2020: Kick Start a Decade of Mindfulness and Self-Care
Modern day society is increasingly fast-paced, chaotic and pressurized. Often, we neglect to give ourselves the time we need to relax and unwind. In general, we’re just not as kind to ourselves as we should be. Making more time for ourselves it vital, and if that’s something that you’re not particularly great at, you should push hard to make better self-care and mindfulness one of your goals for 2020. Reconnecting with nature, doing breathing exercises, keeping fit and eating a well-balanced diet will help you to feel your best both mentally and physically. In tandem with these things, and what will contribute to your overall sense of wellbeing, is enjoying those slightly naughtier things in moderation.
Social media is becoming better known for the potential to have a negative impact on our mental health and well-being. However, having a quick ten-minute scroll through your Instagram or Facebook feed can be a great way to keep in contact with friends. Similarly, online games can also be a great way to unwind. New slot sites have become increasingly popular in recent times, with the trend set to continue into 2020. Time spent online can sometimes really do us good mentally, so long as we don’t get too carried away with it all.
The Importance of Exercise
Everyone knows that exercise is great for our physical health, but it is also equally as important for our mental health too. Exercise stimulates the production of chemicals in our brains, releasing endorphins and serotonin, which help to improve our mood and thus boost feelings of happiness and contentment. Regular exercise can reduce stress in the long-run and is even thought to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. Getting to the gym, or simply going out into the neighbourhood for a jog, can help to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. These activities also have a social aspect to them, putting us in touch with others, which in itself is incredibly important for our mental well-being. Getting into a good exercise routine can feel challenging, especially in the colder, darker months, but it is well worth integrating it into your daily and weekly routines, even if you just get yourself out for some short walks around the block.
Take Time to Read More
Reading can really help to destress us, but not enough of us spend the time doing it, perhaps in part due to the rise of social media and film streaming services. However, reading is a brilliant form of escapism. It allows us to connect with characters and scenarios in a much deeper, much more emotional way than films and TV series allow us to do. There are loads of great books out there, from the classics, such as Jane Eyreand War and Peace to more contemporary material, like Sally Rooney’s Normal People. If you aren’t a huge bookworm, then short story collections are a good place to start, such as Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes, or Ernest Hemingway’s Men Without Women. There’s also plenty of great non-fiction books out there, for example celeb autobiographies and even self-help books if you’re after some further tips and advice for the new upcoming decade.
Spend Time with Friends and Family
Time spent with those who we love and get along with is vital to our overall happiness. It’s an opportunity to talk over our worries and anxieties with someone who cares about us, whilst also being a time where we can destress and unwind. A fair proportion of people these days, however, find that they have few close friends and relatives. This can be due to a whole variety of reasons, for instance it may in part be because more of us are working from home, and families are smaller than they used to be in the past. It’s not just the elderly who can be affected by loneliness, anyone can! Signing up for clubs and classes that you love and enjoy is a really great way to build up good friendship groups, no matter what age or type of person you are.
Spend Time in the Sunlight
Without enough exposure to sunlight, serotonin levels can drop, and this can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a lot more common than you might think, especially here in the UK. Getting enough exposure can be difficult in the winter months, but spending plenty of time outside will help, especially on those sunnier days. You can also buy SAD lamps online, through retailers such as Amazon, which mimic natural sunlight and help to boost serotonin levels.
The start of a new decade is a great time to establish more mindful and self-caring habits. Taking good care of ourselves is often overlooked and deprioritized, but it plays a crucial part in having a happy and healthy life. Make sure you take the time to do the things you love and give your body and mind exactly what it needs.
