Top 12 Best Practices for Balanced Mental and Physical Health

 

Hey there. Let me start by saying I never thought I'd be writing about this stuff. Five years ago, I was that person who thought mental health was just about "thinking positive" and physical health meant occasionally remembering to eat a salad. Boy, was I wrong.

It hit me one rainy Tuesday morning. I was sitting in my car, parked outside my office, having what I later learned was a panic attack. My hands were shaking so badly I couldn't hold my coffee cup, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd taken a full breath. That moment – watching the rain hit my windshield while my world felt like it was imploding – changed everything.

This isn't another one of those "I transformed my life and now everything is perfect" stories. Honestly, some days still feel like I'm trying to juggle while riding a unicycle in a hurricane. But I've learned some things along the way, mostly through trial and error (lots of error), that actually help. Not in a miraculous, life-changing way, but in a real, "okay, I can handle this" kind of way.

1. Sleep: The Thing Nobody Takes Seriously Until They're Broken

Let me tell you about my friend Mike. He used to brag about working 20-hour days, surviving on Red Bull and willpower. "Sleep is for the weak," he'd say. Then one day, he found himself crying in the cereal aisle because he couldn't remember if he liked Cheerios or not. True story.

I wasn't much better. I'd stay up until 3 AM scrolling through Instagram, then wonder why I felt like garbage the next day. The turning point came when my 6-year-old niece drew a family portrait and gave me dark circles under my eyes. "That's because you're always tired, Auntie," she said. Kids, right? They don't pull punches.

What actually worked for me:

• Creating a "shutdown ritual" (sounds fancy, but it's just me putting on my fuzzy socks and making chamomile tea)
• Buying a real alarm clock so my phone could live in the kitchen at night
• Accepting that sometimes I'll have insomnia, and that's okay
• Not beating myself up when I stay up late watching dog videos (we're all human)

2. Moving Your Body (Without Hating Every Second)

Here's a confession: I still hate running. Like, passionately hate it. I tried to be a runner because that's what healthy people do, right? Three twisted ankles and one very embarrassing fall in front of my cute neighbor later, I realized something important – there are other ways to move.

For me, it started with dancing in my kitchen while making dinner. No choreography, no rules, just moving however felt good. Sometimes that meant dramatic interpretations of Bohemian Rhapsody. Other times it was gentle swaying while stirring soup. It wasn't "exercise" in the traditional sense, but it was movement, and it made me feel alive.

Now I have what I call my "movement menu":

• Walking my rescue dog, Luna (who judges me if we skip a day)
• YouTube yoga videos (the ones where they say it's okay to fall over)
• Swimming (where I mostly just float and pretend to be a mermaid)
• Dance parties while cleaning my apartment

3. Food: The Complicated Love Story

Can we talk about how nobody prepared us for having to decide what to eat three times a day, EVERY SINGLE DAY, for the rest of our lives? It's exhausting. I used to swing between eating nothing but kale (lasted approximately 2.5 days) and ordering enough takeout to feed a small army.

My wake-up call came during a routine doctor's visit. My blood work showed I was "nutritionally confused" (my doctor's polite way of saying I was a mess). That, combined with my bank account screaming in takeout-induced agony, made me realize something had to change.

What actually helps:

• Keeping emergency snacks everywhere (my car, desk, purse, bathroom... don't judge)
• Learning three basic cooking skills (scrambling eggs, roasting vegetables, making one good pasta dish)
• Accepting that sometimes dinner is crackers and cheese, and that's fine
• Having "backup meals" in the freezer for when life gets overwhelming

4. Mental Health: The Elephant in Every Room

Let's get real about therapy. I started going because my friend Sarah literally made the appointment for me after finding me having a meltdown over spilled coffee (it wasn't about the coffee). I was terrified. What if my therapist judged me? What if I was too messed up? What if I wasn't messed up enough?

Turns out, therapy is like having a personal translator for your own mind. My therapist, Carol, helped me understand why I do the things I do. Like why I say yes to everything even when I'm overwhelmed, or why I sometimes eat an entire pizza when I'm feeling sad.

What I've learned:

• Everyone could use therapy, seriously
• Mental health isn't about being "fixed" – it's about understanding yourself
• Some days are harder than others, and that's normal
• It's okay to not be okay sometimes

5. Stress Management (When Everything Feels Like Too Much)

Let me tell you about my worst day last year. My car broke down on the way to an important meeting, my laptop died in the middle of a presentation, and my upstairs neighbor decided to flood their apartment (and consequently, mine). By 3 PM, I was hiding in the office bathroom, practicing those breathing exercises everyone talks about but nobody actually does.

Except here's the weird thing – I didn't have a meltdown. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to scream into a pillow (and later, I did). But somehow, I managed to handle it without completely losing it. That's when I realized all those tiny stress-management tools I'd been practicing actually worked.

What actually helps me cope:

• Having a "stress first aid kit" (mine includes headphones, a playlist of really angry music, and pictures of baby animals)
• Taking "micro-breaks" (sometimes just 30 seconds of staring out a window)
• Naming my stress voice (I call mine Karen – she's very dramatic)
• Using the "future self" trick (asking myself if this will matter in 5 hours, 5 days, or 5 years)

6. Building Real Connections (In a World of Small Talk)

I used to be the queen of surface-level friendships. You know, lots of acquaintances but nobody I could call at 2 AM when everything felt like it was falling apart. It took a really rough breakup for me to realize I was surrounded by people but still felt completely alone.

The game-changer came when I accidentally got vulnerable with my coworker Jamie during a coffee run. I say "accidentally" because I was sleep-deprived and stressed, and somehow ended up crying about my dad's health issues while waiting for my latte. Instead of running away awkwardly, she shared her own story. That coffee run turned into a two-hour conversation, and she's now one of my closest friends.

What I've learned about real connection:

• It's okay to go first with vulnerability (most people are relieved when you do)
• Quality over quantity is real (I'd rather have 3 close friends than 300 Facebook friends)
• Regular check-ins matter (I have monthly "life update" calls with my core people)
• Sometimes connection means sitting in silence together

7. Setting Boundaries (Without Having an Identity Crisis)

My biggest boundary breakthrough came after I found myself at my third baby shower in one weekend – for people I barely knew. I was exhausted, broke from buying gifts, and resentful. That's when my therapist asked me a life-changing question: "What would happen if you just said no?"

My first attempts at boundaries were... messy. I overcorrected and basically became a hermit for a month. Then I swung back to saying yes to everything. Finally, I found a middle ground that actually works.

Real talk about boundaries:

• Start with small "no's" (like declining a party invitation)
• Script your responses ahead of time (I literally practice in the mirror)
• Accept that some people won't like your boundaries (and that's okay)
• Remember that "no" is a complete sentence

8. Finding Purpose (When You're Not Planning to Save the World)

Can we talk about how much pressure there is to find your "life's purpose"? For years, I thought I was failing because I hadn't discovered my grand mission in life. Turns out, purpose doesn't always look like starting a non-profit or becoming a spiritual guru.

My purpose revelation came while helping my elderly neighbor learn to use Zoom during lockdown. It wasn't world-changing, but seeing her face light up when she could talk to her grandkids? That felt meaningful. Sometimes purpose is in these small moments of connection and help.

What actually helps with finding purpose:

• Looking for meaning in daily interactions
• Keeping a "good moments" journal (even if it's just notes on your phone)
• Finding ways to help others, however small
• Accepting that your purpose might change over time

9. Digital Wellness (Without Going Full Luddite)

I once tried to do a complete digital detox. I lasted exactly 6 hours before having a mild panic attack about missing an "important" email (narrator: it wasn't important). But that experience taught me something valuable – it's not about eliminating technology, it's about making it work for you instead of against you.

My turning point came when I realized I was missing actual sunset views while scrolling through sunset photos on Instagram. Talk about irony.

What actually works:

• Creating "phone-free zones" (bathroom, dinner table, bedroom)
• Using the "one screen at a time" rule (no phone while watching TV)
• Making my phone boring (grayscale mode is a game-changer)
• Having designated social media times (instead of constant checking)

10. Self-Care (Beyond Bath Bombs and Face Masks)

Let's be honest – sometimes self-care looks like crying in your car between meetings while eating gas station snacks. And that's okay. Real self-care isn't always pretty or Instagram-worthy.

My definition of self-care changed after burning out so badly I couldn't remember my own phone number. Now I know it's less about pampering and more about parenting yourself – doing the hard things that future-you will thank you for.

What real self-care looks like:

• Going to the dentist (even when scared)
• Having uncomfortable conversations when needed
• Setting up automatic bill payments
• Sometimes saying "no" to things you want to do but know will drain you

11. Creating Routines That Don't Make You Feel Like a Robot

I resisted routines for years because I thought they would make life boring. "I'm spontaneous!" I'd declare, while forgetting to eat lunch for the third day in a row. Then my friend Maria showed me her "flexible routine" approach, and everything clicked.

What actually helps:

• Having "anchor points" in your day (morning coffee, evening walk)
• Creating "if-then" plans (if I'm feeling overwhelmed, then I take a 5-minute break)
• Building in flexibility (because life happens)
• Starting small (one consistent habit at a time)

12. Learning to Like Yourself (Most Days, At Least)

This is the hardest one, isn't it? I spent years trying to fix everything about myself – my body, my personality, my weird laugh, my tendency to cry during commercial breaks. The breakthrough came when I realized that waiting to like myself until I was "perfect" meant I'd be waiting forever.

What's actually helped:

• Keeping a "wins" list (big and small victories)
• Practicing self-compassion (talking to yourself like you would a friend)
• Celebrating your quirks (my weird laugh is now my "signature sound")
• Accepting that some days you won't like yourself (and that's okay too)

The Real Deal About Getting Better

Here's what nobody tells you about health and wellness – it's messy, it's non-linear, and sometimes it looks like eating birthday cake for breakfast. Some days you'll feel like you've got it all figured out, and others you'll wonder if you've learned anything at all.

But here's what I know for sure: Every tiny step counts. Every time you choose water over another coffee, every time you go to bed 10 minutes earlier, every time you say no to something that doesn't serve you – it all adds up.

And on the days when you feel like you're failing at everything? Remember this: You're not behind. You're not doing it wrong. You're just human, figuring it out one day at a time. And sometimes, that's the bravest thing you can be.

Keep going, be gentle with yourself, and remember – progress isn't perfect, but it's always possible.

P.S. - If you're reading this in your pajamas at 3 PM, eating cereal straight from the box, know that you're not alone. We're all just doing our best, and sometimes our best looks different each day. And that's absolutely, perfectly okay.