100 things to support your mental health that aren’t “go for a walk and drink more water”

Have you taken your walk today? I haven’t. It’s August, and if I get told to go for a walk and drink more water one more time, I swear to the ever-living god I’ll throw my phone into the sea. Then, of course, I’ll probably go on a walk anyway, because frustratingly, I know it will help my mood. And yes, I am dehydrated, despite my motivational water bottle with its smug hourly reminder.

photo by Lothar Baxmann

Most good ideas are simple. But taking care of your mental health is hard. Well-meaning advice can be life-changing—or infuriating. Sometimes it’s like being handed a teaspoon of water for the house-fire that is your body, your brain, your room, the planet. They feel like a 2015 infographic: relevant once, now trite and overly earnest. And yet, the truth remains—complete fixes are a myth, usually a monkey’s paw in disguise.

A life worth living is built from small but meaningful actions, often requiring more effort than you feel capable of at the moment. Motivation rarely appears spontaneously. Usually, pain thresholds get breached, and you grit your teeth and act better than you feel until you do feel better. Do it often enough, and actions become routine—and, on good days, even enjoyable.

Realistically, above walks and water, we need a livable wage, safe housing, healthcare, third places, enough leisure time, strong connections, and for no one’s human rights to be threatened. No amount of self-care can replace that. But another world is possible, and if I am to play my part, I cannot go under. Taking care of ourselves is the first step—a necessary flow to do our work well.

Sometimes, this is the thing that carries me through: in singing, we don’t obsess over the high note. We drive energy to the end of the phrase, and the challenge is just another hill on the landscape. Thinking of the high note as a step along the way makes Everest manageable.

Everyone has a different Everest. You might read a 300-page book in two hours, but you need gladiator-level fortitude to reply to an email. Public speaking? Easy. Public existing unscripted? Hard. You can run ten miles, but not shower. You can articulate your yes and no perfectly, except for one situation. We exhaust ourselves, deplete ourselves, punish ourselves—but refuse to go on that stupid walk.

This list of 100 things is not a manifesto. It’s a lifeboat. Take what helps, ignore the rest. I’m not someone with it all figured out. I’m someone with a checkered mental health history, occasionally at peace, occasionally wanting to live fully, hoping to be here for the people who need me right now.

Find the window of grace where something inside says, enough, and the kick inside says, do something. Allow it, rather than wait, and go.

Things that don’t require money

Open your windows. Nothing smells better than fresh air.
Wash your face, brush your teeth, or chew gum. Comb your hair. Say something positive about yourself that you actually believe.
Put on a song and let it move you—emotionally or physically.
Do four stretches. Look at your room from a new angle. Tidy something.
Write a poem, letter, or diary entry—just for you.
Pray, meditate, shower, even for a minute.
Read about something fascinating. Learn about someone who inspires you.
Post-it notes: change them regularly so they don’t disappear into invisibility.
Breathwork. Grounding exercises. Sing. Scream. Play an instrument.
Call someone spontaneously and be present.
Join your local library and go.
Look at beauty—art, flowers, aurora borealis, someone you love—and remember you’re part of it.
Put on an outfit that reminds you who you are.
Send someone a genuine compliment.
Breathe through your nose, savour the sensation.
Vaporub if you have a cold.
Say “this is nice” or “this is beautiful” out loud.
Imagine everything gone tomorrow, and write a gratitude list.
Appreciate something on that list actively.
Read your local café’s noticeboard; see what excites you.
Do an online exercise routine.
Unfollow toxic social media accounts.
Make a digital photo album of memories that are safe harbours.
Act on anger, not in anger—sign petitions, protest, send emails.
Ask yourself how you contribute to your suffering. Forgive yourself. Make action items.

Things that require time

Cook for yourself. Savour the process.
Put your phone on airplane mode for an hour.
Donate or sell clothes that don’t fit.
Take a bath, float, be in water.
Care for something that isn’t you: a plant, pet, or person.
Bake something and share it.
Watch a candle burn. Focus on the flame. Let everything else fall away.
Learn a skill from YouTube.
Fix broken things. Tend to the chaos corner.
Cut and collage magazines with colours you like.
Write out anger or sadness until it leaves you.
Re-examine your schedule. Clear a drawer. Arrange cables.

Things that require money

Get an air purifier.
Attend a class—gym, painting, life drawing, or poetry.
Watch that movie you’ve been postponing.
Get a massage or do something physical.
Upgrade cheap essentials and enjoy them.
Donate to a cause.
Try pottery. Touch clay. Focus.
Solve a giant puzzle. Same thing.
Sauna. Osteopath. Get professional advice if needed.
Work from a co-working space or café if you work from home.
Take vitamins. Use fabric softener. Buy organisers.
Get matching glasses. Better bedding. A proper mattress.
Buy something in your favourite colour.
Analog alarm clock, so mornings aren’t phone zombies.
Research therapy modalities: IFS, EMDR, CBT, DBT, etc.
Buy flowers or a fancy coffee. Treat yourself like a date.

Things that require structure

Wind down at 10 PM, be in bed by 11, or find your version.
Do three things every morning to set your day up. Repeat.
Brush your teeth morning and night.
Plan a Sunday Reset to prep your week.
Create a cleaning routine. Break it down by room.
Wash dishes nightly. Don’t let bins overflow.
Charge your devices.
Organise weekly meals, shop, and cook.
Create an office hour to do admin. Avoid overwhelm.
Move daily. Assign days for more intense exercise.

Things that require other people

Support someone’s show, exhibition, or gig. Show up. Encourage them.
Go out dancing. Join a club. Research your union.
Meet a friend who sees you for you.
Politely decline invitations from people who drain you. Practice neutral kindness.
Write birthday cards. Tell someone you’re struggling. Find mutual support.
Enjoy childhood activities with friends. Listen to their passions. Share yours.
Perform a ritual. Find a third space. Exist.
Go to a meeting. Show your work for feedback.
Read the same book as someone and discuss it.
Attend the band, play, or musical you’ve wanted.
Play with someone’s dog, cat, or child. Observe innocence.

Things that require travel

Look at the mountain.
Find a forest.
Fine, okay… go for a walk.

All my love,

CODama

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-an OD of Toughts-