5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Mental Health Today (Without Turning Into a Wellness Guru)

Let's be honest with ourselves, mental health advice these days can feel about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Between the pressure to meditate like a monk, journal like Shakespeare, and drink kale smoothies without gagging, it’s enough to make anyone want to crawl back under the covers and call it a decade.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need a PhD in mindfulness or a $200 yoga mat to feel better. Sometimes, the smallest tweaks make the biggest difference. So, if you’re tired of pretending you enjoy chanting mantras at sunrise, here are five actually doable ways to boost your mental health today.

1. Stop Treating Your Bed Like a Multifunctional Office Space

There’s a reason your bed is called a bed and not a "work desk/Netflix binge station/emotional breakdown zone." Yet, here we are, answering emails under the covers like it’s totally normal.

Spoiler: It’s not.

Your brain associates spaces with activities. When you work, scroll, or stress-eat in bed, your brain starts thinking of it as a place for everything but sleep. Then, when you actually try to rest, your mind is too busy replaying that awkward thing you said in 2014 to shut down.

Try this instead:

Keep work (and doomscrolling) out of the bedroom. If your laptop is in bed, ask yourself: "Would a corporate HR department allow this?" If the answer is no, relocate.

Make your bed in the morning. Not because it’s "adulting," but because crawling into a made bed at night feels like a tiny reward.

Pretend your bed is a fancy hotel. You wouldn’t eat a sad desk lunch on a Ritz-Carlton duvet. Treat your sleep space with the same respect.

2. Move Your Body (No, "Reaching for the Remote" Doesn’t Count)

Before you roll your eyes—no, we’re not suggesting you train for a marathon or suddenly develop a passion for hot yoga. But here’s the science: movement releases endorphins, and endorphins make you feel less like punching a wall.

The key? Make it stupidly easy.

• Walk somewhere pointless. Around the block. To the mailbox and back. Just five minutes outside can reset your mood.
• Dance like a fool in your kitchen. Blast your most embarrassing guilty pleasure song (we won’t judge) and wiggle for one full track.
• Stretch like a cat. No formal routine needed—just reach, yawn, and enjoy not being a desk-shaped statue.

The goal isn’t fitness; it’s reminding your body it’s alive.

3. Eat Something That Didn’t Come Wrapped in Plastic

We’ve all been there: staring into the fridge at 3 PM, wondering how a person can own so many condiments yet have nothing to eat. But here’s the thing—your brain runs on fuel, and gas station taquitos don’t count as premium.

You don’t need a gourmet meal. Just:

• Add one real thing to your day. An apple. A handful of nuts. A vegetable that isn’t deep-fried.
• Hydrate like you’re a houseplant. Dehydration mimics anxiety. Chug water like it’s your job.
• Stop punishing yourself for "bad" food. A cupcake isn’t a moral failure. Eat it, enjoy it, move on.

4. Talk to a Human Who Isn’t a Coworker (Or Your Cat)

Loneliness is sneaky. You can be surrounded by people and still feel isolated, especially if your primary social interactions are Zoom calls and arguing with strangers on Reddit.

Connection doesn’t have to be deep:

• Text a friend a meme. No small talk, just "This made me think of you" and a GIF of a raccoon eating cotton candy.
• Make eye contact with a barista. A two-second "Thanks, you too!" can remind you that other humans exist.
• Call someone who loves you. Yes, actually call. Your mom, your sibling, your college roommate—whoever makes you feel like a person, not a productivity robot.

5. Do Nothing on Purpose (Yes, It Counts as Self-Care)

We’ve glorified busyness to the point where sitting still feels illegal. But here’s a radical idea: you’re allowed to exist without output.

Stare at a wall for five minutes. No phone, no podcast, just you and the thrilling world of drywall.

Lie on the floor like a starfish. It’s harder to spiral into existential dread when you’re admiring the ceiling.

Quit "should-ing" yourself. "I should be doing X" is mental self-sabotage. Try "I’m allowed to rest" instead.

Just One Of Those Things

Mental health isn’t about grand gestures—it’s the tiny, weird habits that keep you from losing it on a Tuesday afternoon. So tell us: what’s your "I’m barely holding it together" life hack? Share in the comments (no judgment here). And if this made you laugh and rethink your relationship with your bed, hit like and subscribe for more "Oh good, it’s not just me" content.

P.S. If you tried the starfish thing and now your dog is judging you, welcome to the club. 🛋️