This is not an article about becoming your best self.
It’s about becoming a slightly calmer version of yourself through habits that are niche, random, and probably not backed by science. I don’t know about your experience, but for me, being a teenager has been a lot. It’s confusing, overwhelming, and occasionally feels like you’re barely keeping it together. Well, at least somewhere along the way, I discovered a few niche, kind-of-weird habits that helped me stay sane through it all.
They’re small and won’t immediately fix all your problems, but they can at least keep you sane and calmer, just like they did for me. So here are some of my niche habits that have helped my mental health.
1. Keeping Background Noise
I feel like everyone has a comfort noise of some sort, and I have my own, too. For example, I genuinely love the sound of rain; it calms me in a way I can’t fully explain. For other people, it could be the sound of fish swimming deep in the ocean or snow falling.
I find that keeping your comfort noise in the background while you work on something genuinely makes you feel at peace. And it’s not even hard to find! There are thousands of YouTube videos if you just type “calming background noise” into the search bar.
Image Credit: Lee Campbell from Unsplash
2. Keeping An Artistic Journal:
Another niche habit that really helped me was keeping an artistic journal. Though I mostly did this as a kid, it's for all ages. It’s kind of like a diary where you let your feelings out, but you also add creative elements.
Sometimes I doodle about what I wrote in the corners; other times, I decorate pages with posters, images, or random scraps of paper. It makes journaling feel less serious and more comforting.
I am by no means an artist; most of the time, the “artistic” parts look absolutely horrible. I can barely draw a stick figure. But that’s the point.
It’s for you, and no one else will see it, so who cares? You don’t have to pressure yourself to write something every day; do it whenever you want, wherever you want. Just let it all out onto those pages.
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3. Holding Something Warm or Soft
Okay, so this is probably the most niche one yet, but I love keeping as many plushies as I can on my bed. All teenagers are still kids, but many of them still find it childish. But you can’t tell me holding onto the fluffiest and softest plushies isn’t comforting!
It doesn't even have to be a plushie; anything soft works. I am someone who kind of hates getting all touchy with people, so holding onto warm and soft things kind of replaces that. Even a hot cup of hot chocolate works, honestly. I hold it in my hand as I drink instead of putting it on the table, the best feeling ever. Instant feeling of safety and better mental health, honestly.
Image credit: MChe Lee from Unsplash
4. Standing Somewhere High And Just Observing
This won’t work for everyone, since some people have a fear of heights, but these are niche habits, so I think I’m all good.
I can’t really explain this one well, but when everything looks so small as you look down at it, you kind of realize how big the world actually is, and how none of those bad moments mean as much as you think they do. There’s a big world out there, and the system forces us to cry over exams. Besides, if it’s an open area, I like to feel the wind on my face, so that’s a plus.
You’ll feel like an edgy teenager at first, and “emo” memes will pop up in your mind a bit, but I swear it’s enjoyable. Just give it a try.
Image Credit: Md Mahdi from Unsplash
Conclusion
At the end of the day, none of these habits are magical fix, and they won’t work the same way for everyone. But I still hope these small habits of mine at least gave you ideas. If even one of these makes things feel a little lighter or quieter, then it’s done its job.
