Self-care and self-compassion are incredibly important for our overall well-being. Self-care is about making sure we are taking the time to nurture ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.
For some, the new year puts a lot of pressure on starting over and turning a new leaf. You cannot become a different person overnight when the clock strikes 12. Change takes time. Focusing on your mental health in the new year is a great way to prioritize your other resolutions. Try focusing on these three resolutions for your mental health.
The National Sleep Foundation stresses that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and any less could pose serious consequences to a person’s health and safety. Sleep helps people recover from illness or injury, cope with stress, and solve problems. Common sleep-wake disorders include insomnia, which can lead to anxiety and depression.
The complex relationship between sleep and psychiatric disorders means that treatment for both issues can go hand-in-hand.
It's important to understand that self-harm or self-injury does not involve a conscious intent to die by suicide - and as such, the clinical term for this behavior is called Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI). NSSI can take many forms from cutting, picking, burning, bruising, puncturing, embedding, scratching, or hitting one's self, just to name a few. In its simplest form, NSSI is a physical solution to an emotional wound.
Reduces stigma. Knowledge trumps discrimination. Learning about mental health awareness will challenge misconceptions and debunk myths about mental illness. Mental illness is still poorly understood in society, so the better informed you are, the better equipped you are to identify…
Open up to more people in your life. Finding a space to share your feelings and worries is a great way to improve your mental health. When you express what is on your mind to someone, you will be lifting the weight off your shoulders.
Create Ally Leadership. If you’re in a leadership role, you have incredible power to create change in your organization. Create a social experience for team members to talk about their experience with mental health, both in life and at your current workplace. They might be able to gauge the temperature of your workplace better when it comes to opinions about mental health, provide some insight into company history or leadership positions on the issue, or commit to partnering with you to reduce stigma about mental health at work.
