It’s a new year and with every new year comes an opportunity to do things a little differently to help improve your mental health.
Some of you may already have some goals set in mind but if not, here are some tips to get you started:
1. Join a Group or Volunteer
By joining a new group, you are simultaneously meeting new people and participating in something that you enjoy. Both of these activities are good ways to improve mental health.
2. Exercise
Exercise boosts the ‘happy chemicals’ in the brain, known as endorphins, which ultimately improve your mood and sense of well-being. Try and make the effort to engage in some form of exercise every day, even if this is just going for a short walk, and it’s likely that you’ll feel better as a result, both physically and mentally.
3. Eat healthily
It’s important to make a conscious effort to eat more healthily in the New Year, and try not to overeat. Not only does this have obvious physical health benefits, but a healthy diet that’s full of vitamins and nutrients can also have positive effects on your mental well-being. Research suggests that foods that are rich in folic acid (such as avocado and spinach), and omega-3 acids (such as salmon and tuna), can improve your mood and lower stress and anxiety.
It’s so easy when we’re feeling stressed or low to reach for the junk food, but you can help to alleviate some of these negative feelings by simply eating well.
4. Improve Sleep Habits
Getting good sleep is one of the fundamental ways to ensure we feel our best. Focusing on getting enough hours of quality sleep can help improve your mood and mental health. There’s also a handy sleep guide for the little ones: https://breathe-edu.co.uk/resource/the-good-night-guide-for-children-the-sleep-council/
5. Clean Out
Decluttering is a great way to start the new year fresh. Gather up unused items and donate them to a local organization to help those in need and free up space in your home.
6. Get Away
A change of scenery can help improve your state of mind if you are feeling stuck or stressed out. Committing to time away for yourself, even if it is a “staycation” at home, will help you recharge and refocus.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Creating a mindfulness practice can greatly reduce stress and anxiety and also improve overall physical health.
8. Self-Care
Self-care focuses on prioritizing your mental and physical health so that burnout does not happen. Self-care is beneficial to overall wellness.
9. Regular Exercise
Regular exercise can help reduce stress, boost self-esteem, improve sleep, and lessen depression and anxiety.
10. Learn To Say “No”
Saying “no” is an important skill to learn. By limiting the commitments you say “yes” to, you can better utilize your time for things you enjoy.
11. Ask for Help
Asking for help when you need it can greatly reduce the amount of stress you have when dealing with big tasks.
12. Meditate
Regular meditation can improve overall health. It has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and improve blood pressure, and it can even help reduce the urge to turn to unhealthy coping strategies.
13. Hydrate
Dehydration can cause you to experience headaches, agitation, and tiredness. To help combat dehydration, make sure to drink enough water every day to stay properly hydrated and healthy.
14. Taking a break from social media
As a way of starting off the New Year on a positive note, you could try logging out of your social media accounts and evaluating the impact that this has on your general mood, stress and anxiety levels and overall wellbeing. You might find that you’re much happier without having a constant insight into other people’s lives. In addition, without the incessant scrolling on your phone or tablet, you may find that you’re able to spend an increasing amount of quality time with your family and enjoy your leisure time more than ever. Here’s a helpful guide to managing social media.
15. Embrace Change
Although change can feel intimidating, it can lead to wonderful new possibilities. Learning to embrace change instead of fearing it will help transitions feel more exciting and less stressful.
16. Practice Gratitude
It can be easy to hold on to things that you feel aren’t going right in life. However, focusing on and having gratitude for the good things in your life can change your overall perspective from negative to positive.
17. Treat Yourself!
Treating yourself to a special item or experience can act as a positive reinforcement for hard work and help motivate you to keep pushing toward your next goal (just make sure they’re not the sugary type of treat)!
