10 Steps to Reset Your Mental Health

Do you ever find yourself in a mental funk? 

You can’t find contentment. 

You’re always busy with the mundane.

Nothing seems to be going your way.

You find yourself feeling a little lost and empty. 

& before you know it, you are… SPIRALING. 

You’ve fallen into a dark hole and you can’t seem to climb your way out.

I believe this is something that happens to so many of us women and we aren’t sure how the spiral began. What I have found looking back on my dark moments is either I have “too much” or “not enough” of something in my day-to-day life. 

SO… continue reading to get a full Mental Health Reset.

*Disclaimer* I am not by any means a mental health professional. In many cases, more intervention is needed. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, help is available. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

1. Go Outside

The main reason I included this in my Mental Health Reset, was solely based on how I feel after any outdoor activity. Refreshed, rejuvenated, clear minded, mentally relaxed. 

Then, I went and actually looked up the benefits… YOU GUYS. Seriously, look it up. 

There’s honestly too many to list BUT I’ll tell you a few anyway:

• improves focus
• lessens anxiety
• helps sleep
• increases immunity
• leads to more exercise
• increase’s vitamin D 
• …and there’s MORE. 

I can’t help but think— if something is THAT good for us, God intended us to be a part of it. Last but most definitely not least — the outdoors is our good good Lord’s creation. Allow yourself to be in awe of it!

2. Fuel Your Body

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

– 1 Corinthians 3:16

Let me ask you this… how are you supposed to be in a healthy state of mind when your body doesn’t feel good? It’s not impossible, but it’s difficult.

• Recharge with sleep.
• Cleanse with water & nutrient-rich foods.
• Strengthen by moving your body. 

But, let me make myself clear here… BALANCE is key. 

Dare I say, it is *healthy* to have the ice cream, stay up late with friends, and lounging about now and then. It is mentally revitalizing and our good God wants us to delight in those small things! (Thank goodness, cause ya girl likes her lazy movies nights, glass of wine, & buffalo wings).

Our Lord tells us “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” -1 Corinthians 10:31

Yes, even while taking care of our bodies we can glorify our God! And when we FEEL healthy our minds are ready and WILLING to fulfill our vocations He has called for us.

3. Unplug

Let me paint a picture for you. 

Off to bed, alarm is SET. I have every intention of waking up before the kids to get some quality quiet time with Jesus and a solid workout in. 

The alarm goes off (on the phone of course), and the first thing I do is check to see if I have any texts. Next, my thumb’s muscle memory (yes, muscle memory, gross) swipes over to instagram, then to facebook. I find a few things interesting but before I know it my next alarm goes off, telling me it’s time to wake up my girls to get ready for school. 

I drop my head with a wave of regret washing over me. I just wasted 30+ minutes of my precious morning glued to my phone screen. 

Later the same day, as I am online shopping, or checking emails, or on social media, my 3-year old says, “Mommy, look! Mommy, look!” Impatient she grabs my hand and says “Mommy, stop looking your pone. Watch dis!” 

That exact moment, I thought, what am I doing? I am literally missing the world around me. Missing the days when this little girl is LITTLE. Missing the moments that TRULY matter. And for what? To spam a girl I haven’t seen since high school, wishing I had been on her tropical vacation? 

Okay, so let’s rewind here. What was affected in those two scenarios:

• My daily productivity
• My being present in the moment
• My relationship with my daughter
• My physical activity
• My contentment as I compare to others lives
• My prayer life

I’m honestly appalled as I write this. OF COURSE, this would have an overarching effect on our mental health. 

While this point took a darker turn than I had planned, it’s a raw and real truth. There are incredible benefits to being online, like keeping in touch with family, uplifting online figures, business, etc. but what a slippery slope.

Brief couple tips that I follow, then fall away from, and them come back to:

• Put your phone across the room when you sleep. Use an alarm clock to wake you up.
• Set timers for entertainment use.
• Turn unimportant notifications off.
• Put the phone on the counter and leave it, even if it’s only for an hour. Put it on loud for emergencies.

4. Relieve Decision Fatigue

I hadn’t heard the term “decision fatigue” until recently and I thought, “is this a thing?! It’s not just me who gets so tired of making decisions?” Many of us have to make large decisions often, whether it be work, our kid’s futures, best way to handle a hard situation, the list goes on. 

One day, when the decision-making wasn’t ceasing and my husband said, “what should we make for dinner?” I threw my hands up and said “I don’t know! I don’t care! You decide. My brain is done.” I couldn’t decide and think through one. More. Thing. Even if it was so small. 

While the big choices don’t go away, there are a few things we can do to eliminate the the small ones that push us over the edge:

• Meal plan the week and shop for those ingredients. Plan a few different breakfast and lunches you can just grab throughout the week, and then when dinner time comes there is no thought involved. You know the meal and that you have everything you need. 
• Have a handful of “go-to” clothing items that you know you feel good in and can dress up and down whatever the occasion may be. Also a quick and easy hairstyle.
• Depending on their age, let the kids fend for themselves when you’re feeling that fatigue. Let them pick out their clothes themselves, pack their own bag for a sleepover, make their own lunch — even if it’s a bowl of cereal!
• Ask someone else in your household/family friend group to make the small decision for you. 

5. Self-care

For a while there, “self-care” was confused with general human hygiene and nourishment. Thankfully, most of society has come to the realization that those things like, showering, eating a decent meal, etc. are actually necessary.  

So, for the REAL self-care. The *do what you truly enjoy* kind of self-care. What does that look like for you?

For me that is an engaging conversation with my people, a night out on the town with my husband, soaking in a longgg bubble bath while listening to mellow music (loud enough that I can’t hear my kids, HA!). Your’s could be cooking, reading a book, working out — whatever it may be.

I would also add this IMPORTANT note… Set time aside for you and notice the signs when you’ve surpassed your limit before you hit a breaking point. That breaking point is where anger, resentment, and burnout are born.

6. Take Space/ Connect

Many times, our relationships can take more of a toll on us than we would like. It is perfectly natural to need to take a little bit of space for yourself to reset and re-evaluate.

On the other hand, there are times when fellowship would do us some real good. Take some time and evaluate where you are in the relationships in your life, and take the steps to surround yourself with people that bring you closer to Jesus.

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7. Surrender

• SURRENDER your idea of how this day should go.
• SURRENDER – there are no medals given for how productive you are today.
• SURRENDER to the fact that you can’t change people.  
• SURRENDER and know that you are not perfect. Everyone has flaws.
• SURRENDER – raising kids is TOUGH. Pick your battles & lean on your village. 
• SURRENDER – release your grip on *control* and let God do the rest. 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

-Proverbs 3:5-6

8. Dive into the Word

I really hadn’t started reading the bible until a couple years ago. Yes, I knew many bible stories and I grew up reading the gospel at church but it wasn’t often when I had sat down and read it.

“It’s time,” I thought. “I need to read this thing for myself.” I had finally finished the One Year New Testament for Busy Moms at the end of 2019. I was so thankful God had given me the perseverance to keep going and actually finish. I felt so connected to Jesus and had learned so much.

“I did it. I finished.”

As we dove headfirst into 2020. It didn’t take long to notice that there was a missing piece to my day. A big empty space. It was then that I realized that reading the bible once through is not something we are meant to check off our bucket list. This is something we are meant to DIVE into over and over again, every day of our lives. 

The Lord tells us something through scripture one day, and the same verse will say something completely different another. If we open our hearts, it answers our questions, and serves as a lighthouse when we are lost at sea.

Let’s give our good God access to speak to us through his Word. ESPECIALLY when we don’t want to, that’s usually when we need it most. 

I invite you to fill that void & dive in.

9. Play!

Play and HAVE FUN. Nothing is better fuel for the soul than to 

☀️listen to music and DANCE

☀️play the pick up game of volleyball or kickball 

☀️play a board game with the kids

☀️put on a suit, jump in the pool and dare I say GET YOUR HAIR WET

Harness your inner child, whatever that means to you, and embrace how FREEING it is! 

What is that carefree, child-like activity you love to partake in but don’t make enough time for?

10. Pray

Lastly, and absolutely not least. The 👏🏼 farthest 👏🏼from 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 least.  

The best way to recenter our soul, heart, and mind is to pray. 

Lift up your burdens, requests, & thanksgiving. He hears you and knows you by name. No worry is too small, no request is too large. The power of prayer is real, and he waits with open arms to carry the weight of the world for you. For some tips on how to pray out loud here.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Philippians 4:6