5 Simple Mental Health Resolutions You Won’t Abandon In 2022

New Year’s Resolutions are always challenging. In fact, most people don’t stick to them beyond January. You know how it goes. The new year brings incredible optimism and hope. You’re ready for something new and for things to be different. Maybe you’re tired of an old habit, tired of being out of shape, etc. So this is the year. The year you make the change. So you set a lofty goal that is nearly unachievable—if you were really honest with yourself. But hey, it’s a new year. At this moment, optimism always supersedes reality. 

But what if your resolutions were smaller, incremental changes that dealt directly with your mental health? Here are five easy things you can do, starting now, that will improve your mental health as well as improve your physical health. And when February comes, you’ll still be going strong. 

A Resolution For Better Sleep

In modern western culture, it is a virtue to be perpetually tired and really busy. Think about it for a minute. If you are talking with somebody, you often discuss your busy schedule, even for a moment. It's almost a legitimate competition to have more going on in life than someone else. It's not really our fault. It's become part of our cultural DNA. We do it because we believe activity equals productivity and importance. We believe that a full schedule brings value and meaning to life. We believe boredom is almost a sin. Okay, maybe not quite a sin, but you get my point. 

While being busy may not necessarily be a problem, it becomes a problem when we lose sleep. When there is too much on our plate throughout the day, the first thing we tend to sacrifice is sleep. If you think less sleep is a short-term loss but a long-term gain, you'd be wrong. Our mental health is directly and intimately connected to how well and how much we sleep. 

So go ahead and be busy, but just like you did when you were a kid, have a bedtime. Create a bedtime ritual and stick to it. And go to bed at the same time every night whenever possible. Set your brain up for success overnight. Start by not watching television or staring at your screen just before bed. When you sleep, your brain actively stores all of the day's information and removes unnecessary toxic waste. Cells are repaired and reorganized. All of which are critical for healthy brain function. Put simply: if you're not getting enough sleep, your brain can't function at optimal levels—meaning it's not healthy.  

A Resolution to Put The Device Down

Chances are, you’re addicted to your phone. It’s okay; we all are. In fact, they are designed that way. The more time we spend on them, the greater the dopamine rush. It’s a pivotal contributor to excessive screen time. Research shows that screens affect our sleep, our productivity, but most importantly, our mental health, thanks in large part to social media. 

Social media creates multiple challenges, especially for youth. Although social media is a practical and potent tool to keep people connected worldwide in an unprecedented way, there is also a part of social media that can be damaging. Social media may have the power to unite people. But the endless scrolling, constant comparison, and bullying can also lead people on a path to anxiety, depression, and addiction. 

So as hard as it may be to put the phone down, it just might be the thing your mind needs—a sort of sabbatical from the lure of the screen. One option is to pick one day every week to put the phone on “do not disturb” and enjoy a day of freedom. A second option is to limit your screen time—as in no social media for a week or more. You will be amazed at how refreshed you will feel. Your brain will thank you for it. 

A Resolution To Share Your Struggle

There is a kind of stigma associated with issues of mental health. It’s this feeling that we are supposed to be okay, that we aren’t supposed to be depressed, we aren’t supposed to be anxious, and addiction means we are weak. And these only scrape the surface. There are more than 200 mental illnesses, and roughly 25% of the population suffers from them in some shape or form. So imagine you’re at a party. You’re standing in a room full of fifty people or more. According to statistics, it’s possible that 12 people or more at the party are struggling with some kind of mental issue. So why aren’t we talking about it? 

Struggling with things like anxiety, depression, or addiction is hard enough, but struggling on your own just makes matters worse. We might not understand the feeling of constant worry about what might happen is actually anxiety. Or maybe you know that’s what it is, but you’re too embarrassed to admit it, or don’t know who to talk to, or even what to say.

So this year, resolve to be more open. Resolve to not be ashamed of how your mind works. Recognize when it’s not healthy when it’s not working correctly, and do what’s necessary to fix it and keep it healthy. You simply cannot do it alone. In fact, you were never designed to. Suppose you’re not sure that you have a solid or supportive enough community to help you. In that case, you can start by reaching out to RemedyLIVE’s chat center. Soul Medics are available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.  

A Resolution To Be Grateful

One of our friends is currently struggling with teaching her kids gratitude. I’m sure that because of the Christmas season, her kids have gone a little off the rails with gifts. It’s something every parent confronts. Nevertheless, she asked us how we teach our kids to be grateful. For the last several years, we have engaged in an evening ritual, usually at dinner, taking turns talking about our favorite part of the day. It’s a simple exercise with one goal in mind: finding one thing that made the day great. In other words, finding gratitude. 

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally for everyone. In our highly consumeristic culture, it’s easy to feel like we never have enough. We always need more, almost as if we deserve it. Think about what that can do to our mental health. Being thankful has a direct impact. 

A Resolution To Get Outside

I am convinced that many of us spend far too much time under fluorescent light. We spend too much time inside. Even as I sit in my home office, I look outside at a bright sunny day. There's a calm breeze, a bit cold, but the sun's warmth feels outstanding. It literally is the perfect day to be outside for a walk, riding a bike, or throwing a football around with the kids. Yet as I look out, it is a ghost town. There is not a single person outside. No one getting the mail, no one tinkering in their garage, no moms taking the kids for a walk. Which also means no fresh air, no vitamin D, and most likely no exercise. Yet all of those things are great for our mental health. 

So what are you waiting for? It's a beautiful day outside. Go for a walk, get some fresh air and sunlight. There's no secret or hidden science behind it. Just the simple truth that you will feel better when you do. 

I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to learn that 95% of New Year's resolutions are fitness-related in some way. While we should rightly be concerned with our physical health, we need to be equally committed to the health of our minds. But did you know that only 10% actually intend to continue forward with their resolution to better physical fitness after three months of the new year? Workout programs, expensive equipment, gym memberships, sore muscles, and time spent add up. While that might sound a bit discouraging, don’t worry; there is good news about these mental health resolutions. They only require minimal effort and desire. No gyms, no money, and definitely no sore muscles. 

By Steve Kozak