The events over the course of the last year or two have left many people feeling a little drained, and perhaps even slightly depressed or anxious. This extended period of stress has been a trial for all of us, and it has become increasingly important that we monitor and maintain our mental health as well as physical health. Here are some methods to do just that.

Mindfulness Meditation

The idea of mindfulness has become sort of trendy, but that's only because it works. Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in our own lives, of perceiving what is happening around us rather than reacting to it. Mindfulness doesn't require significant changes in the user, nor does it require expensive training. Everyone has within them the ability to pursue and practice mindfulness.

When you are in a state of mindfulness meditation, you reduce your stress levels, you gain insight and perspective, and perhaps most importantly, you gain a bit of breathing room. Mindfulness allows the user or practitioner to take a step back from what is going on around them and truly elevate their perspective to a higher level.

Life Coaching

Commonly known as a sort of "self-help", the practice of personal life coaching has become more and more popular in recent years. Life coaching involves the forming of a set of coherent, achievable, and positive goals for yourself with the help of a life coach. Life coaching does borrow fairly heavily from modern therapy techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which only boosts its effectiveness. A life coach's goal is to help you build yourself up to reaching the goals you had set out for yourself in a healthy and realistic manner.

Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness

One tried and true method of maintaining a stable state of mental health is cleanliness. Stewing in a cluttered, dirty room all day will get to anyone. Keeping a generally tidy and organized environment will help produce the same kind of organization and neatness mentally. This isn't a new idea either, and has been expressed for many, many years as Feng shui.

Get Outside

Nature has long been thought to have some innate connection to our well-being, and as it turns out, they were right. In one study, researchers found a correlation between how connected to nature people felt and their general level of ease or happiness.

Self-care has never been more important than it is today. Learning to develop a routine for self-care is absolutely crucial to finding a sense of inner peace. This list is not comprehensive, however, all the methods listed have shown themselves to be consistently effective at managing levels of happiness.

Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn't on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700