Ten strategies to help your mental well-being in 2024

The way that people talk about mental health has changed in culture since the pandemic’s peak. It seems as though experiencing years of loneliness and uncertainty made it clearer how important emotional needs were to our general wellbeing.

Thankfully, everyone can take a variety of actions to support their mental well-being and experience happy moments.

As get ready to enter 2024, here are a few of best advice pieces from the previous year.

1. Take a stab at improving your sleep quality

One of the most crucial things we can do for mental health, according to experts, is to make sure we get enough sleep. Studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is more beneficial over the long run than taking sleep medications when it comes to helping people who struggle to fall or stay asleep. People with CBT-I can overcome their sleep-related anxieties and learn how to unwind. Try using the behavioralsleep.org directory of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine to locate a provider.

2. Acquire the ability to distinguish between problematic and protective anxiety

An occasional feeling of anxiety is normal. In actuality, there are benefits to having some anxiety. According to experts, having an internal alarm system can enhance our productivity, assist us in identifying threats, and even motivate us to act more responsibly. So we posed the following question to American Psychiatric Association President Dr. Petros Levounis: What level of anxiety is excessive?

“If you start to notice that worry and fear are there constantly, that is a signal that you need some help,” he said.

Additional warning indicators include anxiety, trembling, sweating, elevated heart rate, restlessness, and difficulty focusing.

3. Break the pattern of concern

There are a few easy strategies to break the ruminating habit if you have one. First, get yourself distracted: Diversions can help take your mind off of whatever is causing you stress, according to research. Try paying close attention to the lyrics when you play a word game or listen to music.

In other situations, it’s preferable to give in to the urge rather than resist it, but that doesn’t mean you should allow your mind to run wild. Give yourself permission to ruminate for 10 to 30 minutes by setting a timer and allowing yourself to think things through. It’s time to move on when the timer goes off.

4. Do the “five things tidying” exercise

Simple chores like doing the laundry or cleaning the dishes can seem insurmountable when you’re having mental health problems. However, residing in disarray can worsen your mood. The author of “How to Keep House While Drowning,” KC Davis, is a licensed professional counselor who suggests putting utility above beauty in your home. It doesn’t have to be ideal, but it should be livable.

She refers to “five things tidying” as an effective strategy for preventing chaos from escalating. To make cleaning feel more manageable, take on the five primary categories of clutter one at a time: trash, dishes, laundry, items with a place, and items without a place.

5. Practice thankfulness

When you recognize that goodness exists in your life and that other people, or higher powers, if you believe in them, have assisted you in achieving that goodness, you can experience gratitude, which is a positive emotion.

Experts advise expressing gratitude whenever you can in order to fully benefit from it. This could be expressing gratitude in writing or keeping a journal of the good things in your life. Expressing gratitude to coworkers, romantic partners, and friends can also strengthen bonds in relationships.

6. Have hope for the aging process

According to research, having a positive mindset can improve your health and even lengthen your life. People who had positive views about aging lived 7 1/2 years longer than those who had negative ones, according to a well-known study.

Change your perspective to emphasize the advantages of growing older, such as increased emotional intelligence and improved mental health, in order to embrace a more optimistic attitude toward aging. Seek out older adults who maintain an active lifestyle, participate in their communities, or possess qualities you find admirable as role models for aging.

7. Engage in artistic endeavors

Many people have an intuitive understanding of the idea that art can enhance mental health, but they may not always put it into practice.

According to experts, you don’t need to be talented to try it. Regardless of how artistic you think you are, writing a poem, singing, or drawing can all improve your mood. Doing an elaborate coloring project is among the simplest ways to get started: According to research, coloring a mandala, which is a complex geometric design, for 20 minutes can help reduce anxiety more effectively than coloring freely for the same amount of time.

8. Try to find a small amount of wonder each day

Occasionally need to remind ourselves to maintain connections with the real world. Step inside the walk of amazement.

Choose a familiar or new walking location and put yourself in the shoes of a visitor. After that, focus on your senses. Touch the petals of a flower, feel the wind on your face. Just take in the sky. Surprisingly, it can be more restorative.

9. Have a tech vacation

It’s not just you if you’re struggling to concentrate. Studies reveal that in the last twenty years, spent an average of only 47 seconds—down from two and a half minutes—on any given task. Technology is frequently at fault.

Larry Rosen, an emeritus professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, recommended a technique he refers to as “tech breaks” as a way to regain control over your concentration. After setting a 15-minute timer, turn off your phone and put it aside. Once the allotted time has elapsed, take a brief break by checking your preferred applications for a minute or two, and then resume work for another fifteen-minute period. The objective is to progressively extend the intervals between your tech breaks, ultimately reaching a 45-minute (or longer) period without using your phone.

Breathe deeply

Breathing deeply and slowly is a simple and quick way to relax your body and mind. By doing this, you can lower your blood pressure and regulate your heart rate while also activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which acts as a counterbalance to the stress-inducing “fight or flight” response.

The 4-4-8 breathing technique, which involves inhaling for four counts, holding your breath for four counts, and exhaling for eight counts, is one breathing exercise that can be especially beneficial for reducing fear and anxiety.