I know this topic comes up a lot but I want to ask it in a specific way: what ACTUALLY helped your mental health during your PhD? Not generic advice like "take breaks" or "practice self care" but concrete things that made a real, noticeable difference for you. I'm in year 3 of a psych PhD (ironic, I know) and I've been struggling more than I expected. The isolation, the constant feeling of not doing enough, the comparison to peers who seem to have it all figured out. I'm functioning but I'm not thriving and I want to change that. Would genuinely appreciate hearing what worked for people, especially things you wish you'd started earlier.