10 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health on a Rainy Day

A lot of people love a good rainy day. It’s a great excuse to hunker down under your blankets and stay inside for the day. However, for some, rainy days can be really difficult, particularly if they’re battling a mental illness like depression or anxiety.

The good news? There are ways for you to boost your mental health on these dark and dreary days! Below are 10 ways that you can boost your mood while the sky remains grey and the rain continues to fall.

- - Get some rest. Rainy days are the perfect day for you to rest and perhaps catch up on some sleep that your body and mind may desperately need. Resting and napping are not for the “lazy”, they’re for the people who need to take a break and are willing to take care of their mind and body through sleep and restorative practices.
  - Curb your desire to bring on the junk food. Eating well is an important way to help maintain and boost your mental health for the day. Sugary snacks don’t fuel your brain. Your brain needs vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates. Put the chips and chocolate away and grab an apple and some almonds to snack on.
  - Drink your water. Similar to #2, it’s also important to put away the sugary drinks and fill up your water bottle to hydrate yourself properly throughout the day. Shoot for at least 3L of water per day, but of course, just try your best.
  - Get outside. Yes, it’s rainy. Yes, the sun isn’t out. But yes, you can still get outside for a nice 30-minute walk. Grab your umbrella and get your body moving. Rain jackets are made for this type of activity, so get up and get walking.
  - Limit your screen time. While it might be tempting to snuggle under your blankets and catch up on all things Facebook or binge-watch a new show, it’s best if you limit your screen time. Best to recommend no more than 2 hours per day.In fact, researchers in an article by Twenge & Campbell, 2018 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214874/) found the well-being was negatively impacted after 1 hour of screen time. Anything over 1 hour resulted in progressive feelings of negative well-being. We’re being a little more lenient with our recommendation of no more than 2 hours per day because if you’re going to watch a movie, you’re going to need more than an hour!
  - Phone a friend. Rainy days are a great chance to reach out to friends or family you haven’t had time to speak with in awhile. Grab your phone and reach out to connect! The connection, laughter and joy of reconnecting will help boost your mental health for the day. There are a lot of at-home workouts you can do. On top of getting outside and going for a walk, complete a short, metabolic workout. This type of workout is known for releasing endorphins and serotonin – both chemicals knows to be mood enhancers. Not sure what to do? CLICK HERE for a great at-home, no equipment workout.
  - Write in a gratitude journal. Sometimes it’s difficult to pull yourself out of feeling blue, but gratitude often helps. Sit down with a pen and paper and write 20 things you are grateful for. Once you’ve listed your gratitude, read the list at least twice (three times is even better) and reflect on each item on your list.
  - Get yourself a Sun Lamp! Vitamin D is important in helping boost your mood. If you’re feeling particularly blue, tired, stressed one day and the sun is hiding behind grey clouds, get yourself in front of a Vitamin D lamp. Try to also make sure you’re getting Vitamin D into your body through food – good sources of Vitamin D include fatty fish like mackerel, tuna and salmon, vitamin-D fortified foods like orange juice or dairy, cheese and egg yolk.
  - Be productive. While the desire may be to sleep the day away (and that’s okay sometimes), why not use the day to cross off something you’ve been meaning to do? Organize your closet, read a book you’ve been meaning to read, plan your garden for the spring/summer. Whatever you’ve had on your to-do list – get it done! It feels great to cross off those things you’ve been putting off! So go one – tackle one thing on your to-do list and reap the mood-boosting reward.