2022 is here, and to ring in the new year, everyone is starting to make their New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’re planning to train for a marathon, or learn to cook, or to read more books, but whatever is on your list this year, it might be worth considering adding one or two resolutions pertaining to your mental health. Everyone could benefit from building a few good habits that will benefit their state of mind, and New Years is the perfect time to work on building these habits into your daily life. Here are a few good ideas to try out!
Get More Sleep
We all know that we should probably be sleeping more. The CDC even reports that one in three American adults are not getting enough sleep. For a lot of people, however, sleep is one of those things that they’re always meaning to get better about but never seem to be able to. Getting poor quality sleep or not getting enough sleep can have serious negative impacts on your mental health, from brain fog to worsened depression and anxiety. Getting plenty of sleep might not be the one magic solution to all of your problems, but it will significantly improve your mental and emotional state, and New Years might be the perfect time for you to finally address this. Try making a goal of getting better sleep in 2022. Set yourself a regular bedtime that you stick to, make sure you get off of your electronic devices at least an hour or so before bed, and in the morning, try to get up and get going right away. That will help make it easier for you to fall asleep at night!
Exercise More
It’s pretty widely known that exercise is good for your mental health, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to keep up the habit of doing it! However, physical activity– and fresh air, if you’re able to get outside for your exercise– are so important to how you feel overall that this year, it’s worth making the extra effort to get moving in some way every day. You don’t have to be spending money on a gym membership or doing exercises that bore you, either! Take a dance break in the middle of your day to get some cardio in, or set up a regular walk around the neighborhood while you call a friend so that you can chat while getting your steps in.
Disconnect
Social media and the constant influx of news and current events have a profoundly negative effect on many people’s mental health. Headline after headline of bad news can leave you feeling depressed and hopeless, and comparing your life to the picture perfect snapshots you see of other people’s lives on social media can do a lot of damage to your self worth. All together, it’s a recipe for a mental health disaster. Taking some time off from social media is a good resolution to make this year, and if you’re able, taking short breaks from your phone and technology in general. Disconnecting yourself from the information stream might take some getting used to, but you’re sure to feel better for it in the long run!
Build Self-Care Habits
Having habits like journaling or meditating that help you to calm down and process your thoughts and feelings is pretty much always a good thing for your mental state. If you’ve never really tried committing to self-care habits like these, let this be the year that you give them a shot! You might be surprised with how much better they help you to feel.
If you’re hoping to have a happier and healthier 2022, these mental health New Year’s resolutions are going to be great ideas for you. Try working them into your routines and watch how much your mood improves!