5 Habits That (Honestly) Saved My Mental Health

Let me be real with you—I didn’t even know I was struggling with mental health until I hit a wall.

I wasn’t crying every day. I wasn’t screaming. I was just... tired. All the time. I’d wake up tired. I’d laugh with people but feel nothing. I’d scroll for hours just to avoid thinking. And worst of all? I thought this was normal.

It wasn’t.

Looking back now,

I didn’t have some magical recovery moment. No therapist snapped their fingers. No book gave me all the answers. It was boring, tiny habits—stuff that didn’t feel like it was “working” at first—but over time? They saved me.

So here they are. Five things that might help you too:

1. Journaling (Even When It Felt Pointless)

I’m not a “dear diary” person. At first, I’d just scribble stuff like “I’m tired,” or “What’s even the point?” But weirdly, the more I kept writing, the more I started understanding myself. Some days I’d rant for pages, other days I’d write one sentence like “I’m numb today,” and close the book. No rules. One day I flipped back through old pages and thought, “Whoa. I’ve actually come a long way.” It’s wild how much power a pen can hold.

2. A Bedtime Alarm (Yes, Really)

I used to scroll till 2AM, then wonder why I was anxious and moody all day. One day I randomly set a “go to bed” alarm at 10:30PM just as a joke. But then I stuck with it. Every night it would ding and say: “That’s enough for today.” Sometimes I’d still ignore it, but most nights I’d actually get into bed. Eventually, I started waking up without that heavy cloud in my brain. Not every night is perfect (sometimes TikTok wins), but the habit helps more than I expected.

3. Learning to Say “No” (And Not Apologize After)

I used to say yes to everything. Yes to events. Yes to favors. Yes to conversations I didn’t want to have. Why? Because I didn’t want to seem rude. But slowly, I started saying “no.” Not rudely. Just honestly.

“No, I don’t have the energy for that today.”

“No, I’m not in the right headspace.”

I still mess this up sometimes. I still feel guilty after. But I remind myself: Protecting my peace is not rude. It’s necessary.

4. Walking Without My Phone (Harder Than It Sounds)

The first time I went outside without my phone, I felt naked. Like—what if someone calls? What if I get bored?

But I kept doing it. Just short 10-minute walks. No headphones. No Instagram. Just me, my thoughts, and the street noise.

And something shifted.

I started hearing my thoughts more clearly. I noticed things—the smell of someone’s cooking, the way the wind felt. I swear, sometimes those quiet walks fixed what three hours of overthinking couldn’t.

5. Talking to One Safe Person Every Week

I used to bottle everything up. I thought I’d be “too much” if I opened up. So I didn’t. Then one day, I called a cousin and told him how heavy everything felt. He didn’t give advice. He didn’t interrupt. He just listened. So we started doing that—one short call a week. Sometimes we just talk about random stuff. But knowing I have that space to be fully me? That’s gold. You don’t need a whole support group. Just one person who gets it. Or at least tries to.

Final Thoughts

I wish I could say I’ve figured it all out. I haven’t. I still overthink. I still fall back into old patterns. But now, I catch myself. I have tools. I don’t stay stuck as long. If you’re in a dark place right now, I promise—you’re not broken. You’re tired. And you don’t have to “fix” everything overnight. Just pick one habit. One thing. Try it. Let it be messy. Let it be imperfect. But let it be yours.