Ready to tackle 2023? As the year comes to an end, it is a time to reflect and set goals for the year ahead. One of your goals this year may be to promote positive mental health. Luckily, there are several things you can do to achieve this! 

Take a look at these 10 ways to improve mental health in 2023 and consider implementing some of them now or in the new year.

Take A Sick Day

Just because you don’t have a stuffy nose, cough, upset stomach, or any traditional symptoms of being sick, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a sick day. Treating ourselves the same way we would if we were sick when our mental health isn’t good, is fantastic for restoring our mental health like when we have physical symptoms. 

So, break away from the world for 24 hours, watch your favorite movies, drink lots of fluids, have some soup, and do all of the things you would do if you are sick to improve your mental health. 

Have 15 Minutes of Personal Time Daily

Rather than having to restore your mental health which let’s face it, takes a lot of energy itself, set aside time for yourself each day. There is a lot of flexibility in what you do with this time, but having uninterrupted time to reflect, journal, meditate, sit in silence, or do whatever you might do to take care of yourself helps maintain a healthy state of mind in the long run. 

Think About Counseling

There is often a negative stigma around seeking counseling or therapy. People often think that therapy or counseling is only for diagnosed mental health illnesses or severe troubles with mental health. This is absolutely not true. Counseling and therapy services are for everyone, even those that do not struggle with the weight of day-to-day life. 

Everyone can benefit from seeking counseling services. It gives those who participate a safe, confidential place to reflect, work through difficulties, set goals, share their successes, and build healthy habits, relationships, and outlooks. If you don’t know where to start, reach out today and I would love to help you get started! Also, take a look at what to expect here.

Sleep!

You hear it over and over again– “get more sleep”, “you need to sleep”, “have you been getting enough sleep?”. Sleep is always promoted for everything from weight loss to stress to even lowering blood pressure. As you might have expected, it is also good for your mental health. 

In fact, several studies have been done on the correlation between sleep and mental health symptoms, like this one which studied a large group of college students. It found that both anxiety and depression symptoms are significantly associated with poor sleep.  

To combat unnecessary increases in mental health troubles, ensure you get good quality sleep in appropriate quantities. Consider creating a sleep routine so your body knows when to shut down such as no electronics before bed, using a calming linen spray, and utilizing white noise. No matter what routine you create, do the same things each night. 

Then, think about creating a comfortable environment throughout the night so that you stay asleep. For instance, maintain a comfortable temperature, keep background sounds, turn your phone to silent, and use the restroom before bed. This way you minimize the chances of waking up in the middle of the night which contributes to poor sleep quality even if you get enough sleep. 

Treat Yourself As You Would Someone You Love

Oftentimes, we take care of others until there is nothing left to give to ourselves at the expense of our mental health. Instead, consider treating yourself as your would someone you love. Think about your well-being as you would a child, a sister, a best friend, a mother, or whoever you would give anything to. 

Using a “third party” perspective can help us prioritize and remember to practice the comfort, care, and support we would give to those we love.

Day Dream

One way to improve your mental health in 2023 is to simply daydream. I know it seems like a silly request, but hear me out. 

Daydreaming is the act of imagining the future, letting your thoughts wander, and thinking about alternative realities. Though it may seem counterintuitive as your mind could wander to unpleasant thoughts, by daydreaming often, you may find that you begin to think about happy, positive things like fun events the future may hold, the silver lining to a current struggle, or sweet memories from the past. 

Having and encouraging a positive stream of thoughts like what happens with daydreaming can aid in keeping anxiety and depression symptoms are bay. 

Spend Time in Nature

Nature is grounding, serene, and can offer a unique perspective which is why spending time in nature can be excellent for improving mental health. A hike, walk, picnic, or even just admiring a beautiful view from your car can make a big difference in how you feel. 

To support your mental health in 2023, think about spending more time in nature and making it a point to disconnect from technology while you’re there (we’ll talk more about that later). 

Find Your Core Group of People (Or Person!)

There is something to be said about how much finding a core group of people can help maintain a healthy mental state even if it’s just one person. This also means cutting out negative, toxic, and draining relationships with friends, romantic interests, and family because it is counterintuitive to the comfort and support a close circle provides. 

These are the people you can lean on in times of hardship, but who will cheer you on in success as well. 

Learn More About Your Brain

Our brains are complicated. So complicated in fact that even the top researchers still don’t know everything there is to know about the human brain. However, despite not knowing everything, there is still a ton of research out there. 

Taking the active step to learn more about your brain can help you improve your mental health. Once you know what is happening during certain times or why you feel the way you do, it is much easier to find a solution that works for you and your lifestyle.

Limit Social Media and Digital Time

Unfortunately, though social media and the digital world can provide extensive benefits, it is also detrimental to mental health. Subconsciously we compare ourselves to others on social media as we only see the highlights of other people’s lives and only their best-edited photos. Not to mention news articles that pop up everywhere online can get you down, too. 

Think about limiting how much time you spend on social media and your digital devices especially at night and in the mornings to improve your mental health in 2023. 

Final Thoughts

Even just by looking up ways to improve your mental health, you are already on your way to achieving a clear, healthy state of mind! Which ways to improve mental health are you going to implement in 2023?! Let us know in the comments below!