When the year 2024 started, I asked myself, “What should I do to make new resolutions so that I can follow them religiously throughout the year?” I had no answer because I don’t believe in making resolutions as I always break them midway.

However, January 2024 showed me the way, when I fell extremely sick and spent the entire month lying on the bed. Once I started recovering from February, I decided to follow some mental health resolutions to prioritize my mental and emotional well-being.

Here are the 8 resolutions I want to follow to take care of my mental health better in 2024.

Accept Myself:

Although I am a flexible person and I accept everything with strength, courage, and resilience, sometimes I find it tough to accept myself. Yes, I am not afraid to say it publicly.

At times I am busy finding flaws in me, regretting my past mistakes, and mourning over the life I could not have but dreamed of since my childhood. However, this year, I am more accepting.

Acceptance is the first step toward my transformation in 2024, whether it’s inward or outward. I am accepting myself the way I am (Yes, I know I am beautiful with my fatty shape!)

I am accepting the career field I have chosen for me (Yes, I am happy being a writer.)

I am accepting my current status (Yes, I am 31 and still unmarried and have yet to meet my life partner but it’s absolutely fine.)

I am accepting life as it is (Yes, the more I am discovering the peace of living a mundane life, the more I am falling in love with everything ordinary.)

I suffered for one month, the entire month of January I spent lying in bed due to my sickness. I couldn’t comb my hair and it became extremely freezy that I had only three segments of frozen balls of hair on my head. Even I decided to cut my hair short, from heap-length to neck-length.

Yes, I am more into accepting and it’s helping me find peace of mind.

Feel the Zeal of Everything I Do:

When Blogchatter shared a host of suggestions to choose the word of the year for the Cause A Chatter Campaign, I chose the word ‘Zeal’. I chose it because I was suffering from sickness then and at that moment, the most precious things in the world for me were recovery and happiness. While recovery was not there on the list I found a similar word among the bunch and decided to make it my word of the year for CAC 2024.

I want to be happy with whatever I do. Whether it’s cooking for my family, buying something for my parents, or researching and writing more articles on the cause I advocate – Mental Health, I will be happy with my work.

I am also learning new things although not giving stress to know the whole lot in one go because I am giving myself rest from continuous brainwork. However, when I am enjoying the things I am doing, it gives me happiness from within.

Believe me, adding zeal to your everyday life is the best way to live to your fullest.

Practice Mindfulness:

This year, I am focusing more on practicing mindfulness. Although I am a regular meditator and the moments I spend conversing with my inner self, give me peace, I want to be mindful more times daily.

Therefore, I am practicing mindful walking, mindful writing, mindful breathing, and mindful cooking.

My evening walk ritual gives me a chance to connect with nature and feel the touch of the earth beneath my feet when I walk barefoot.

I am writing for ten minutes to note down anything that evolves around me – how I felt today, how much I loved myself today, what different happened today, what new things I learned today, what added more purposefulness to my life, or how I embraced happiness today. The idea behind this ritual is to connect with myself deeper and find calm.

While meditating, I am giving more focus to my breath.

When I am cooking something, I pay attention to the color, texture, shape, and smell of everything associated with the recipe.

Thus, being in the present moment helps me find peace of mind.

More Body Movement:

Movements help me lower my stress and anxiety. This is why, I want to walk more, exercise more, and if possible, join a yoga class this year.

For me, the evening walk is an escape from the monotony. It gives me a chance to breathe in fresh air. Also, I connect with myself while walking alone. Observing people on the streets also gives me joy.

I do a few poses while working out but I want to have an honest confession, I have a bad habit of skipping exercising in alternative days. Although I dance and move my body every day (No I am not a professional dancer but I love to move my body with every beat of my favorite songs, and of course, I dance secretly when nobody is watching me), I want to be more regular in my exercises.

Digital Detox:

I have decided to spend less time on social media this year. Also, I am trying to filter my social media feed so I can get only positive updates.

Although being a blogger, I need to spend a significant amount of time with my laptop and phone, I am trying to reduce this time by adding more offline activities to my routine.

For example, I am planning to increase my reading time, cooking time, walking time, and meditation duration. This way, I have a plan to keep myself engaged in some offline activities to avoid too much time online.

Get Enough Sleep:

The Sleep Goddess is not happy with me anyhow. Most days of the year, I suffer from a lack of sleep. However, this year, I made my mental health resolution to have enough sleep in the night. For this purpose, I do not use my mobile phone after dinner, instead, I sit for five to ten minutes to calm down my ever-busy mind and do nothing. Sitting still for five minutes to ten minutes without thinking anything, inhaling and exhaling slowly, and relaxing my body, giving me rest. This rest is invoking the Sleep Goddess early and I am going to bed right away.

Be Kind to Myself:

This year, I am being kind to myself more. You know, being hard on yourself is easy but when you want to be kind to yourself, it becomes tough. Because then you start judging yourself for everything, listing down your flaws, and hating yourself for not being like your role models.

But, think for once, why are you the you? Why have you become the one you see in front of the mirror? Why follow others’ theories, make your own rules, and rule your life?

Be kind to yourself. Show love and compassion. Prioritize your health.

I am being kind to myself more this year, and I can feel how liberating it feels when you love yourself. Only then do you realize how you deprived of yourself the pure and unconditional love it always deserved.

Seek Help from a Professional:

I have been restricting myself from visiting an expert for many years. I always give myself excuses, and those are not vague because I always prioritize my family and their mental well-being. However, last year while talking to a clinical psychologist, I realized what mistake I had made.

Although she couldn’t improve my mental health, instead it became even worse after returning from her chamber because her fake advice kept buzzing in my mind. However, this year, I will visit a renowned psychiatrist who has been treating my mom for several years.

Final Words:

Setting goals for prioritizing your mental health is always a nice way to maintain a balance in your work and life. Additionally, you give your mind and body the rest they need. You can also boost your productivity with a healthier mind and rejuvenated body.

Therefore, make some mental health resolutions today. It’s only the second month we are currently in, so you have ten months to follow your mental health resolutions and feel better.

Do let me know what’s your resolution to prioritize your mental health in 2024 by leaving your comments below.

(This post is part of Cause A Chatter Program by Blogchatter).