Let’s be honest here. Life can be, and is, mundane most of the time, isn’t it? We’re told to meditate, seek therapy, dig deep within ourselves, and soul-search to resolve our anxiety/mental health.

I’ll always be that person recommending those steps, first and foremost. After all, they really do help! But you have to be ready for it.

We’re not always ready for it.

Sometimes, we don’t want to be told to dig deep, or to delve into potentially traumatic stuff.

Sometimes, we just want simple, quick tips that might help us feel a bit better in that moment.

Sometimes, we need mundane people writing mundane tips that might help.

–> Here I am! <–

As such, I’ve compiled a few ideas that I’ve personally done myself, more than I care to admit. That’s not to say I’m ashamed of that fact, more so that these ideas are extremely mundane, yet effective.

As always, I’m not a doctor nor am I medically qualified. I hope that my personal experience helps, even just a little bit.

Flipping your pillow and/or duvet to the cold side

I’m not sure when I first tried this, whether other people do it, or if it is even a thing.

But, for some reason, flipping my pillow changes the groove for my head, and the coolness is nice.

Make sure to check for cats that might be in the pillow prior to flipping.

Flipping the duvet is even better. Maybe it’s akin to a spring clean — except isolated to your bed, and not confined to spring.

This reset of pillows and/or duvet seems to be a reset for the body, especially if feeling fidgety or can’t get comfortable.

Give it a try!

Splashing your face with cold water

OK, OK.

I’m sure a lot of you reading that statement will recoil at the very thought of splashing your face with cold water right now.

Trust me, I’m recoiling — thinking and writing those very words.

But, I wouldn’t recommend it if it didn’t help. Even the NHS has an article about this: Splashing cold water on the face to reduce effects of trauma (2023).

I know this will feel impossible if you’re particularly struggling. If this is you right now, I’d wholeheartedly recommend getting in touch with your doctor.

If not, you shall pass…

Get yourself to the sink and splash water on your face.

I promise you that you won’t feel worse for it.

Three-minute brain dump with a pen and paper

Pause.

Can we take a slight moment to appreciate that Benny — my ginger tiger that purrs like a tractor — likes watching Star Trek and Lord of the Rings?

Anyway.

A three-minute brain dump with a pen and paper has benefits. PsychCentral have written all about this if you want to read more: Using Brain Dumping to Manage Your Mental Health (2022).

This is another mundane thing that might make you feel better. It does also require physical action you may not want to or feel like doing right now.

All you need to do is find a pen and any piece of paper (no matter how scrap it might be), and offload. Write whatever the crap you want — no one is there to read it.

That’s the beauty of brain dumping.

Whatever you write, you can burn it up, scrunch it up and chuck it in the bin, rip it up, scream at it — whatever you want and feel you need to do.

Make sure you only spend three minutes doing this, too.

I’m betting that you could probably spend hours screaming at the page. Trust me, I know. I’ve still not written all I needed to write to my dad after his passing. I wrote three pages through anger and resentment in about 5 minutes, and I’ve not returned there since. That’s another book-blog post for another day.

So, although it might be cathartic to offload everything in this moment, That’s not helpful here and definitely isn’t a mundane task.

Set a timer if you have to.

Just remember that whatever you write – the piece of paper won’t and cannot judge. Let it all out.

Do some star-jumps on the spot right now for ten seconds

Similarly to the water-splashing, star jumps might also feel a bit daunting if you’re not feeling up to it.

But, I promise you, there is method behind my madness.

Quick bursts of energy help alleviate stress and dissipate the adrenaline your body might be releasing when stressed.

The Guardian have an in-depth article you can read here (2022).

You might feel a bit silly doing it, I get it. If you don’t feel up to dojnf star-jumps, you could even try moving your arms or legs around in circular motions.

Do whatever you can and are able to manage, and only for ten seconds.

Eat an ice cube

Ice cubes, ice lollies or ice cream are a really effective but mundane way of resetting the body, helping us in times of need.

I do understand that not all of us have the privilege of having access to a freezer, even moreso the space for frivolous items such as these.

But, if you do, have an ice rack St the ready if you find yourself feeling a bit anxious.

Eating an ice cube has been scientifically proven to ease anxiety, helping to ground the body through the senses.

Anxiety tends to overwhelm our thoughts; ice cubes pull us out of that.

Dr. Uma Naidoo has written a thorough article about ice cubes for anxiety as a nutritional psychiatrist – read here (2020).

Put on your favourite song of all time on and force yourself to sign along

You might feel a bit silly doing this (I don’t anymore, too old for that 😅), but, singing has major benefits to us. These include psychological, social, physiological, and behavioural aspects. Sing Up have written about the benefits here.

Dopamine, serotonin and endorphins are released when we sing in minutes. It also changes our breathing which can ultimately help lower anxiety.

Finally…

Play a drum beat on your thighs via patting/slapping

Tapping or slapping your thighs (or other parts of the body for that matter), are another form of grounding.

By tapping your body, your helping to take yourself out of your brain and your thoughts, and into the moment.

Again, it might feel a bit silly, but it’s definitely a thing.

Although I tend to fidget and leg/foot wobble most of the time, actually leg slapping (not to cause pain though 😅) brings me back to the present.

The University of Manchester has a great article all about this and more, here. It also includes more helpful info around grounding techniques. Definitely worth a read!

Okay.

Hopefully these mundane ideas help to make you feel a bit better.

Do let me know if you try them, and if you have any other ideas!

Much love,

Jess

Xoxo