World Mental Health Day: 10 daily practices to care for your mind

Mental health is more important today than it’s ever been. Thankfully, growing awareness around stress, anxiety, depression, and other challenges is helping to break the stigma. Normalizing the topic encourages open conversations about the significance of emotional well-being every day of the year, whether at home or in the workplace.

Although it might feel challenging at first, over time, daily practices make mental health care more accessible. To put it simply, developing healthy habits to improve mental health can provide you with lifelong benefits.

The following 10 daily practices are supported by research and full of expert insights. They make taking care of your mind simple, sustainable, effective, and effortless.

1. Prioritize quality sleep

Sleep is the unsung hero of mental health. Poor sleep doesn't just make you tired; it erodes your emotional resilience. Studies have shown that healthy sleep habits help with emotional regulation, focus, and mood.

Tips for creating a restful routine:

• Make and stick to a consistent bedtime routine
• Create a tech-free environment in your bedroom
• Limit your caffeine intake
• Don't drink sugary or caffeinated beverages later in the day
  
  

2. Start with mindful breathing

Research shows that mindful breathing lowers heart rate, decreases blood pressure, and reduces physical symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. It's good for your physical and mental health. Even just two or three minutes of mindful breathing a day can make a significant difference. Taking slow, deep, conscious breaths activates your parasympathetic system, signaling to your body and mind that it's safe to relax.

An easy breathing exercise you can do anywhere:

• Inhale deeply and gently for four counts
• Hold your breath for four counts
• Exhale fully for six counts
• Repeat the process for 2 to 3 minutes
  
  

3. Practice daily gratitude

Taking the time to write down things you're grateful for is a powerful way to boost mood, reframe negative thoughts, and build resilience. According to research, acts of gratitude can also complement therapy when treating depression and anxiety.

Simple ways to practice gratitude:

• Write down three things you're grateful for each morning
• Repeat affirmations as you get ready for the day ahead
• Keep it simple - sunlight, coffee, a kind word
  
  

4. Journaling and reflection

Putting pen to paper is an effective way to release worries and stress. Journaling offers emotional clarity and creative problem-solving, both of which are crucial to mental well-being. It's an effective way to manage anxiety triggers, uncover patterns, and reduce overwhelm.

Journal prompts for anxiety to try out:

• What's taking up space in my mind right now?
• Which worries fall within my control, and which are outside of it?
• What would I say to a friend who was feeling the same way?
• What are three things I did today that I'm proud of?
• What activities, places, or people help me feel most grounded?

When you journal, watch for rigid "all-or-nothing" thoughts. Psychological flexibility is key to mental health, and writing can help build more effective strategies. Dialectical thinking means holding two truths at once, for example: "I feel overwhelmed, and I'm capable of taking the next small step." Exploring multiple perspectives in your writing can expand your thinking and reduce stuck patterns.

5. Move your body in small ways

Physical movement offers near-immediate benefits for your mind and your mood. Whether you stretch, walk, run, or even dance for a few minutes, exercising regularly significantly reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Studies show that even light movement can lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and release feel-good chemicals like endorphins.

Small ways to use exercise to manage mental health:

• Take a walk
• Stretch for five minutes
• Dance in your kitchen
  
  

6. Limit digital overload

There's no denying that screens are a fact of life as we know it today. So setting boundaries around screen time and limiting digital overload is more important than ever. Excessive scrolling can feed anxiety and worsen depressive symptoms.

Effective ways to limit digital overload:

• Don't scroll on social media first thing in the morning
• Stop using your phone at least an hour before bedtime
• Set app time limits for social platforms

Not all screen time is equal. How you engage online matters. Active engagement, such as creating content or connecting directly with others, can be positive and supportive. Passive engagement, like endless scrolling, tends to fuel anxiety and worsen mood. The next time you're online, notice how you're engaging. If you find yourself slipping into passive consumption, pause, take a break, or shift back toward active, meaningful connection.

7. Fuel your brain

What you eat affects how you feel. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, and whole grains can stabilize emotions and protect your gut health.

Tips to nourish your body through food:

• Eat leafy greens
• Choose whole grains
• Minimize or eliminate processed foods
• Limit your sugar intake
• Eat consistent, regular meals
  
  

8. Connect with others

We are wired for connection. Studies have found that maintaining meaningful relationships is a top predictor of health and happiness. Even brief interactions can shift your mood and reduce loneliness.

Ways to connect:

• Text someone you care about
• Say hello to a neighbor
• Join a group that shares your interests
  
  

9. Protect your energy with boundaries

Boundaries are a crucial part of preventing burnout and establishing self-respect. They're associated with sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and relaxation. Learning to say no without feeling guilty protects your mental space. If setting boundaries is difficult for you, practice sharing them clearly, kindly, and firmly.

Practice this:

• Set limits at work to create a healthy work-life balance (i.e., saying "I don't have the capacity for that right now," and mean it.)
• Establish firm boundaries with friends and family at home
• Maintain online boundaries that prioritize your peace of mind and mental well-being

To-do lists help us track what's important, but they can quickly become overwhelming. Time blocking takes it a step further by intentionally scheduling when tasks will get done. This approach acknowledges that our time and energy are limited, and it helps us decide what truly fits into our day. It's not about cramming in more. It's about aligning your priorities with the time you actually have, while protecting the foundations of mental health like sleep, rest, nutrition, and connection.

10. Try meditation or mindfulness with Headspace

Meditation and mindfulness are the foundation for mental health. Headspace offers over 5000 meditations and activities on our app, in addition to Ebb, our empathetic AI companion. Ebb is a clinically-grounded tool that supports self-reflection, emotional processing, and personalized content recommendations from our app's content library.

According to research, consistent mindfulness sessions promote both physical and psychological well-being. Meditation can lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels, and it can also help with social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.

Practices you can try today:

• Guided meditation for stress
• A short, quick meditation during your lunch break
• Explore different meditation techniques like body scans, loving-kindness meditation, or visualization
• Chat with Ebb when you need support in the moment

Mental health isn’t something to focus on one day out of the year. It is a daily commitment to building resilience and thriving in your life and relationships.

On this World Mental Health Day, give yourself permission to begin. Your care doesn’t have to wait for a crisis, and it doesn’t have to be perfect – it just has to start.

Ready to start small? Let us support you. Sign up for Headspace today.

<sub>Sources:
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7. Andreassen, C. S., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(2), 252–262. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000160. Accessed September 30, 2025.</sub>