This is the evidence for the assertions that I have shared above. For the most part, these are scholarly articles published in peer reviewed journals. The trick with what we use as 'evidence' is that when one performs a study one is usually looking at a very specific question, so there may need to be be a little extrapolation. I have also included more generalized journals and blogs that have more accessible commentary.
(1) Routine:11 Tips for a Morning Routine That Supports Mental Health
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/11-tips-for-a-morning-routine-that-supports-mental-health-1022197The Power of a Morning Routine
https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/august-2017/the-power-of-a-morning-routineWhy routines are good for your health
https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/why-routines-are-good-for-your-healthThe Mental Health Benefits Of Having A Daily Routine
https://www.blurtitout.org/2018/11/08/mental-health-benefits-routine/(2) Exercise:The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htmHow Your Mental Health Reaps the Benefits of Exercise
New research shows why physical exercise is essential to mental health.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...ental-health-reaps-the-benefits-exerciseEPA guidance on physical activity as a treatment for severe mental illness: a meta-review of the evidence and Position Statement from the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), supported by the International Organization of Physical Therapists in Mental Health (IOPTMH).
Eur Psychiatry. 2018 Oct;54:124-144. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.07.004
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30257806Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews.
Br J Sports Med. 2011 Sep;45(11):886-95. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185. Epub 2011 Aug 1.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21807669Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Severe Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Sports Med. 2017 Feb;47(2):343-352. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0574-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27299747
(3) Importance of Social Relationships/Staying Connected:Good Social Relationships Are The Most Consistent Predictor of a Happy Life
https://medium.com/kaizen-habits/go...t-predictor-of-a-happy-life-742d234cc5d2Change of depressive symptoms in a French nine-year longitudinal study of aging: Gender differences and relationships between social support, health status and depressive symptoms.
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2020 Apr 22;89:104059. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2020.104059
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32334334Social relationships and risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies.
Ageing Res Rev. 2015 Jul;22:39-57. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.04.006. Epub 2015 May 5
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25956016Preventing social isolation in older people.
Maturitas. 2018 Jul;113:80-84. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.04.014. Epub 2018 Apr 30
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29903652(4) Being Out in Nature:We Are Wired To Be Outside (Note annoying insistence on logging in)
Science is demonstrating what we intuitively know: Nature makes us happy.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/02/nature-fix-brain-happy-florence-williams/How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/how-nature-changes-the-brain/Sour mood getting you down? Get back to nature
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/sour-mood-getting-you-down-get-back-to-natureThe relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis.
Front Psychol. 2014 Sep 8;5:976. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976. eCollection 2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25249992Connectedness to Nature: Its Impact on Sustainable Behaviors and Happiness in Children
Front Psychol. 2020 Feb 26;11:276. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00276. eCollection 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3217486630 Days Wild and the Relationships Between Engagement With Nature's Beauty, Nature Connectedness and Well-Being.
Front Psychol. 2018 Sep 3;9:1500. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01500. eCollection 2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30233443(5) Control Issues: Too much of a good thing? Exploring the inverted-U relationship between self-control and happiness.
J Pers. 2018 Jun;86(3):380-396. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12322. Epub 2017 Jun 21.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28480971J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Jan;63(1):24-38. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13178.
Factors that affect quality of life from the perspective of people with dementia: a metasynthesis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25597556Is feeling "in control" related to happiness in daily life?
Larson R.
Psychol Rep. 1989 Jun;64(3 Pt 1):775-84.PMID:
2748778
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2748778(6) Gratitude:How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain
New research is starting to explore how gratitude works to improve our mental health.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brainThankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions.
J Couns Psychol. 2016 Jan;63(1):20-31. doi: 10.1037/cou0000107. Epub 2015 Nov 16.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26575348The effects of two novel gratitude and mindfulness interventions on well-being.
J Altern Complement Med. 2015 Apr;21(4):243-5. doi: 10.1089/acm.2014.0119. Epub 2015 Mar 31.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25826108Interventions to Improve Mental Health, Well-Being, Physical Health, and Lifestyle Behaviors in Physicians and Nurses: A Systematic Review.
Am J Health Promot. 2020 Apr 27:890117120920451. doi: 10.1177/0890117120920451
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32338522The Relationship Between Gratitude and Loneliness: The Potential Benefits of Gratitude for Promoting Social Bonds.
Eur J Psychol. 2015 May 29;11(2):323-34. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v11i2.826. eCollection 2015 May.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27247660Forgiveness, Gratitude, Happiness, and Prosocial Bystander Behavior in Bullying.
Front Psychol. 2020 Jan 8;10:2827. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02827. eCollection 2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31969844(7) Mindfulness:
Researchers study how it seems to change the brain in depressed patients
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/st...-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/Evidence-based Mindfulness: What Science Tells Us About Mindfulness Meditation and Its Benefits
https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.o...mindfulness-meditation-and-its-benefits/What are the benefits of mindfulness
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-cornerWhere's the Proof That Mindfulness Meditation Works?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wheres-the-proof-that-mindfulness-meditation-works1/Last Photo:
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