Mental Wellness: 10 Proven Habits Every Woman Should Try

Mental wellness isn’t a luxury, it’s survival. And guess what? It begins with the small stuff. The moments between the meetings. The sips of chai when no one is talking to you. The mini-mind breaks that say, “Hey, I matter.”

After 11 years as a therapist, I’ve watched the same thing unfold again and again: the women who take charge of their mental wellness aren’t the ones with perfect planners or calm WhatsApps. They’re the ones who build tiny rituals into their chaos.

So, yeh lo. These are 10 proven habits that support mental wellness, the kind I’ve seen change lives, not in theory but in therapy.

Start Your Day with Stillness

It’s easy to dive into the day with alarms blaring, phones buzzing, and to-do lists shouting your name. But there’s magic in quiet mornings. Just sitting with your thoughts, or watching the pigeons bicker on the balcony, can ground you more than a motivational reel ever will. One of my clients replaced her morning scroll with a silent chai ritual, and her mental wellness improved drastically within a week. Coincidence? Maybe. But she swears by it now.

Hydrate and Feed Your Mood

We don’t often think of food as emotional fuel. But every time you skip a meal or drown yourself in caffeine, your energy dips and moods wobble. A client once tracked her emotions alongside her meals and realised most of her 4 p.m. meltdowns were hangry outbursts. Now, she snacks on nuts and dates like her nani used to say. Simple, effective, and surprisingly comforting. Mental wellness depends on nourishment too.

Journal Like a Safe Space

Journaling isn’t about being poetic or wise. It’s about unloading the emotional dahi-bhaat that clogs your mind. Scribble your rage, doodle your dreams, write that angry letter to your boss (but don’t send it). It’s private, freeing, and often, very revealing. A woman I work with found that just by journaling, she figured out the real source of her resentment wasn’t her boss, but her own silence. She reclaimed her voice and her mental wellness along the way.

Make a “No Thanks” List

We talk a lot about gratitude lists, but sometimes the bigger healing comes from knowing what to release. Your “No Thanks” list could include habits, people, even patterns. One of my younger clients wrote, “No more pretending to be okay when I’m not.” That sentence alone gave her permission to pause. Liberation doesn’t always need fireworks, sometimes it just needs a pen and some honesty. That honesty nurtures mental wellness deeply.

Move Your Body, But Kindly

When was the last time you danced like no one was watching? Or at least swayed to a song while washing your face? Exercise doesn’t have to be intense. Movement can be soft, silly, even lazy. Just do something that makes your body feel less like a machine and more like yours. A short walk. A ten-minute stretch. Or even just swaying to a retro track your dad used to play on Sundays. Your body’s joy is part of your mental wellness too.

Take a WhatsApp Break Weekly

Silencing the world is underrated. Especially in India, where every group chat is a buzzing beehive of opinions, celebrations, and unsolicited advice. Mute. Exit. Or just take a day off. A girl I counselled started observing “Silent Sundays” on WhatsApp. Her screen time dropped. Her guilt dropped. Her peace soared. Sometimes digital detoxes are more important than skin detoxes. This digital break restored her mental wellness week after week.

Practice Saying “Abhi Nahi Yaar”

Saying no isn’t selfish, it’s sacred. It’s a soft but solid boundary. Saying “Not right now” can protect your peace better than any wellness app. One young woman I spoke with practiced it at work for a week, and suddenly, her weekends felt like hers again. She said it gave her breathing room and boosted her mental wellness more than she expected.

Reconnect with Your Inner Bacchi

What did you love as a child? Drawing? Playing shop-shop with cousins? Even five minutes of old-school joy can lift your day. A client started colouring mandalas while sipping chai — and she says it gave her a calm deeper than Netflix ever could. These tiny joys reconnect us to ourselves and uplift our mental wellness naturally.

Therapy is Not a Last Resort

Don’t wait for a breakdown. Even one session can untangle years of silent suffering. If you’re scared, start by talking to someone who’s been. Therapy isn’t for the weak — it’s for the wise. Normalising therapy creates a culture where mental wellness is maintained, not just recovered.

End Your Day with a Safety Ritual

Close your day with something that tells your brain, “You’re safe now.” I light a diya and stare into the flame. Others write a tiny win in a notebook. One woman I know reads a page of poetry. Simple rituals, powerful anchors. These moments signal safety and strengthen your mental wellness gently.

Quick Reference Table: Mental Wellness Habits

A Story That Stayed With Me

Rhea (name changed), 28, had everything sorted on paper, job, partner, body goals. But during our sessions, she described herself as a “functioning ghost.” No fire, no fun, just fatigue. Her plan began with breakfast. We didn’t even talk trauma at first. We talked toast. Slowly, she built a rhythm; Silence, rest, softness. She told me last month, “I didn’t find happiness, I found me.” Her mental wellness began with one mindful meal and transformed everything.

Why This Really Matters

Let’s be honest. We juggle WhatsApps, shaadi pressure, bosses, body image, and still think we need to “earn” rest. You don’t. Wellbeing is not a reward, it’s your birthright. Prioritising mental wellness is not a Western concept or a luxury. It’s as desi as ghee, nourishing, grounding, essential.

Need a starting point? Read this blog on emotional well-being . It explains why feeling is more healing than fixing.

And globally? The World Health Organization has tips that still hold true, awareness, access, and regular support. Mental wellness deserves attention everywhere; in policy, in families, in you.

My End Note

There are days I forget. I scroll, skip meals, cry in parking lots. But I return. Kindly. Gently. With a cup of chai or a list of three things that didn’t go horribly wrong today. That’s my way of restoring mental wellness, drop by drop.

This journey isn’t about perfection. It’s about permission, to rest, to reset, to reclaim your joy. If your to-do list is too long today, choose one task: prioritise your mental wellness.

And if no one told you today: You’re not alone. You’re not too sensitive. You’re doing your best. And that’s more than enough. Protect your peace, protect your mental wellness.

FAQ

Q1: What is mental wellness, and how is it different from mental health?
A1: Mental wellness is the active process of nurturing your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. While mental health includes the absence of disorders, mental wellness focuses on proactive habits that help you thrive emotionally.

Q2: Can I start improving my mental wellness without therapy?
A2: Absolutely! Small daily habits like journaling, setting boundaries, or taking a WhatsApp break can make a big difference. Therapy adds depth, but the journey can begin with a simple change.

Q3: How do I choose which mental wellness habit is right for me?
A3: Tune in to your day. Are you overwhelmed in the morning? Try stillness. Feeling emotionally stuck? Journaling helps. The best habit is the one that feels doable and gives you relief, even briefly.

Q4: Is taking breaks from social media really that helpful?
A4: Yes! Many clients have reported reduced anxiety and better sleep after short digital detoxes. Social media is stimulating, and stepping back can support focus, peace, and mental clarity.

Q5: Are these habits suitable for working women and students?
A5: 100%! The beauty of these habits is flexibility — from 5-minute rituals to weekly resets. Whether you’re in class, on calls, or running a home, they can be shaped to fit your lifestyle.

Rina Goswami

Rina Goswamy is a psychotherapist with 11 years of experience helping women from all walks of life navigate emotional challenges, relationships, and self-discovery. Known for her bubbly warmth and no-nonsense insight, Rina believes therapy doesn’t have to feel heavy — sometimes, all it takes is asking the right question at the right time. Her writing feels like a conversation with a wise friend who just gets it.