A new year is a perfect time to make a fresh start on caring for your mental and emotional wellbeing. While many people focus their New Year’s resolutions on physical improvements like nutrition and exercise, mental health should be an important area of consideration. Fortunately, a small number of straightforward adjustments can significantly improve your general mental health.

Prioritising your mental health and acquiring techniques that can help you cope with whatever pressures the year throws at you are the main components of mental self-care. We’ve listed our top five suggestions for you, along with quick actions you can take daily to improve your mental health and boost your overall wellness.

BOOST YOUR MENTAL WELLNESS IN 2023

There is no single solution to improve your mental health. However, there are a variety of proven ways to deal with mental health struggles and boost your mental health and wellbeing. Here are the most effective:

1. Being in the present moment

A meditation technique called mindfulness encourages you to focus on the current moment rather than the past or future, which cannot be changed or predicted. Locking yourself into a level of awareness that enables you to approach whatever comes your way calmly and logically will get easier the more you practice.

Even if you don’t meditate, there are many activities you may engage in to cultivate mindfulness as part of your mental well-being. For instance, if you feel yourself becoming anxious, focus on your five senses and describe what you are smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing and touching to bring yourself back to the present. Other ways to practice mindfulness are focusing on the breath, getting outside in the sun and using mental health apps.

2. Sleep more

The importance of getting enough sleep for your mental health cannot be overstated. Getting enough sleep enables your brain to process emotional data and detox from the day. Meanwhile, a lack of sleep is linked to a wide range of detrimental mental health outcomes, including melancholy, anxiety, and weakened cognitive abilities.

There’s no doubt that getting adequate sleep is important, and there is no better time to start making changes than right now. Create a relaxing sleep routine that you can genuinely look forward to each night and avoid coffee, sweets and alcohol in the hours before bed. To help you establish your circadian rhythm and achieve more efficient sleep, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Here is a toolkit to improve your sleep.

3. Maintain a journal

Journaling is an excellent method for dealing with negativity and actively working through your stresses and problems, as well as what you might be able to do about them. You can learn how to recognise triggers that make you regress, while setting objectives for your mental wellness and holding yourself accountable for achieving them.

Make it a point to journal at least twice a week, whether you type your ideas or write them out. If you’re stuck for topics, try these mental health journaling prompts and try to respond to them without judging yourself.

4. Maintain an active support system

Your friends and family are the people you can rely on to listen when you need to talk; they make up your support system. Their support enables you to speak honestly and openly, providing you with emotional support.

Keeping up a support network can be crucial to controlling stress and anxiety, and you need to take responsibility for keeping it running. Regularly communicate with your supporters, and be there for them when they need you.

5. Pursue activities that bring you joy

No matter how busy you are, it’s critical to prioritise your happiness. Taking part in your favorite hobbies and listening to your favorite music can trigger a regular stream of endorphins in your brain, which will help you cope with stress and anxiety. Decide what you genuinely enjoy doing, and then make time for it.

Regular self-care and setting daily intentions can have a significant impact on mental wellness. Learn more about handling negative emotions and elevating the chemicals responsible for happiness. Speak to us if you would like to learn more about our infusion therapy for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.