The New Year is here and it’s that time of year again where we all return to resolutions that we’ve been trying to uphold for years. Rather than setting huge, daunting, seemingly unattainable goals, why not do these 5 things a day that will improve your mental health and lifestyle. Little goals make the bigger goals seem more attainable.
- Make your bed
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Making it a habit to make your bed every morning is an effective way to start off your day happier and more productive. Assigning yourself a simple task like this will make all the other things you need to do in your day seem less daunting. Sometimes the hardest part of productivity is starting; making your bed is an easy start. Not only will this task help you with productivity but also with happiness. Due to Covid, people are spending more time in their bedrooms. It’s important to make sure your space is not cluttered because clutter is overwhelming and causes dust, which will impact your immune system.
- Wear something that makes you feel confident
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Clothing and fashion is definitely a huge outlet for self-expression. Although days where you are just lounging around in pyjamas/sweats are much needed, it is important not to make this a habit. Do something small with your appearance whether it’s putting on a cute outfit, trying out a new hairstyle, doing your nails or putting on makeup. This will make you feel more put together and feel less sluggish. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant as long as you feel comfortable and confident.
- Go on a walk/run
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Going on a walk or run in the morning is a very healthy and easy way to be happy and healthy. Running improves your mood and is great for your cardiovascular system. Even though running does take a lot of energy, if you do it consistently it will actually keep you more energized throughout the day. Even just getting some fresh air and sunlight can make you a happier person.
- Random act of kindness
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Many people believe that we attract what we put out into the world. If you do nice things then nice things will happen to you. Now, this doesn’t mean if you pay it forward in a drive-thru then you will win the lottery in return. Rather, after committing that act of kindness you will feel more connected with the people around you and you will feel happy that you might have made someone’s day. Doing little things like paying it forward, leaving encouraging notes in random places, or simply smiling at someone can improve both your mental health and the people on the receiving end of these kind acts.
- Keep a gratitude journal
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Sometimes when things get tough it’s hard to remember positives and easy to focus on negatives. A good way to remind you of the positive is to keep a gratitude journal. In this journal you can write what you’re grateful for, something nice that happened to you, and inspirational quotes. By filling out and reading what you’ve written down, it sets a positive tone for the day and makes you more aware of what you are grateful for even if they are little things.
5 tasks a day may seem like a lot, but if you are consistent with it, it’ll easily become a part of your daily schedule. Even if you can only manage to do one thing at a time before you can tackle all 5 that’s okay! With the new year and all the responsibilities we are about to have ahead of us, it’s good to learn how to take care of yourself and start off this year on the right foot.