5 Healthy Activities You Can Do by Yourself

#1 Let Your Mind Wander

Daydreaming provides a good balance to mindfulness, the practice of being aware of the present moment. Give your mind a short break by letting it wander freely for a few minutes – this helps release tension and anxiety and spur creativity.

Observe your thoughts while you let your mind wander - this may help train your awareness of your mental health and well-being too!

#2 Cultivate Your Green Thumb

Head back to nature: find and join a community garden near you to reap the health benefits of gardening. The low-impact physical activity helps relieve stress and puts you in a better mood. Being in nature will also give you a more positive outlook on life which will help you to cope with stress and deal with day-to-day challenges.

#3 Pick up a Musical Instrument

Interested in learning an instrument? A study found that adults who practised musical instruments regularly saw heart benefits such as lower blood pressure, compared to those who didn’t play music. And picking up a new skill, musical or otherwise, might also boost your self-esteem and self-efficacy, and keep your mind sharp.

#4 Get Your Game On


Playing with video games or reading a book can help to relieve stress. Video games might even help sharpen your memory and decision-making skills! Remember to game in moderation and keep tabs on the time spent gaming. Keep your total screen time to no more than two hours per day.

#5 Pen down Your Gratitude

At the end of each day, take a few minutes to write down three things you’re grateful for before going to bed. Expressing gratitude can improve your mental health by lowering stress levels and boosting your immune system—giving you more to be thankful for!

Try one or a few of these 5 healthy solo activities to relax your mind and improve your emotional health.


Visit MindSG for more tools to take care of your mental well-being.  


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References

  1. Schooler, J. W., Mrazek, M. D., Franklin, M. S., Baird, B., Mooneyham, B. W., Zedelius, C., et al. (2014). The Middle Way: Finding the Balance between Mindfulness and Mind-Wandering. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 60, p. 1-33.
    Retrieved October 2016 from https://labs.psych.ucsb.edu/schooler/jonathan/sites/labs.psych.ucsb.edu.
    ​schooler.jonathan/files/pubs/middle_way.pdf
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  5. National Parks. (2015, Jan 26). CIB Friends [NParks].
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  6. Harding, A. (2011, Jul 8). Why gardening is good for your health. CNN.
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  7. Ellison Chair in International Floriculture. (n.d.). Health and well-being benefits of plants [Ellison Chair].
    Retrieved October 2016 from http://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/health-and-well-being-benefits-of-plants/#.WD0H2KJ97OQ
  8. Jacobs, T. (2013, Jan 21). Playing Music May Lower Blood Pressure. Pacific Standard.
    Retrieved October 2016 from https://psmag.com/playing-music-may-lower-blood-pressure-f02f27fb6409#.g8jvxfn4w
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  10. Harvard Health Publications. (2016, Mar 18). 6 simple steps to keep your mind sharp at any age [Harvard Health Publications: Harvard Medical School].
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  11. Gallagher, D. (2013, Mar 10). 7 health benefits of playing video games. The Week.
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  13. Heubeck, E. (2006, Jan 11). Boost Your Health With a Dose of Gratitude [WebMD].
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