Mental Health Monday: Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana
š Mental Health Monday: Emotional Wellness Routines to Start Your Week Strong
Emotional wellness routines donāt need to be complicated or time-consuming. They just need to be intentional.
As a therapist and the owner of Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana (AACI), Iāve worked with many individuals, teens, and families in Munster, Indiana, who are looking for ways to feel better, reduce stress, and start the week without feeling overwhelmed.
Thatās where emotional wellness routines come in. These small but meaningful habits help us stay connected to ourselves, build resilience, and regulate our emotions more effectively. And when you combine these routines with the calming support of therapy animals, the results can be even more powerful.
š§ What Are Emotional Wellness Routines?
Emotional wellness routines are regular practices that support your mental and emotional health. These routines can be practiced daily, weekly, or seasonallyāwhatever works best for your life and needs.
Theyāre especially helpful on Mondays, when stress and tension can spike at the beginning of the work or school week.
These routines help you:
Feel grounded and focused
Start the day with calm intention
Improve your emotional regulation
Strengthen your ability to cope with stress and uncertainty
š Learn more about emotional wellness from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
š¾ How Animal-Assisted Therapy Supports Emotional Wellness
At AACI, we believe emotional wellness isnāt just about what you doāitās also about who supports you. Our trained therapy dogs offer a sense of calm, comfort, and connection that makes it easier for clients to build consistent routines and talk about difficult emotions.
Clients often say that interacting with the therapy dog helps them:
Feel safe and relaxed
Open up without fear of judgment
Stay emotionally present during sessions
These small, meaningful interactions become part of their emotional wellness routines, both in and out of the therapy office.
š ļø 6 Emotional Wellness Routines You Can Try Today
Here are some simple ways to build emotional wellness routines into your week. Start with one, and notice how it shifts your mood, focus, and energy.
1. š Start Your Day Without Your Phone
Instead of immediately checking your phone when you wake up, take 5 minutes to stretch, breathe, or set an intention for the day. This helps your brain ease into the day without overstimulation.
Try this: Sit with your dog (or in silence) and ask yourself, āWhat do I need today?ā
2. š Keep an Emotions Journal
Tracking your emotions can help you better understand what triggers certain moods or thoughts. Write down:
What youāre feeling
What happened before the feeling started
What you did in response
This is one of the most effective emotional wellness routines for long-term insight and healing.
š Download a free mood tracking journal template from Therapy Aid
3. š¶ Move Your Body Daily
You donāt need a full workoutājust gentle movement like walking the dog, stretching, or dancing to your favorite song helps release stored tension and improves your mood.
Movement routines increase dopamine and serotonin, which are essential for emotional wellness.
4. š§ Curate a Feel-Good Playlist
Music has the power to shift emotions. Create a playlist that helps you feel grounded, joyful, or calm. Listen to it during your morning commute or as part of your evening wind-down routine.
Your dog may enjoy the peaceful tunes, too š¶.
5. š¤ Connect with Someone You Trust
Whether itās a brief text, a morning coffee chat, or a therapy session, human (and canine) connection is vital for emotional wellness. Prioritize one supportive interaction per day.
š Looking for a therapist in Munster, Indiana? Meet our AACI team
6. š³ Get Outside and Breathe
Spending time in nature, even for 10 minutes, can calm your nervous system. Bring your dog, sit on the porch, or take a walk around the block. Let nature be your reset button.
š Explore the mental health benefits of nature ā American Psychological Association (APA)
š§ Build Routines That Fit You
Your emotional wellness routines should feel supportive, not stressful. If journaling isnāt your thing, try voice notes. If walking feels like too much, stretch in your chair. The goal is progress, not perfection.
And if youāre a parent, these routines are wonderful to model for your kids or teens. Let them see that itās okay to slow down, breathe, and care for themselves.
š¶ How AACI Supports Emotional Wellness in Munster, Indiana
At Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana, we help clients build consistent, sustainable emotional wellness routinesāsupported by:
Licensed therapists trained in trauma and emotional regulation
Animal-assisted therapy with certified therapy dogs
A warm, client-centered approach
Services for adults, teens, families, and couples
Whether youāre looking to manage anxiety, depression, stress, or simply want to feel more balancedāweāre here for you.
šÆ Your Mental Health Monday Task
This week, try starting your day with one small wellness routine:
š¾ Sit with your dog, take a few deep breaths, and ask:
āWhat do I need emotionally today?ā
If you’d like support developing your emotional wellness routinesāor want to explore therapy in a warm, client-centered settingāweād love to connect.
š
Contact us today
š Serving Munster, Indiana & surrounding areas