We often hear that mental health is important, but what does that actually mean? And how do we take care of it in real life, when things are busy, overwhelming, or just plain hard?
Let’s start with the truth: mental health isn’t about always being happy or never feeling stressed. It’s about how well we cope with the everyday.
Explore our collection of award-winning planners and journals that encourage leadership, goal-kicking, passion and motivation, with elegant designs that can be personalised.
The fundamentals of a healthy mind (and what’s actually realistic)
The World Health Organization defines good mental health as a state of wellbeing in which we can realise our abilities, handle the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to our communities. Sounds simple, but living it out can be anything but. So what does it really take to nurture a healthy mind in the midst of our everyday demands?
Good mental health isn’t about being happy all the time. It’s about emotional resilience. Resilience means being able to manage stress, bounce back from setbacks, and know when you need to pause.
Science shows that key contributors to wellbeing include:
- Quality sleep
- Meaningful relationships
- Regular movement
- Self-reflection (yes, journalling counts!)
Mental health fluctuates, and that’s normal. It’s not about avoiding stress or anxiety, but building habits and tools to help manage them. The goal is to protect your baseline. Prioritise consistency, not perfection.
What happens when mental health takes a hit
When your mental health is neglected, symptoms can build up slowly:
- Trouble focusing
- Irritability or emotional overwhelm
- Difficulty sleeping
- Lack of motivation
- Feeling drained or off
These may be early signs of burnout, not just tiredness but chronic stress that leads to exhaustion and detachment. Burnout often brings disconnection, low motivation, and a dip in performance. If left unaddressed, it can escalate into more serious concerns like anxiety or depression.
Get more out of every day, at work and at play, with our range of Day Organisers that will up your game. Its unique layout will clarify your priorities, stimulate productivity and give you a daily dose of motivation.
Protecting your mental space isn’t about controlling everything. It’s about building small habits, boundaries, and resets that help you feel grounded again.
3 Everyday habits that actually help (and don’t take hours)
Protecting your mental health doesn’t mean overhauling your whole life. It’s about small, intentional shifts in your routine that help you feel centred and supported. Choosing habits and tools that work for you makes all the difference.
1. Start and end the day with reflection
Taking just five minutes in the morning or evening to check in with yourself is powerful. According to research from the American Psychological Association’s Psychology, even short daily journalling practices can reduce stress and improve emotional regulation by activating the brain’s planning and self-awareness centres. The Good Morning Good Night Journal was created with this exact practice in mind. Morning prompts help you set clear intentions. Evening pages offer space for gratitude, clarity, and slowing down so your day doesn’t blur into the next.
2. Externalise your thoughts
When your brain feels foggy or overstimulated, putting pen to paper can help untangle the noise. Writing taps into different neural pathways than speaking or thinking alone.
Tools like the Make Your Mark Journal or Worry Be Gone Clarity Journal give structure to that process. These aren’t just blank pages. They include research-backed prompts. The Worry Be Gone journal, for example, was inspired by stress-management methods popularised by entrepreneur and author Tim Ferriss, best known for his book The 4-Hour Workweek. He introduced “fear setting,” a method for unpacking anxiety and planning clear responses. The journal builds on this, refined with support from an EAP corporate psychologist to ensure the techniques align with therapeutic best practice.
3. Protect your bandwidth
Mental fatigue often doesn’t come from doing too much, but from juggling too much in your head. When every task, reminder, or emotion is carried mentally, it creates overwhelm.
That’s why tools like the LH Agenda Planner exist. Writing things down gives your brain a break. Studies show that offloading tasks to paper reduces cognitive load and improves clarity. With dedicated space for goals, non-negotiables, and scheduling rest, this planner helps you feel more in control without needing to be perfect.
Mental health is maintenance, not a one-time fix
Just like physical health, your mental wellbeing needs regular care. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be consistent.
Missed your journalling streak? Forgot to check your planner? That’s okay. Wellbeing isn’t about being balanced all the time. It’s about rebalancing when you need to.
Your lifestyle doesn’t need to be aesthetic. It just needs to support your peace. Whether it’s five minutes of journalling, using stickers to brighten your tasks, or writing down your worries to clear your head, it all counts.
Every small habit that protects your peace is worth it. And it’s never too late to start.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, mentally scattered, or just ready to protect your peace, these are the tools we recommend:
-
For mental clarity and untangling your thoughts, try the Worry Be Gone Journal
-
For building daily rituals and checking in with yourself, we recommend the Good Morning Good Night Journal
-
For combining organisation with mindset, the LH Agenda Planner gives you space for goals, wellbeing, and reflection
These tools are all part of our Mind By Design collection, created to support mental health, resilience, and intentional living, one page at a time.
