With the conclusion of 2022 fast approaching, it’s time to turn your mind toward 2023. With a whole new year of opportunities ahead and the chance to reset your state of mind, here is the My Mind News list of ten ways you can improve your mental health in the New Year.
2023 will be your year
The start of a new year brings new hopes, aspirations, and desires and a clean slate for many. This can encompass many aspects of life, but many will also hope to take advantage of the opportunity to improve one’s mental health.
The last few years may have been full of challenges, particularly during the difficult days of the pandemic, as well as the emergence of the next global recession and the resulting economic hardship.
But help is at hand. There’s so much you can do to ensure that 2023 will be one of the best years of your life. Things can look positive if you want them to be, and there are steps that you can take today to change your life for the better in 2023.
The team at My Mind News has compiled a list of ten tips to help you improve your mental health in the forthcoming year. These tips range from lifestyle changes to ways you can improve your social life and general health, too.
Take a look at our suggestions, and why not consider which ones you aim to engage with as 2022 ends and the bright new year kicks off?
1. Set realistic goals and define your schedule
A significant part of setting yourself up for a successful 2023 will be to have realistic goals and plan ahead. Setting such goals will involve creating and abiding by a flexible schedule that gives you regular support throughout the day.
You also need to carefully pick both achievable and challenging goals and help you reach your ambitions for 2023. In addition to setting your goals, you will need to set out a workable and beneficial routine for you and your lifestyle that you can stick to.
This schedule should include the following –
- Time for breaks and short periods of self-reflection – check in with yourself regularly;
- Enough time to enjoy meal breaks without rushing or feeling compelled to return to work immediately; and
- Sufficient time for rest and periods of relaxation – downtime can be just as productive and positive as the rest of your day.
Wellness breaks such as these help ensure your mental health for the day, whether as simple as taking regular breathers or taking time to enjoy eating your lunch undisturbed.
2. Boost your activity levels
Another great thing you can do for your mental health is to start boosting your activity levels by exercising more. One great way to start this is to begin a fitness routine.
Whether you want to start building muscle in the gym to improve your flexibility through yoga, physical activity has been shown to help improve mental health. It would help if you also made it a point to get up and move around throughout the day regularly.
A non-active, sedentary lifestyle can often lead to increased mental health issues. Plus, activity assists in maintaining general physical health too.
3. Get a decent sleep
People often overlook sleep when it comes to their mental health. Yet, getting good sleep is one of the best things you can do for your mind and body. My Mind News recently reported on the repercussions of not getting enough sleep on your general health.
To succeed in 2023, you will need a sharp mind and an energized body. Getting a good night’s sleep is a great way to ensure you wake up well-rested and ready to face whatever challenges the day brings.
4. Enjoy good foods that can fuel your brain
Your diet also plays an essential role in your mental health which can have a direct impact on your success and how you deal with challenges that come your way.
Making minor improvements to your diet is a great place to start. You can enjoy some foods that have omega-3 fatty acids as well as B vitamins which have been shown to play a role in brain health.
But eating healthily overall, cutting down on sugary and highly processed foods, and reducing your alcohol intake have all been shown to impact your mental health positively.
5. Build up your confidence
Everyone could use a little boost in their confidence and self-esteem once in a while. Thankfully, there are many things that you can start doing today that can improve your confidence as we all head into 2023.
You can start by making small changes to your daily routine, including starting a journal or writing down how you feel throughout the day. Toward the end of each day, you might make notes on how you approached the day’s challenges and how you might improve on that going forward. But be kind to yourself, too – remind yourself that you did the best you could at the time.
6. Build friendships
One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to build friendships and seek out new ones. Feeling that you can connect with people on an in-depth level can provide a valuable boost to your mental health, particularly at this time of year when it is all far too easy to stay in and hunker down with the long nights and colder weather.
Friends are also one of the keys to your success. Your friends will be the catalyst that will help lift you, present new opportunities, and support you when you feel like things are getting tough and times are getting hard. Reciprocate this, too – be there for your friends, and they will be there for you too.
7. Treat yourself occasionally
It doesn’t hurt to splash out now and then on little luxuries. It doesn’t have to be on an expensive item either – sometimes all that is required is a little picker-upper to help brighten those gloomier days.
This can be as simple as a nice cup of coffee and a slice of cake. Just make sure you pick something that is not normal for you and will give you that little kick you may need to perk you up and recharge your sense of wellbeing.
8. Prioritize care
Caring for yourself is part of mental health. It can be tough to prioritize taking care of yourself, given the stresses and demands of modern life. Yet caring for yourself is where many mental health improvements start, and failing to do so can be where cracks appear, and problems arise.
Success can be challenging when you don’t take care of yourself. Taking time out of your schedule to prioritize your personal care is a great way to set yourself up for a better 2023.
Being kinder to yourself should be one of the most important things you can do. After all, how can you expect others to treat you well if you don’t do it yourself?
9. Reduce time spent on social media
For all the benefits that social media can bring, it can also be very harmful to your mental health. From feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and despair to wishing you had more to make you feel ‘happier’ in your life, these are all harmful feelings that can be reduced by accessing social media platforms less regularly in 2023.
Regularly remind yourself that your time on social media could be put to many more positive uses. Why not look at our recent article on how spending 30 minutes on exercise rather than social media can improve your mental health?
Ultimately, there are only so many hours in the day, so why not use those hours for an activity that will make you feel better about yourself rather than worse?
10. Show gratitude
Part of boosting your mental health is showing gratitude for the good things coming your way. Discovering how to show gratitude is essential to good mental health and further success in your life.
Being thankful for things that go your way and enhance your life means showing a willingness to be appreciative.
Being grateful for the positives in your life will undoubtedly help you to seek out and appreciate other good things as they appear. Be open to positive thoughts. Enjoy what goes well for you and celebrate your successes.
Set yourself up for a fantastic 2023
2023 is just around the corner now. If you can start making small changes now by incorporating any of the above tips, you might just see big improvements when the new year finally arrives. You shouldn’t be intimidated by any of these changes.
Starting any small changes today is the first step toward more significant changes tomorrow.
2023 may be a few weeks away yet, but you can take any of these small steps now to ensure you have an excellent foundation to start the new year ahead. Remember that big changes start from small beginnings, so why not make that first change today and watch it grow as 2023 appears over the horizon?
