The festive spirit and mood has set in and the world out there is eagerly waiting to welcome the New Year. For most of the people, New Year is synonymous to a new beginning, new decisions and new goals, leaving behind the painful and pinching past. This is also the time when most people draw up a list of New Year resolutions and pledge to be a better person and make the coming year more fruitful and productive.
The resolutions usually vary from person to person and these can be related to anything under the Sun, such as personal goals, academic achievements and career accomplishments. However, very few think of pledging for good health, especially, mental health. When New Year resolutions are a good way to start afresh and introduce the long pending changes, why not make resolutions for better mental health as well? So when thinking of New Year resolution for 2018, you can get some ideas on how to look after your mental health from below few suggestions:
Pledge to be more positive: Positivity is the key. It will not only ensure a good mental health but also energize you to push your limits for better. Hence, this new year, make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive people and keep negativity at bay.
Indulge yourself in regular physical exercise: Regular exercise is beneficial not only for physical health, but also for mental health. The increased blood flow in the body during physical activity also increases the oxygen flow in the brain, which helps in better functioning of the brain, thereby, reducing the chance of the occurrence of a mental disorder.
Create a bedtime routine: Fiddling with smartphones and gadgets even when in bed and about to sleep, hampers the sleeping pattern. It further affects the brain chemistry and the stress level. Therefore, be determined to create a bedtime routine so that you are able to fetch adequate sleep daily.
Eat a healthy diet: The entire year usually we tend to either eat junk in the name of celebrations or restrict diets to shed the extra gained calories. Hence, to have a better mental health in the New Year, ensure to consume healthy and nutritious diet. This will be beneficial for physical as well as mental health.
Do not skip meals: Along with eating a healthy diet, it is important to take food at regular intervals and not skip any meal, especially, the breakfast. Experts believe that a healthy breakfast is the key to good mental and physical health.
Practice experiential therapies: Science has proven that activities like yoga, meditation and mindfulness can help relax and calm down the brain. It also helps in controlling emotions like rage, anger or distress, thereby, preventing a surge in the stress level.
Schedule a ‘self-time’: Although, it may sound silly or absurd, scheduling an alone time can do wonders. During this time, try and connect with yourself. The activity will help you understand your inner self and other turmoil, if any. As a result, you will not only gain an insight into the triggers that lead to stress, but will also be able to find a solution to them.
Get into the habit of penning down: Journaling and penning down the troubling things can provide relief from mental stress, to a great extent. You can write about your feelings, emotions, troubles or concerns. However, do not forget to mention at least one good thing that had happened during the day. This way, not only you will have your worries in front of you but also some positive points to keep you motivated.
Spend time with loved ones: This may seem very obvious and mundane, but spending time and speaking with people whom you love and care can be one of the best New Year’s resolutions for mental health that you can take. Talking to them will help you express your worries without any hesitation and find out solutions to your troubles, if any.
Take short but frequent breaks: Implement this in daily as well as year-long schedules. You must take short intervals during your work, especially in the On the other hand, you should plan small breaks like a weekend trip or vacation several times throughout the year. Doing this will help you get rid of stress and get a change from the mundane tasks.
Develop a hobby: Pursuing a hobby can be real buster as it is an act of your liking. Thus, it will keep you involved and help improve your concentration and attention span.
Keep yourself hydrated: Drinking water not only rejuvenates your skin but also keeps different systems of your body healthy. Drinking at least eight glass of water per day helps in relieving fatigue, promotes weight loss and boosts the immune system.
Love yourself: Appreciations are morale They encourage us to keep doing the good. However, more important is self-appreciation. Unless you appreciate yourself, no praises can cheer you up. Always feel good about yourself and keep motivating yourself. Self-motivation can help keep discouragement and mental disorders like depression and anxiety at bay.
Groom yourself well: Simple steps like wearing nice clothes or makeup and making other efforts to look good should be taken not to please others, but your own self. Therefore, invest your energy in looking good as it would further boost your confidence, make you feel good about yourself and push the negativity away.
Resort to leisure activities: Leisure activities like listening to music or reading books are not only time killers but also effective therapies to relax the brain nerves and to attain calmness. In fact, music therapies are among the various treatment methods recommended to a patient struggling with a mental illness.
Disconnect from the virtual world: With so many handheld gadgets, we truly have the world in our fists. However, it is important to disconnect from this continuous association after every frequent interval. These gadgets not only emit harmful radiations that damage the brain cell but also causes stress that may further lead to the development of anxiety. Hence, this New Year decide to disconnect from the virtual world every once a while.
Increase socialization: This does not mean sending/accepting more number of friends requests on a social media platforms. It also does not imply having night outs and getting It simply means that you should seek ways to engage yourself in social activities, such as charities, volunteering, fundraising events or simply spending more time with family and friends in person than conversing online.
Maintain a work-life balance: Career is important, hence, it is necessary to be dedicated to your work. However, you should not forget your personal life or family amid your work schedule. This New Year, pledge to have an undisturbed work-life This will help you have physical comfort as well as mental peace.
Accept yourself: While it is important to know your flaws and weakness, it is equally essential to accept them, as only then can you work on improving them. Utilize the lone time to discover and understand your real self and then work accordingly to overcome the fears and loopholes that may be coming in your way to success.
Stop being judgmental: Holding prejudices breeds and spreads negativity. Judging others or self can lead to comparisons and competition which can further add to mental stress and tension. Therefore, it is always better to avoid being judgmental.
Assess your relationships: Relationships are the core to human lives, therefore it is important to pay attention and make efforts to build healthy relationships. However, if you have any toxic relationship, it advisable to sever it at the earliest, otherwise it can poison the other aspects of your life. Additionally, bad relationships can also increase the chance of developing stress and lead to mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and others.
Get plenty of Sun: Sunlight is a rich source of Vitamin D, which is essential for healthy development of our brain and body. Additionally, Vitamin D also catalyzes the release of chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, which are responsible for good mood.
Avoid consumption of alcohol: Yes, you cannot avoid drinking, considering it to be an important part of the American culture, however, you should work to limit its consumption. Preferably, drink a glass only where it is unavoidable and try to rest skip it wherever possible. Alcohol is a depressant and its regular or excessive consumption can lead to mental health condition like depression.
Say no to substance abuse: Substance abuse is one of the prominent triggers of mental disorders. Substance abuse can lead to development of many serious and debilitating mental disorders, ranging from depression, anxiety to bipolar disorder. Therefore, staying away from substances should be the first major New Year Resolution for 2018.
Seek medical help: Do not hesitate to seek medical help if experiencing symptoms and signs of prolonged sadness or anxiety. Feeling anxious do not necessarily mean the presence of any underlying disorder. They could also be due to regular stress or worries. However, seeking an on-time medical help to address these signs can prevent the development of any mental disorder in future.
Conclusion
Mental health is as important as physical health. In fact, a sound mental health forms the base of a good physical health. Like physical health, you should stay alert and aware of your mental health as well. Mental illnesses are similar to any physical ailment that can be treated with proper medical intervention. They can be accurately determined by a clinical diagnosis conducted by a licensed medical practitioner. Therefore, while making resolutions for the coming year, make sure you do not neglect your mental health. We wish you a prosperous, healthy and joyous year ahead. Happy New Year!