7 Small Changes To Try Out This Week

Small change, big difference.

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1. If you've got 3 minutes: Read these calming words.

Axel Antas-Bergkvist / Via unsplash.com

17 Things Anxiety Sufferers Need To Remember.

2. If you've got 5 minutes: Follow the A-Z of Mental Health on Instagram

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Sonia writes: "22-year-old Bengaluru-based artist Sonaksha Iyengar recently decided to make an illustrated series about mental health on Instagram." Find out more about the project here.

3. If you've got 10 minutes: Make (and drink) a low-alcohol cocktail.

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Generally, drinking less alcohol is a good idea. Here's the recipe for a spiked ginger ale (also known as a Dry Vermouth Buck):

“We’re all searching for a low-ABV long drink that we can sit back and drink all day. At Sacred, we make a “Dry Vermouth Buck” (ginger ale, a shot of vermouth and a little lemon juice served over ice) that ticks all those boxes, and isn’t too sweet.

“You can use any good dry vermouth in your ginger ale, but our Sacred English Dry is heavy on thyme, which really compliments the ginger notes, and it contains no sugar for a wonderfully tart finish. If you’re making up a jug at home, serve with a sprig of mint and a slice of lemon.”

— Alexander Jeffreys, development bartender at Sacred Microdistillery, London

Get more low-alcohol recipes here. Get cool alcohol-free recipes here.

4. If you've got 15 minutes: Zone out with a new game.

iTunes

Chelsey writes: "I don’t really know how it happened, but I am completely obsessed with this game now. Play high-stakes, quickfire games of Rummy against other players online and move up through the ranks for glory. I don’t know what it has to do with cats but I don’t care. It’s wicked fun and requires just enough concentration to shut your brain off from the world around you."

Download it here.

5. If you've got 20 minutes: Try some body-positive fitspo.

Chelsey Pippin/ BuzzFeed

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you to go for a run. But when I'm feeling anxious or depressed, my desire to exercise and move goes right out of the window. And then I feel bad about my body, which makes me feel even worse. This list of body positive quotes is a good place to re-assure yourself that simply by supporting you (literally!) your body is doing enough.

Alternatively, remember that you don't have to take anybody's advice when it comes to looking after your own mental health.

6. If you've 30 minutes: Make plans with friends.

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If you're someone with social anxiety, this post is super-useful for advice about making plans with friends.

"I used to wait for other people to reach out to me, and would inevitably feel sad and alone when I had nothing to do on a Friday night, especially when I’d just graduated from college and was living in New York City with a long list of things I wanted to do. After too many weeks of this, I decided to act on my mom’s long-standing advice that the phone works both ways, and I started just texting people when I wanted to try out a cool new cocktail bar or something. It’s so basic that in retrospect, it sounds ridiculous that it was a lightbulb moment, but I discovered pretty quickly that my mom was right."

7. If you've got 30 seconds: Look at this picture.

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This is a weekly series! Got a self-care tip you’d like to suggest? Let me know in the comments or tweet me.