The past two years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, one in which we didn’t sit willingly. There was the fear of the pandemic, the anticipation of a vaccine, and now the arrival of new variants. Continuous trauma, to be honest. Thanks to the pandemonium of the pandemic, everyone’s mental health has suffered. All of us are struggling to hold on and find a way to just sail through without rocking the boat anymore. Let’s make sure 2022 is the year where we can find some mental peace despite what’s happening around us. Here are nine mental health tips to ensure your peace in 2022.

Related: Take Care Of Your Mental Health: 9 Ways To Feel Happier, Healthier, And More Productive

1. Start a journal

It can be a daily journal, a gratitude journal, or a bullet journal. It doesn’t matter. Do whatever feels best for you. It’s always therapeutic to write down your goals or feelings. Make your pen the instrument of pouring out your emotions – the good and the bad. Write down the things you want to do in a day, even if it’s getting eight hours of sleep or going for a walk in the park. Write down the things that made you happy. It could be an old friend getting back in touch or falling for a new fictional character. Just write and give an outlet to all the multitude of emotions you are feeling.

2. Start a self-care routine

Set aside some time every day that belongs to just you and no one else. Indulge in a 10-step skincare routine or read a book. Game if that’s something that excites you, or listen to music. This time belongs to you and only you. So, let loose and do what makes you happy.

3. Sleep well

You can never forget the importance of the good old-fashioned 8-hour sleep routine. Make it a point to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily. Put it in your daily to-do list along with all the other tasks you undertake in a day. Keep aside your phone an hour before bedtime. Instead, pick up a book or listen to some soothing, meditative music to help you unwind.

4. Find a new hobby

Make it a point to try out something new in 2022. Start painting, learn a new language, join the dance class you always wanted, start knitting, buy a colouring book. Just find something new to do. A hobby can be a highly therapeutic exercise. It’s the best way to forget everything that happened in the day and just focus on something you enjoy.

5. Do breathing exercises

Breathing exercises help lower the stress in your body. Take a few deep breaths. Count to 10 and breathe slowly. Practise this daily. In a high-stress situation, turn it into your superpower. Changing breathing patterns helps your body break out of the fight-or-flight response and relax.

6. Ask for help

Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Be it a professional, a family member or a friend, reach out to someone when needed. Know that you always have someone in your corner. Asking for help is never a sign of weakness. It just means that you know your limits, and you are only human.

7. Practise positive affirmations

Affirmations may or may not manifest what you want, but they will definitely boost your confidence. This year should be all about being a kind, compassionate and confident version of you. Tell yourself you can do it, that you are worth it. If you keep telling yourself how worthy you are, you will believe it and learn to embrace yourself.

8. Don’t pour from an empty cup

You don’t always have to help others out when they ask for it. Only do it if you are in a position to do it. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so don’t force yourself to. Tell people around you that you are overwhelmed and can’t help. No one is going to hold that against you.

9. Be mindful of using social media

With so many people displaying their lives for the world to see on social media, it’s easy to feel FOMO. So, let 2022 be the year you don’t let FOMO rule your life. What you see on social media is just a part of someone’s life. Don’t take it to be the whole picture. Set a time limit on your social media use. Now, there are so many apps that help you do just that. Instead of scrolling endlessly on social media, use that time to sift through the accounts you follow. If someone’s posts or stories are making you feel negativity in any way, unfollow or mute them.

At the end of the day, you are what matters. So, you do you. 2022 is all about self-improvement, confidence, happiness, and mental peace.

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