30 Dec 22 Tiny Mental Health Habits That Can Improve Your Life In 2022
For several decades now, our motto at The Happiness Institute has been … achieving happiness requires little more than practising a few simple disciplines, each and every day.
Small habits can reap big rewards.
Too many people underestimate the power of little things; little things done well and done consistently.
With this in mind, I’m happy to share with you today this great article by Amber Gibson via the Huffington Post highlighting more than twenty tiny mental health habits you should consider adopting this new year …
Another roller coaster year is coming to an end, and the lingering effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have certainly taken a collective toll on our mental health.
There’s no way to know what 2022 has in store for us, nor can self-care erase the grief, trauma or other challenges we may have endured over the last 12 months. But as we look toward the new year, we can adopt healthy new habits to help incrementally improve our days, even if just for a moment. Sometimes, that’s more than enough.
Below are 22 happiness tips to try in the new year:
Start a gratitude journal.
This only takes a few minutes. Recording positive things about your day, whether major achievements or simple pleasures, can reduce stress, improve sleep and even foster better relationships by building a sense of empathy.AN ESSENTIAL DAILY GUIDE TO ACHIEVING THE GOOD LIFESubscribe to our lifestyle email.Successfully Subscribed!Realness delivered to your inbox
“There is no right or wrong way to write a journal, but I recommend that this becomes a daily exercise,” said John Lee, director of clinical psychology at Executive Mental Health.
Lee suggests journaling at the same time each day, whether before dinner or before bed, and identifying at least one item for daily gratitude.
Take five deep breaths.
“Stress has many physical manifestations,” explained Amanda Goldstein, a psychiatrist in California. This can include issues like stomachaches or other digestive problems.
“By changing your breathing pattern, you can trick your brain into suppressing your fight-or-flight sympathetic nervous system and increase your parasympathetic activity, or rest and digest. Not only will this make you feel calmer, but it will also help you digest your lunch better.”
Keep a light therapy lamp on your desk.
“Your circadian rhythm regulates your sleep-wake cycle, which affects bodily functions and behavioral responses,” Goldstein said. “Exposure to sunlight, especially first thing in the morning, helps keep your clock on time. Since most of us work indoors, a light therapy lamp serves this purpose and gives a nice boost in energy and mood. And as an added bonus, it provides excellent lighting for video calls.” (Here’s how to use one properly.)
Drink water.
Our bodies are made up of 60% water, yet up to 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
Sara Cullen, founder and CEO of GEM, said drinking enough water daily helps boost her mood. “Water is the essence of us and what we need in order for our micronutrients and functions to operate,” she said.
Label what you’re experiencing.
“Name it to tame it” is a phrase coined by Dan Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, and is often used by other mental health experts.
“If we experience a surge of distress or anxiety, research has demonstrated that merely verbal labeling of our negative emotions can reduce stress by up to 50%,” explained Ariella Morrow, lead physician at Sameday Health…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE