouts, and mindful walks are excellent starting points for anyone, regardless of ability or fitness level.

Emotional check-ins are an essential part of a good routine for self-awareness and stress prevention, especially if you’re struggling with mental exhaustion. Check-ins don’t need to be in-depth or a time to overanalyze things. Keep them brief and meaningful. Ask yourself questions like:

• What do I need today?
• How am I really feeling right now?
• Have I been kind to myself today?
• What’s upsetting me today?
• What am I avoiding—and why?
• What is a small, quick thing I can do to feel grounded right now?

TIP: Tools like Headspace’s midday check-in, journaling prompts, and guided self-reflection meditations address a number of topics, such as how to feel less lonely, and are all effective ways to make sure you’re staying in tune with yourself.

Social media, phone notifications, and a 24-hour news cycle consume our days, minds, and attention. It’s too easy to become overloaded, and the influx of disruption can spike anxiety and make it impossible to focus. If you’re struggling to find balance, try not checking your phone during the first 30 minutes of your day, silencing your alerts, scheduling screen-free time, and limiting doom-scrolling. Setting digital boundaries is an act of mental self-care.

TIP: Headspace’s focus music and productivity courses help reduce the noise in your days. You can also set screen break reminders.

As you experiment with these and other habits to improve mental health, focus on consistency. When you find one or two things you enjoy and that work for you, really commit to them. You can build from there, adopting more healthy habits for mental health in the future. The goal isn’t to be perfectly healthy all the time. It’s to recognize and prioritize the areas where small, healthier choices can make a difference. Remember: taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to be overwhelming or all-consuming. It’s the daily, intentional moments that really add up.

TIP: Headspace is the ideal platform to help you incorporate healthy moments into your everyday routine. Start with something manageable and not intimidating. Why not try a sleep cast tonight, a morning check-in tomorrow, or a therapy session next week?

Taking your first step means doing whatever feels right to you. You’re not alone, and Headspace is there to support every part of your mental health journey. Learn more about online therapy, meditations, or sleep support to help with whatever you need most right now.

Find your favorite healthy habits for mental health and start living your best life with Headspace today.

_Sources:

_{1. Micanti, F., Iasevoli, F., Cucciniello, C., Costabile, R., Loiarro, G., Pecoraro, G., Pasanisi, F., Rossetti, G., & Galletta, D. (2016). The relationship between emotional regulation and eating behaviour: a multidimensional analysis of obesity psychopathology. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity, 22(1), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-016-0275-7. Accessed June 28, 2025.}