Mental Health: How to Make Sure You are Making Time for Things You Enjoy

Making time for mental health can be a struggle, especially when everyday life seems to get in the way. Work and school take up a big part of life, and it can often feel as though you have no time for anything else. Although it may be hard to make time for things other than work or school, it is very important that you do. It is very easy to get burnt out and upset with life when you are not doing other activities that you enjoy.

When people make time for activities that they enjoy they can lower their stress levels, lower heart rate, and overall put them in a better mood. Those who choose to partake in activities they enjoy are also less likely to experience moments of boredom. (Permanente, 2019).

SCHEDULES

A great way to make sure that you are making time for things you enjoy is to have a schedule. It can

be a flexible schedule, but having a schedule allows you to look at everything you have to do and when you have time for yourself.

The creation of a schedule creates a routine in life which can be a comfort for many (ECLKC, 2023). Being able to physically look at what you have planned for a week can make you feel in control and at peace with everything that is going to happen. When you feel in control of a situation you are more likely to be aware of how you are mentally.

How to Make a Schedule

1. Buy a planner or find an app on your phone or computer. If you choose an electronic schedule, turn on the notifications. (Timetree) *timetree allows you to connect your schedule with others in your life*

2. Start by looking at your work and school schedule. Since those are not very flexible make sure they are the first things on your schedule. Make sure you also make time for work that has to be done outside of normal work and school hours.

3. Plan to get 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

4. After all your work and school schedule is written down, start looking at times that are blank. It is best if you have at least 30 minutes to an hour to do something.

5. Prioritize what you enjoy most, some options are listed below. You should have at least three to four different things throughout the week planned that are activities you enjoy. It would be ideal to have one a day but that can be very challenging for some people.

6. Lastly, be sure to regularly look at your schedule and keep it updated.

Try not to get overwhelmed if it seems like there is too much on your schedule. Choosing to leave blank space just means rest, which is a great way to help with mental health.

Sleep

Getting enough sleep is very important in making sure you are taking care of your mental health. If y

ou do not have enough sleep, then it will always be an excuse for not wanting to partake in other activities that you do enjoy.

Our bodies already have their own internal schedule called a circadian rhythm. Therefore keeping a good sleep schedule helps our bodies to keep a good circadian rhythm. The way in which we sleep can really affect our brains and bodies (Brady, 2022). If you are getting good sleep and a good amount of it, your body and brain will feel better and therefore you can better your mental health and have the energy to do other activities than work and school.

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR SCHEDULE

Activities To Consider Including & The Benefits of Them

Partaking in different activities such as reading, traveling, exercising, hanging out with family, watching movies and TV, spending time with animals, journaling, and hanging out with friends allows people to step back and enjoy life.

Reading

Reading is a healthy way for people to escape their current realities, especially when they are just trying to get away from the motions of everyday life. Unlike when you are watching something and given visuals when you are reading, you are creating the world that the words are describing, allowing you to be more involved.

Being able to escape the reality of everyday life is a dream come true. Reading has the ability to transport people to other realities, such as fantasy worlds, past moments in history, and an untold future. People have the opportunity to live other lives vicariously through the characters they read about in books they love.

Traveling

There is a saying that you should always have your next trip planned before you finish the one you are on, that way you have something to look forward to. It is awful to be finishing up a trip and knowing there is nothing fun planned after.

Traveling is great for mental health. According to the Lee Health article The (Mental) Health Benefits of Traveling, there are four reasons why traveling is good for your mental health.

• The first reason is that traveling is good if you feel you are a restless sleeper. When you travel, your sleep schedule is reset and you are able to relax.

• The second reason is that traveling helps with job burnout. As it has already been discussed, continuously working can take a big toll on your mental health. Even getting away for a day or weekend can help.

• The third and last reason is that traveling can make a person happier. And lessen depression Unless you dislike traveling, there are many studies that prove traveling makes people happier and less likely to feel stress and anxiety.

Exercising

When exercising you are able to focus on the task at hand and block out things that can cause stress. Exercising is not just bettering your mental health in multiple ways but it is also bettering your physical health.

Attending school and certain jobs can consist of a lot of sitting or not being active, which can be bad for your physical health. It is recommended that people try to be active for 30 minutes a day.

Exercising releases chemicals in your body that make you ‘feel good’ (Exercise and Mental Health 2023). The ‘feel good’ chemicals do exactly what they describe, make you feel good. When you feel good, you think good. The benefits of exercising physically can also make you feel better about yourself and feel healthy. Feeling healthy and active promotes good mental health.

Hanging out with Family

Family is often always willing to be there for you. They want to see you succeed and be the best that you can in life. They can help with encouragement and making you feel better about situations.

Loneliness can be a big issue when it comes to mental health. Family can help to eliminate feelings of loneliness when you choose to spend time with them. Hanging out with family also allows certain emotions to flow that might not normally flow on a regular basis (Carmichael et al., 2023). They are a great support system in many different ways.

Family can help reduce your stress, depression, and anxiety. Although it may be hard to discuss mental health with your loved ones, more often than not they want to make sure you are ok and are going to be willing to help if you are going through a rough patch.

Watching Movies and TV

Watching movies and TV shows is a great way to unwind and allow you to rest. It's easy to become immersed in a good show and allow the world to fall away. For a small amount of time, you can become a part of that world and forget about real life. Imagination and relaxation are great for promoting good mental health.

Background noise can be very effective in helping to be more productive and certain movies and shows can be a great source of background noise when the quiet is too much.

Spending Time with Animals

It is a proven fact that animals are great stress relievers. If they were not, there wouldn’t be certain service animals. There are many programs that allow people to pet and interact with dogs in order to

relax during a stressful time. Universities often have service animals on campus during exam weeks to help students cope with stress better.

Owning a pet boosts mental health (Graboys, 2023). After a long day of stress from work and school, it is nice to go home to a companion who will listen to everything you have to say, as long as you give them attention. (I always tell my dog all of the drama that has happened throughout my day, and as long as I am giving her attention, she will listen to me)

Hanging out with Friends

Hanging out with friends gives people the opportunity to relax and be themselves. According to the article Why Healthy Friendships are Important for Mental Health by the National Council For Mental Wellbeing, friends can be someone to talk to about tough situations and be someone to lean on when you need strength.

Like family, friends also help with creating a feeling of belonging and can help with boosting good mental health. People can often forget about the worries of everyday life and live in the moment with their friends.

It is a bit easier to discuss mental health with friends since they are similar in age and will have similar morals and life experiences.

It's important to prioritize your happiness and partake in fun things in life. Without making sure there are fun things to do that will bring joy, it will be hard to make sure you are mentally okay. Making a schedule and figuring out what activities you enjoy is a great start to prioritizing mental health.

It's important to prioritize your happiness and partake in fun things in life. Without making sure there are fun things to do that will bring joy, it will be hard to make sure you are mentally okay. Making a schedule and figuring out what activities you enjoy is a great start to prioritizing mental health.

We only have one life we need to enjoy it!

References

Brady, S. (2022, August 25). Why sleep is important for brain health. American Brain Foundation. https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/why-sleep-matters-for-brain-health/?c_src=gg&gclid=CjwKCAjwyNSoBhA9EiwA5aYlb1YW70RsX_TGP2UQALDVFo5WGHqU3WskChZAdz28Nc9oMiimZ_zdcxoCWOkQAvD_BwE

Carmichael, R. by Dr. C., X Sneha Tete Certified Relationship CoachExpertise: RelationshipsExperience: 4 yearsSneha has a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, Tete, S., De, A., Ansari, G. F., Psychologist, L. C., More, Writer, B. & L., & Editor, A. (2023, July 18). 10 incredible benefits of spending time with family. STYLECRAZE. https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-spending-time-with-family/

ECLKC. (2023, September 5). The importance of schedules and routines. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/importance-schedules-routines

Graboys, A. the A. S. (2023, September 16). The benefits of owning a pet. Stray Animal Foundation India. https://strayanimalfoundationindia.org/the-benefits-of-owning-a-pet/?gclid=CjwKCAjwyNSoBhA9EiwA5aYlb1F-CsWvSC9Hw_SH1TyIO2CT8NmJtstV0LrwXcwIbFstMPGXrypSJxoCQ8wQAvD_BwE

Healthdirect Australia. (2023, March). Exercise and mental health. healthdirect. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/exercise-and-mental-health

Kapil, R. (2019, August 22). Why healthy friendships are important for mental health. Mental Health First Aid. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2019/08/why-healthy-friendships-are-important-for-mental-health/

Lee Health. (2023). The (mental) health benefits of Traveling . https://www.leehealth.org/health-and-wellness/healthy-news-blog/mental-health/the-mental-health-benefits-of-traveling

Permanente, K. (2019, August 22). The health benefits of doing what you love. Thrive. https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/live-well/health-benefits-of-doing-what-you-love