We’re not fans of New Year resolutions but we decided to give you some ideas for healthy habits you can start in 2020. We say habits because — unlike New Year resolutions — they tend to stick.
Cut down on social media:
The constant presence of social media in our lives pressures us into keeping up with what everybody’s doing. This can increase your anxiety and makes you stressed out, or even result in FOMO — Fear Of Missing Out.
Social media can worsen your depression, as well — seeing all those beautiful photos and glimpses of perfect lives on such apps like Instagram and Facebook does that. Not to mention that it’s quite easy to stumble upon trolls, incels, and haters who can easily trigger you.
Try to limit your social media time, set up filters to avoid triggers as much as possible, and try not to compare yourself to others — the life you see on Instagram isn’t real.
Keep a diary:
it doesn’t need to be an everyday thing or a 1000-word essay each time. Even jotting your thoughts and feelings every other day can help you with your anxiety.
More veggies, less junk food
We’re not judging you for your love of fries with mayo or ice cream. We love them too. We also don’t ask you to erase them from your life. Eating healthily doesn’t have to mean a drastic change. We’re also aware that, ironically, healthy and nutritious food tend to be more expensive than frozen meals or junk food. So go for little things. Try to eat some veggies or fruit when you crave a snack. Go meatless a day, two, three days a week. Roast your chicken instead of frying it. Drink plenty of water.
Go dry
Try to cut down on alcohol or forgo it altogether — you can sign up for such actions like Dry January if you think it can help you stay on track.
Exercise
Once again, we don’t mean going all Henry Cavill. If you feel up to regular exercise, that’s amazing! Start with short, low-intensity workouts. Remember to stretch properly afterwards. Not up for doing all those pushups, sit-ups and burpees? Try yoga, pilates or maybe go outside — jogging and cycling sound great, but even going for a walk is big. Especially on Bad Days.
If you want to exercise outdoors, remember to check the air quality!
Healthy boundaries
Knowing when to prioritize your well-being mental — or physical, for that matter — health is what boundaries are all about. Some people may call it selfishness — it’s not. It’s caring about yourself and saying no to things you don’t want to or can’t do more often. It’s declining an offer to go out when all you want to do is curl up under the blanket and have a good cry watching a Ghibli movie. It’s refusing to say something you’re not comfortable sharing. It’s pointing out to someone that you don’t like to be touched by them. It’s not selfish. It’s self-care.
Respect
As difficult as it may sometimes be, try to treat yourself with respect. All these resolutions we’ve suggested are examples of self-respect — caring for your needs, feeding yourself nutritious food, letting yourself rest.
Try not to be so hard on yourself. W know that the feeling of being worthless can be overwhelming and stop you from doing anything except laying still. It’s okay if all you did was breath. You’re a human being. You’re valid and precious, just like any other person.
Speak out
Talking about your feelings, experiences, or illness is not an easy feat. We think it’s one of the bravest things a person can do, being vulnerable. It’s scary, yes, but it can be empowering as well — it can relieve you of some of your pain or give you a sense of control.
So reach out — talk to your friends, your family, or try counselling. There are support groups or organizations you can reach out to — like Lifeline or Samaritans.
If you aren’t quite ready to talk to another human being, you can always speak to Ashlee, your AI friend in our app, LeaVoice.
And if you prefer sharing your story in written form — check out communities such as The Mighty.
