Every year, most people set New Year’s resolutions. However, most of them seem to last more than a few months. It looks like one of the most common decisions is to lose some weight. You promise to eat healthy food on the 1st of January and hit the gym. Or maybe your purpose isn’t to lose weight but travel or earn more money.
Many people are motivated to do these activities. Still, most of them appear to be unreachable objectives. They sound incredible when we write them, but they are hard to keep up with.
While most of these goals are impressive, such as getting healthier or ahead financially, we tend to disregard New Year’s goals that concern our mental health.
Here are six mental health priorities that you should implement into the next year, which can encourage emotional wellness and joy.
Set Boundaries
Creating limits would allow you to be more connected to yourself. Boundaries are necessary for you and your friends. This sets a tone on how you handle yourself, and how you let people treat you. It helps you to be positive and confident about what you need. You can find yourself in fewer circumstances that force you to feel frustration and anger. Boundaries tend to foster harmony and protection. It gives you the time to nourish your spirit, soul, and body.
For example, if you told people not to contact you after 9 p.m., don’t answer your phone. If you are supposed to leave the workplace by 4 p.m. to make it to a 6 p.m. fitness class, then make sure to be on time. Remember to stick to your boundaries. Your mental health depends on it and sometimes your life.
Engage to Therapy
Therapy is not just for people who experience a mental disorder. It doesn’t mean you are insane. It is not the same thing as talking to your friend. A therapist is an unbiased and professional practitioner. He or she is equipped with expertise and tools to help you cope with daily difficulties. Therapy offers a secure and convenient place to work on your past, relationships, set expectations, identify habits, and establish effective coping mechanisms to relieve stress.
Therapy doesn’t perform well unless you do it. You should incorporate and apply what you learn in your everyday life. Please do not assume you are going to be fully recovered after a few gatherings. Consistency is important.
Go to Bed Earlier
Sleep is also an essential aspect of our mental health. Poor sleep can lead to a loss of the functional capacities of our nervous system and harms our mental balance. The lack of sleep can increase your anxiety and irritation.
To have a good quality of sleep, remember to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Also, avoid electromagnetic radiation, and especially blue light at night (emitted by devices such as computers, television, mobile phones, and tablets). Meals should be taken earlier in the evening, and food should be avoided four hours before midnight, especially in winter periods.
You should set a daily, comfortable bedtime cycle that helps you relax and sends a signal to your brain that it’s time to go to bed.
Limiting Your Time with Toxic Individuals
There are certain people, including friends and family members that we can’t escape. However, we should reduce your communications with them, as well as how you respond at the moment.
Toxic relationships and close ties can have a profound and damaging impact on your mental and emotional health.
Create a smart resolution to surround yourself with compassionate people who, instead of wasting your strength and enthusiasm, are reinforcing a bond of confidence in you.
Get your Social Media under Control
Research has found that social media can harm our mental health, and it may be worth restricting access to smartphones or just cutting them out of your life. Social media increases stress by boosting your ability to stay up to date with other people’s activities.
Apps like Instagram show a small image of someone’s life, many of which share good stories and never the negative ones. Thus, try not to compare your experience with others online. It could be smarter to take a step back next year from this false sense of reality.
Enhance Your Diet
In the New Year, make an effort to eat healthier. We are not talking about calorie counting, but rather about getting more nutrients, such as vitamins, healthy fats, and magnesium – all things that our bodies need and may have a positive effect on your mental well-being.
Research has revealed that foods that are rich in folic acids such as avocado and spinach, and omega-3 acids such as salmon and tuna, can reduce pressure.
By using these tips, you can make some health goals that will greatly improve your mental health throughout the rest of 2020.
