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To stay physically fit and healthy, athletes exercise frequently and engage in rigorous training. Floyd Mayweather didn't just get lucky with his abs and undefeated record — he earned them through relentless discipline, early morning runs, and countless hours in the gym perfecting his craft.
Just like physical fitness, sound mental health is only possible when you maintain the right habits. Mentally healthy people put in the work to get their mindset right. They intentionally build routines that strengthen their minds, so that they don't break down even in the face of life’s toughest challenges.
Being mentally healthy is more than just going through the motions, avoiding breakdowns or managing stress — it’s about cultivating habits that promote long-term emotional resilience, clarity, and fulfillment.
If you want to thrive emotionally and mentally, it has to start with your daily habits. In this post, we’ll break down the 10 key habits of mentally healthy people, with actionable tips to help you incorporate them into your own life.
1. They Prioritize Self-Awareness
Mentally healthy people understand themselves deeply — they know their triggers, values, and emotional patterns. When you're self-aware, you respond to life’s stressors with clarity instead of reacting impulsively. This means you have a lot of control over your emotions—a key sign of mental fitness.
How do you cultivate self-awareness?
Take a Self-Assessment test
There are different personality quizzes you can take online to help you understand yourself better, e. g Insight Quiz by Dr. Tasha Eurich; The Typefinder Personality Test by Myers and Briggs: and the VIA Survey of Character Strengths.
Journal your thoughts and emotions daily.
Keeping a record of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors every day will help you understand what led them to each negative thought, emotion, or behaviors.
According to Mental Health America, keeping a journal can help you handle stress, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder better.
It doesn’t matter of your journal is a hardcopy book or a digital book. What matters is for you to set aside a time daily and write with no distractions. 5-10 minutes will do, but there's nothing wrong with spending up to 20 minutes.
As you journal, don’t worry about how fast or slow you write, how your handwriting looks, your spelling or grammar. Your attention should be on pouring out your heart.
You can use prompts like these:
What triggers strong emotions in me, and how do I typically respond?
What habits or patterns hold me back?
How do I soothe myself during stressful moments?
What recent situation tested my emotional control, and what did I learn from it?
What limiting beliefs am I ready to release?
You can also use sentence completion exercises. e. g,
Today, I felt…
Something that made me smile today was...
I felt frustrated when...
Right now, I feel…
Tomorrow, I want to...
My ideal day would include...
I feel most fulfilled when I...
One step I can take toward my goals is...
I am becoming the person who…
Meditate to observe your inner dialogue.
Ways to meditate can include: Guided meditation, mantra Meditation, Mindfulness meditation, and Yoga.
Guided Meditation is also known as guided imagery or visualization. It is done by creating images of locations or things that help you relax in your mind.
You use as many senses as you can; smell, sight, hearing and feeling. You can either do this all by yourself or led through the process by a guide.
Mantra meditation involves repeating a calming word or phrase to keep out unwanted thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation is based on being more aware of the present.
In this type of meditation, you focus on one thing, e. g the flow of your breath. You can notice your thoughts and feelings. But let them pass without judging them.
Yoga however involves a series of postures with controlled breathing. Yoga helps give you a more flexible body and a calm mind. To do the poses, you need to balance and focus. It helps you focus less on your busy day and more on the moment.
Reflect on your core values and life goals regularly.
Mentally healthy people take time to reflect on their core values and life goals regularly. This allows them to stay aligned with what truly matters to them. Their actions and decisions easily fall in line with their personal principles.
If you live your life like this too, you’ll enjoy the fruits of fulfillment and intentionality and it will become hard for you to have a mental breakdown.
Want to go further? Check out How to Cultivate a Mentally Healthier Lifestyle in 2025 for a step-by-step guide to building self-awareness and emotional balance.
2. They Set Healthy Boundaries
Mentally healthy people set boundaries because it protects their mental energy and prevents burnout. You have to learn to say no to things that drain you and guard your time and energy fiercely.
Examples of healthy boundaries:
Limiting work after certain hours.
Saying no to toxic relationships or environments.
Prioritizing personal time, even when others demand attention.
If you struggle with guilt around boundaries, that might be a hidden mental block. Explore our post on The Hidden Mental Blocks Holding You Back to start dismantling those limiting beliefs.
3. They Nurture Meaningful Relationships
Strong social connections are a powerful buffer against stress and depression.
Mentally healthy people actively invest in relationships that uplift and support them.
Tips for building meaningful connections:
Schedule regular catch-ups with close friends.
Join local or online communities with shared interests.
Practice vulnerability — share your struggles as well as your wins.
4. They Practice Gratitude Daily
Gratitude helps you shift focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant.
Mentally healthy people actively notice and appreciate life’s small joys, which boosts resilience and emotional balance.
Simple gratitude practices you should start:
Write down 3 things you’re grateful for every morning.
Create a “gratitude jar” to collect positive moments.
Express appreciation to loved ones regularly.
5. They Take Care of Their Bodies (To Stay Mentally Healthy)
In a national survey, Americans cited benefits of self-care to include:
Self-confidence (64% of total respondents agreed to this).
Increased productivity (67% of total respondents agree to this)
Happiness (71% of total respondents agreed to this).
Indeed, mental health is deeply connected to physical health.
Self-care, movement, nutrition, and rest all influence mood, energy levels, and cognitive function.
Foundational Self- care and physical health habits you should start:
Stay hydrated.
According to the 2020–2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, there's no specific daily water or fluid intake for an average adult. However, it is recommended that you choose plain water over flavored water and juices.
The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom recommends consuming 6–8 glasses of fluids a day, or 1.9 liters. This includes water in food, water, milk, low sugar or sugar-free drinks, and tea or coffee. The NHS asserts that this amount is suitable for a temperate climate, and for hotter climates, higher water intake will be necessary.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3–5 times a week.
Ideally, you should exercise for 30 minutes, at least five days a week. Examples of exercises you can do include brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope.
When you engage in aerobic exercises, it improves blood circulation, this leads to lowered blood pressure and heart rate.
Prioritize high-quality sleep (7–9 hours).
When you consistently sleep less than you need at night, you're putting your health and safety at risk. It is very important to prioritize sleep every single day.
The state of your physical and mental health is deeply connected to the quality of your sleep. The same way you should pay close attention to eating a balanced, nutritious diet and exercising is the same way you should prioritize quality sleep.
Eat nutrient-dense foods that fuel your body and brain.
Vegetables and citrus fruits are proven to contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help boost your overall well-being for improved mental health.
Also dieticians have asserted that lean proteins, such as those from poultry, tofu, and legumes, provide essential amino acids that help regulate your mood for better mental health.
Apart from these two classes of foods, complex carbohydrates like whole grains have the tendency to stabilize blood sugar levels. This way, your mood improves while anxiety reduces.
This is not all. Omega-3 fatty acids, nuts & seeds, fermented food, and dark chocolate are also said to play a huge role on your mental health.
Neglecting the state of your physical health is an unhealthy mental health habit and it can drain you and hold you back from reaching your full potential in 2025.
6. They Engage in Regular Mental Detoxing
Mentally healthy people declutter their minds just like they declutter their homes. They intentionally release negative thoughts, fears, and emotional baggage.
Ways to mentally detox:
Practice deep breathing or meditation.
Limit social media and digital noise.
Schedule “mental reset” days where you unplug and recharge.
7. They Stay Curious and Keep Learning
A growth mindset — the belief that abilities and intelligence can develop — helps mentally healthy people navigate failure and setbacks with grace. They see challenges as opportunities to learn, not threats to their self-worth.
Ideas to cultivate a growth mindset:
Read books or listen to podcasts on personal development.
Learn a new skill or hobby.
Reframe failures as learning experiences, not defeats.
8. They Foster Optimistic Thinking (Without Toxic Positivity)
Mentally healthy people don’t ignore pain or pretend everything is perfect, but they intentionally choose hope and focus on what they can control.
Ways to build optimism:
Reframe negative thoughts into empowering questions.
Visualize your goals and positive future outcomes.
Surround yourself with positive, uplifting influences.
9. They Make Time for Rest and Play
Rest isn’t a luxury — it’s a mental health necessity.
Mentally healthy people understand the importance of downtime, hobbies, and pure fun.
Ideas for restful, joyful activities:
Spend time in nature.
Try creative hobbies like painting, writing, or dancing.
Schedule regular “play” moments — even if it’s just 10 minutes of doing something silly or spontaneous.
10. They Seek Help When They Need It
Perhaps the most powerful habit of mentally healthy people is knowing when to ask for help.
They don’t equate seeking support with weakness — they see it as a courageous step toward healing.
Ways to seek support:
Talk to a trusted friend or family member.
Join a support group or community.
Seek therapy or counseling when needed.
Not reaching out for help, out of shame or ego is actually a hidden mental block that can hold you back from reaching your full potential and enjoying the kind of life you deserve.
Your Mental Health Journey Starts with Small Habits
Mental health isn’t built overnight — it’s a lifelong journey of small, intentional choices.
By adopting even a few of these habits, you can create a more balanced, joyful, and mentally resilient life.
Want to take the next step? Explore these supporting resources to deepen your growth:
Mental health is a muscle — the more you exercise it like your body, the stronger it becomes.
You’ve got this!
How Favor Mental Health Services can help
Our team includes caring experts who:
• Really understand ADHD and know how to spot it and help you manage it
• Offer different kinds of therapy that actually work - whether you want to talk one-on-one, work on specific challenges, or get your family involved
• Can help find the right medication if you need it, and make sure it's working well for you
Your privacy matters to us - everything we discuss stays strictly between us. As certified professionals, we take confidentiality seriously.
Let's work together to help you feel like yourself again.
Contact us:
410-403-3299
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