Small Wins: A Fun Way to Improve Your Mental Well-Being! (Natalie Brooke)

Introduction

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

In my mental health journey, I can say I’ve come a long way - but it wasn’t without my faith, my support system, and a whole lot of hits and misses! Today I’m writing this blog to share my tips and tricks so you don’t have to go through what I did. I feel it’s oh so important to be completely open, honest and transparent about mental health because it breaks the stigma attached. As a not so private person, I am transparent to a fault, haha. But, hey - if it can help even just one person that’s the important thing! I’m a big believer in making things fun (even the hard things!) So let's dive in!

What are small wins? According to Kate Stevens (Life Coach) - “small wins are the bitesize and sometimes barely noticeable successes and achievements we experience on our way to bigger success. While these accomplishments might seem trivial on their own, their cumulative effect is powerful.”

So, how do we celebrate our small wins? Grab a cuppa and read below for some suggestions!

Define Your Win

The first step in celebrating small wins is to figure out what exactly counts as a win. These can be even just daily achievements like getting out of bed, making the bed, drinking water, washing your face, etc. Others include: reaching out to a friend, completing a task on your to do list, and meditation. Of course this looks differently for everyone - so keep that in mind!

Some things I’ve done are: Watch a few episodes of a favourite TV show, read a book, treat myself to something, do something crafty, call my best friend, and work in my planner. Those things usually give me a good ole dopamine kick and help out!

Be Kind To Your Mind

Practice self compassion. Don’t be hard on yourself if every day doesn’t look the same - it takes a while to get into a routine or even develop a positive mindset. Remember, growth doesn’t happen overnight! Healing takes time. Instead of focusing on the long road ahead, think of how far you’ve already come! If you find yourself getting overwhelmed try and shift your perspective to appreciate the progress you make each and every day!! You got this!!

I know it’s easy to be self-critical about ourselves, but it’s something we can work on. As for myself, I often find myself overthinking about things I’ve said or done (or didn’t do!) but what do we really accomplish by doing this? Nothing. It doesn’t help the situation and just makes us feel even worse. In my experience, having a positive outlook and giving myself grace helps immensely… What does this look like? Well, it’s essentially accepting that your feelings are completely valid, and rather than suppressing them you acknowledge and embrace them. You’re not alone in this.

Jot It Down!

I’m not the best at this personally, but when I first started blogging in 2010 I read that people who journal have better immune systems!! Isn’t that cool? I’d say that’s some great motivation to start a journal. Writing down our thoughts and experiences - good or bad, helps to track our progress. It may seem silly at the time, but use it as a tool to record your daily wins, no matter how small. Down the road you can read the entries and reflect on them and how far you’ve grown! I collect notebooks and journals, and many of them remain unused - but I’m going to try and change that and get back into journaling again. After all, it’s worth it!!

Shout Your Wins From The Rooftops!

Don’t be shy!! Share your wins with others. This creates a sense of community, accountability and a support system to fall back on! Sharing your wins is important whether it’s in a mental health group, close friends or family. That way, you can celebrate your milestones throughout your mental health journey! When you share your success you not only feel proud of yourself, but you also inspire and motivate others! And, that’s key!

Start A Success Jar

You’ve heard of swear jars, this one is a bit different. It’s a fun way to track your accomplishments. And, it’s super simple. Just jot down your accomplishments - big or small, and toss them in. When you’re having a bad day you can go back and look at all you’ve accomplished. I’ve done this in a similar way, where I toss my happy moments in a jar for a year. I forget where I got the idea, but it was really fun and worthwhile.

Embrace Imperfection

Remember that your mental health journey is not linear. There are going to be ups and downs - it’s a process and setbacks are completely normal. Although it may seem like it - setbacks do not represent failure. Instead of dwelling on mistakes and beating yourself up, embrace them! There’s lessons to be learnt and progress to be made in mistakes and losses. Remember: no one’s perfect, bad days don’t last forever and you have the power to bounce back! You’re oh so resilient.

Set Realistic Goals

Break down your mental health goals into small achievable stepping stones. Instead of focusing on the full staircase, focus on the first step. Baby steps! Don’t bite off more than you can chew… Some examples of achievable goals you could try are: practising gratitude, prioritising self care, sleep hygiene, effective communication, mindfulness, establishing healthy boundaries, starting a morning routine, building a support system, and limiting negative self talk. Writing your goals down and creating an action plan is crucial to growth in this area. Don’t forget to share them too, as that will add some accountability in the mix. Setting these goals can be incredibly empowering - they remind you that you're in charge of your mental health journey. It’ll help you feel more in control and less at the mercy of external circumstances.

In Conclusion

It’s easy to get caught up in the importance of the big accomplishments - promotions, graduations, getting married, having kids, etc - but the small wins matter just as much, or more, because they add up and give us the confidence to keep going. So, the next time you accomplish something, no matter how small, remember to give yourself a pat on the back! I know when I’m actively working on my mental health I feel noticeably better, than when I’m not. But it’s okay if you’re not okay - everyone moves differently in their journey. There's no wrong way to climb the staircase, walk the path, etc. What matters is that you try. You’re worth it - you matter.

Letters Against Depressions’ main mission is to help those in need of hope and encouragement through the lost art of letter writing. We promote authenticity in our letters as it’s vastly important to be so. As volunteers, being authentic in writing our letters is key - as we hope to inspire others to live authentically in their pursuit of “happiness,” and in life. LAD brings others together and the community it's built over time is full of authentic love and support. If I knew early on into my mental health journey about LAD, receiving a letter would have been pivotal in my healing process! You can receive one today! Just sign up - we’d love to hear from you!