Every moment is the best moment for a fresh start. For many, the new year personifies new beginnings. And with new beginnings come new routines, new goals, new resolutions. But does yours include your mental health?

Most of us dedicate most of our focus on our physical health and often dodge our mental health in the process. Taking care of our mental health includes taking care of our emotional, psychological and social well being. It also includes prioritizing everything that will make you happy, and now is the perfect time to bring it into focus.

Below are 5 ways to hone in on your mental health checklists for your new year resolution this 2022!

Limit your news screening time:

Getting to know the updates on the direction of the pandemic is very important to prepare ourselves. But beyond a certain horizon, it can be more upsetting than informational. It can heighten your fear and reduce your confidence to fight against it. The more sources you look into for the information, the more chances of you getting stuck in the rumour mill. Make sure the news sites and sources are reliable and reputed. Go for the national and locally recommended news sources and tell yourself it’s gonna be ok and you are gonna be ok.

Take care of your body and mind:

This can be the perfect time for you to focus on both your body and mind. Exercise and yoga can help you take care of your body and mind at the same time. Exercising regularly will help you reduce anxiety, depression while improving your mood, confidence and self-esteem. 

Draft yourself a healthy diet. Don’t eat too much junk, as staying at home all day can give you various opportunities to get close to unhealthy foods. Healthy eating helps fight depression and mood fluctuations. It helps increase focus and your energy level for the day keeping you spright and bright.

Keep yourself busy:

Healthy distractions can help you stay away from a cycle of negative thoughts and anxiety. Simple things you enjoy doing like cooking, reading books, watching TV, Painting, music or any other activities you like to do, can help you stay away from unwanted thoughts and loneliness. You can also teach yourself something new or something you always wanted to do. Learning new things tends to improve your confidence and also add a skill to your stack.

Improve your connections:

If your fast paced life had stopped from connecting back to people you used to talk to, then now is the time. Connect with people virtually, this will help you avoid social isolation. Thanks to the developed technology, we have so many platforms supporting us to connect with our friends and family virtually. Send email or text or video call a friend or colleague and ask them how they are doing. This will not only help you feel connected but also helps the mental health of the opposite person.

Come up with a healthy routine:

A daily routine helps reduce the feeling of uncertainty for the day. It helps you come up with a plan for your day and stick to it. You can figure out what works for you everyday and stick up to your routine. It can be having a glass of hot water right after you wake up, exercising everyday, learning a new skill , having your meals of the day at the right time and right choices of food, spending some quality time with your family or friends. Getting a routine will help you bring discipline to your day and keep you occupied with the tasks that would benefit your mental health.

Mental health is important at every stage of our life. It ensures your overall physical health, your productivity, social life, focus, your relationship with the society and your contribution to the community. Now that you know the importance of mental health and some realistic goals you can include in your new year resolution list, the last and most important step is to stick to it and make sure your mental health is always in check. Have a great year ahead!

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BitCare is now offering mental health check-ups. Schedule a virtual or in-person appointment with one of our Licensed Mental Health Professionals today.