Mental health matters! You want to keep watch on your mental health because it determines how you function in the world. Improving mental health can aid productivity, build resilience, and improve your quality of life. Ways to improve your mental health include cultivating daily habits, employing mental health strategies, and meditating on Scripture. 

Daily Habits

I have written many logs to help us cultivate healthy mental habits by establishing daily habits. 

• Create morning and evening routines. Please read my blogs 19 and 31 about making routines to help you get started.
• Set realistic goals. Blogs 176, 133, 50, and 49 can help you get started. 
• Connect with others- Blog 216.
• Prayer- Blog 218

Mental Health Strategies

• Hydration and nutrition- Blogs 2, 261, 195, 194, 193, 189, 159, 134, 80, and 59.
• Exercise with someone- Blogs 167, 70, 275, 269, 266, and 263. 
• Work toward high quality sleep. Blogs 22.
• Control anxiety. See Blog 252 Anxiety Self-Care for more tips. 
• Pregnancy is an especially important time to work on your mind. Please read Blog 235 Tips for Managing Mental Health While Pregnant for helpful suggestions.  

Scripture Meditation

Meditating on scripture can help us when our minds feel anxious, heavy, or unsure. There are numerous verses that bring peace, comfort, hope, strength, courage, healing, clear thinking, trust, and a sense of God’s presence. Just slowly read the verse and ponder the words as you go. Let God’s Spirit reveal truths to you that can calm your mind. 

Healing and restoration of mental health for those with troubled minds and broken hearts can come from meditating on these verses:

• James 5:14-15- Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
• Psalm 147:3- He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
• Isaiah 53:5- But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Verses that bring comfort during times of anxiety include:

• Philippians 4:6-7- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• Isaiah 41:10- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
• 1 Peter 5:7- Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Peace and rest come from verses like these:

• Matthew 11:28-30- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
• Isaiah 26:3- You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
• Psalm 4:8- In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Verses that give us hope and assurance of a future:

• Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• Romans 15:13- May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Lamentations 3:22-23- Because of the Lord ’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The Scriptures are a great source of comfort in times of illness, stress, worry, financial difficulty, and other anxious times. 

Action Step

 Start today to meditate on Scripture, use the above mental health strategies, and build your own daily habits. You will soon experience a happier, healthier you. 

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. What experience do you have with improving your mental health?