SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Mental health experts encourage people to include emotional wellness alongside physical fitness in their New Year’s resolutions.
Experts recommend several simple strategies to improve mental health throughout the year.
Connect with others
Building and maintaining relationships provides significant mental health benefits. Experts suggest getting coffee with friends or setting up weekly phone calls with loved ones to strengthen social connections.
Move your body
Physical movement, even when not strenuous, can boost emotional well-being. A walk in nature or a few minutes of stretching gives many people an emotional lift, according to mental health professionals.
Set manageable goals
Experts advise setting realistic, achievable goals for resolutions. People who want to accomplish something significant should create a plan with mini-goals that build toward their ultimate target.
Make time for rest and reflection
Taking time to slow down and reflect provides mental health benefits.
“By just slowing down and just focusing on maybe what’s going on inside of our mind and inside of our hearts and just making sure that we are not getting all wrapped up in what’s going on in the, you know, the atmosphere of what is our world today and just slowing down, maybe going out in nature and just enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine,” said Kara Miller of the Taney County Health Department.
Resources available to help others
Organizations offer training to help people support others facing mental health challenges. The Taney County Health Department and Community Partnership of the Ozarks provide suicide prevention training.
The one-hour class teaches participants how to spot warning signs of a mental health crisis and how to connect people with support services.
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