What better mental health looks like

Good physical health is mostly dependant upon two elements: your behaviours and your practices. What you eat, how much you eat, how often you exercise, and the exercise do.

Good mental health is the same. It also relies on a foundation of behaviours and practices, that is underpinned by belief and optimism.

So when examining what health and wellness mean to me, it looks like a weird mix of body, mind and spirit.

For me, it started with daily practises, including exercise, eating better food and journalling about my feelings. These practices made me feel better about myself and instilled a greater sense of hope and optimism.

Today it is a broader mix of fuelling my body with better food, movement and exercise. Fuelling my mind with self-belief, healthy boundaries and things that make me feel good about myself. And fuelling my spirit with gratitude and the belief that the universe is always working in my favour.

The great thing about most of these things is how much they cost!

Meditation is free, walking and running are free, journaling and self-examination are free. Setting goals is free, being kinder to myself is free and connecting with my friends is also free.

The only thing they cost me is my time, and they only need me to make the decision to believe.

And the more time I give myself over to these practices and beliefs, and the more I choose to manage my thoughts, the better I feel each day.