Chelsea Pottenger knows how to look after mental health, well.
Having experienced severe postnatal depression following the birth of her first child Clara, Chelsea went from a high-flying corporate job to hitting her lowest point (you can read all about her story here).
It made her re-evaluate her life.
The now 41-year-old went back to university to study psychology and is the founder and director of EQ Minds - where she works with businesses and professionals to take care of their mental wellbeing.
Chelsea works with some of the biggest brands in the world, like eBay and Google, to teach their employees how to take charge of their mental wellbeing.
Here are five essential hacks she suggests everyone incorporates into their daily lives to better their mental health.
1. Don't look at your phone when you wake up.
Before you roll your eyes having heard that too many times before, Chelsea explains the science behind why this is so bloody important and what you should do in those first moments of your day instead.
"When you wake up your brain's pretty vulnerable to whatever you're looking at - a work email, the news or social media. When take [all this] in, it physically changes the way our brain looks," she said.
Instead, she suggests you lay in bed, and practice some gratitude.
Here are some ways you can do that:
- Silently or audibly expressing your gratitude before getting out of bed.
- Write little gratitude notes or keep a gratitude journal.
- Post inspiring quotes around the house.
- Do a guided gratitude meditation.
"It's one of the simplest tasks and it will change [your] lens looks of the entire world," she said.
