Every morning, without exception, I get up, I make myself a cup of coffee, and I go for a walk nice and early. If it’s sunny and beautiful, I go for a walk. If it’s cloudy and gray, I go for a walk. If it’s pouring out, I grab my jacket and an umbrella, and I go for a walk. I usually walk over to the park nearby. It has a jogging trail on it, and there is a spot with pullup bars. Every time I pass the bars, I do a few pullups.

I started doing all this for physical health, just to ensure I don’t get sedentary. But I kept doing it because it’s time in my own head with nothing from home or work to distract me. I sometimes have headphones in to listen to music, but usually not. Usually, it’s just me and the outdoors, and an opportunity to really, really think. It’s good for my mental health.

Other things that help:

• I check in with my loved ones, just so they know how I’m doing and I know how they’re doing. And if something is wrong, I tell them.
• Every time I go into the kitchen, for any reason, I try to leave it more clean than when I started. If I’m grabbing a snack, and there’s a dirty dish in the sink, I rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. It’s amazing how much just having a clean kitchen improves my sense of well-being.
• Sometimes I’m sad. Sometimes it’s enough that I cry. That’s okay.

A lot of this sounds like things to do just to not be depressed, but it’s really much more than that! Taking care of these aspects of my mental health ensures that when fun and joy and entertainment and laughter present themselves, I’m in a good frame of mind to accept them.

Take care of yourself. Happiness isn’t something you can force, but it is something you can make room for.