When I had just turned eighteen, I packed my things and moved to Santiago, Chile to begin university. I knew exciting opportunities were waiting for me, and in many ways, the experience lived up to everything I had hoped for. Still, I couldn’t ignore the challenges that came with leaving home and learning how to navigate life alone in a city so much larger than the one I had grown up in.

One of the biggest challenges was protecting my mental health.

Being young, far from home, and suddenly without the support system I had always relied on was overwhelming at times. I quickly realized that if I wanted this chapter of my life to become something beautiful instead of something lonely, I would need to become my own best friend. I had to learn how to take care of myself emotionally, mentally, and socially in a completely new environment.

I tried many things in search of balance. I experimented with meditation, habit-tracking apps, healthier routines, and different productivity systems. Some of those helped. But the thing that made the greatest difference in my mental health was also the simplest and most beautiful: I fell in love with the city that had welcomed me, and I allowed myself to become part of it.

The truth is, I didn’t move to Santiago only for university. I moved there because I loved the city itself. So I made a conscious decision to experience it fully. I started going out often—visiting beautiful neighborhoods, spending afternoons in parks, riding my bike through the streets, trying new cafés and restaurants, and exploring corners of the city I had never seen before.

As I embraced the city around me, something changed.

The anxiety and nervousness I had felt about such a major life transition slowly began to fade. My days became lighter, happier, and more meaningful. What once felt unfamiliar started to feel like home. Looking back, some of the happiest memories of my life were created during that time, and many of them exist because I chose not to isolate myself in my apartment.

That is why I believe one of the best things you can do for your mental health in any city—big or small—is to truly participate in it.

Be part of your environment. Leave your house. Walk through your neighborhood. Visit the local bookstore. Sit in a park with a coffee. Explore a new street just because it looks interesting. Let the city become a source of comfort rather than something that exists only outside your window.

And no, you do not need to wait until someone comes with you.

Some of my best experiences happened when I was alone. I was young, often lonely, and still adjusting to everything around me—but I refused to let that stop me from living. Even on sad days, going outside and allowing myself to experience the rhythm of city life made me feel more connected, more grounded, and more alive.

Sometimes protecting your mental health is not about doing something complicated.

Sometimes, it is simply about falling in love with where you are—and letting life happen around you.