5 Ways to Boost Your Mental Well-Being

With devastating current events, the climate crisis, and the stressors of everyday life, it can be hard to stay positive. There is a lot of negativity in the world, and it’s natural to feel weighed down by it all. That doesn’t mean you can’t try to find moments of positivity, and it definitely doesn’t mean you have to stop taking care of yourself. In fact, it’s more reason to practice self-care regularly. So, to help you find more balance in life, and in collaboration with Mindright, we’ve created this list of five ways to boost your mental well-being.

1. Incorporate Movement into Your Routine

One of the best ways to brighten your spirits is through movement. We’re not saying you need to train for a marathon or even work out at a gym. Even if you perform a calming stretch routine, ride your bike to work, or take a leisurely walk, you may feel a mood-boosting effect.

Movement can stimulate the release of brain chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Endorphins may trigger a euphoric feeling throughout your body and reduce your perception of pain. Serotonin, on the other hand, helps stabilize your mood. It is also said to reduce anxiety and depression. Norepinephrine acts as both a neurotransmitter and stress hormone. It’s recognized as part of the body’s “fight or flight” response, which results in an increased alertness and arousal. It is also believed to increase mood and focus.

Medical jargon aside, movement just feels good—if you find the right kind to support your body and lifestyle. Most people use exercise as an outlet, a form of self-expression, and a way to find a mind-body connection and achieve higher self-esteem.

2. Take up a Relaxation Practice

Do you ever get any time in your day to relax? If not, could you carve out a space for that? Even if it’s for a few minutes, relaxation is key in reducing stress. Stress can have damaging effects on your body. Relaxation techniques may help lower your blood pressure, reduce your heart rate, relax your muscles, slow down your breathing rate, and help balance your mind and body.

So, what is relaxation exactly? It’s anything that will activate your natural relaxation response. Forms of relaxation include deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, journaling, visualization, positive affirmations, and more.

3. Establish a Sleep Schedule

Sleep is everything! Not only is it essential for survival, but getting quality sleep may have a positive effect on your overall mental well-being. During the day, your brain and body works hard to carry out tasks. When you sleep, your body recovers, repairs, and prepares itself for the upcoming day. Because of this, not getting enough sleep can cause a variety of short- and long-term consequences. These can range from decreased alertness and memory issues to mood changes.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep. Beyond the amount, though, the quality of those hours is also important. Below are some sleep hygiene habits that may help improve your sleep quality.

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
• Create a comfortable sleep environment.
• Reduce screen time at least one hour before bed.
• Cut back on your caffeine intake in the afternoon and early evening.

4. Connect with Friends

If there’s anything we learned from the past few years, it’s that positive, in-person social interaction is a beautiful thing. Several studies and reports over the years, like this one, have concluded a direct link between social relationships and mental well-being. Face-to-face contact can release dopamine and oxytocin. Both natural hormones may decrease stress, increase happiness, and provide a slew of other benefits.

What does this mean? Connect with friends when you can! Grab lunch with your bestie, host a Stranger Things watch party, and engage in regular, positive conversation with people. There are a variety of ways to channel your inner social butterfly.

5. Add Functional Herbs to Your Diet

And last but certainly not least, a wonderful way to boost your mental well-being is by adding functional herbs to your diet. Ingredients such as Ashwagandha and Ginseng may help regulate mood, reduce stress, and promote relaxation.

One of the easiest ways to add these ingredients to your routine is by noshing on Mindright’s Peanut Butter Cup Superfood Bar! This vegan snack bar contains Mindright’s +Happy Brain Blend. The blend features a combination of natural antioxidants, nootropics, and adaptogens believed to boost brain health and well-being. What are they? The ingredients include Ashwagandha, Ginseng, Cordyceps, MCT Oil, Prebiotic Fiber, and Sunflower Lecithin.

Mindright’s Peanut Butter Cup Superfood Bar

Mindright’s Peanut Butter Cup Superfood Bar is vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and low-sugar. Each bar contains 210 calories, 11g of protein, and 7g of sugar. All of the ingredients are traceable, tested, and backed by science.

These bars are the perfect pre-workout snack, travel treat, afternoon pick-me-up, and everything in between. They’re sold in boxes of 12, so you have plenty of opportunities to see where these bars fit best into your daily ritual.

Peanut Butter Cup Superfood Bar Photo courtesy of Mindright

Other Vegan Snacks from Mindright That May Promote Brain Health

In addition to the Peanut Butter Cup Superfood Bar, Mindright offers other vegan snacks that may promote brain health! For starters, there are three other flavors of the Superfood Bar—Chocolate Sea Salt, Toasted Coconut, and Blueberry Almond. Next up, for coffee drinkers, the Brain Boost Coffee Enhancer. This nootropic-infused powder easily mixes into hot coffee, lattes, and smoothies. Last up, the Brain Boost Energy Mix. The blueberry hibiscus-flavored drink mix contains Whole Coffee Fruit Extract, Green Tea Caffeine, Cordyceps, Vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and L-Theanine.

Celebs Who Love Mindright

We aren’t the only ones who love Mindright! The vegan snack brand has gained quite a large fan base, including a variety of celebrities. Some of those celebs love Mindright so much, they invest in the company. After co-founder Chris “Bernie” Bernard and Rob Dyrdek bonded over their passion for optimizing their mindset, they came up with Mindright and began searching for additional investors. Among them are the Jonas Brothers, Travis Barker, and Marcus Lemonis!

Joe Jonas Photo courtesy of Mindright

Ready to get Mindright? Head over to GetMindright.com to place an order today.

Disclosure: Material presented here is intended to serve informational purposes regarding the topics of food, nutrition, and wellness. This content is not meant to substitute for medical advice or diagnosis. If therapeutic attention is warranted, alert your care team.