5 Top Tips to Bid 2021 Farewell in Good Mental Health

“Can you believe the year is almost over?!” is a common phrase heard throughout November. As we enter the final six weeks of 2021, many of us may be feeling fatigued after a long year and starting to stress about closing out our 2021 targets, the upcoming holiday season or making plans for the new year.

If you feel tired, irritable, and less productive at this time of year, you’re not alone. Here are some practical tips for navigating the next few weeks to start 2022 in good mental health.

1) Healthy body, healthy mind

When we become busy, our exercise, sleep and self-care routines are often neglected. By foregoing these activities, we might gain more time to dedicate to work, but our health, mind and productivity suffer, ultimately impacting the quality of our work. Exercise is a natural stress reliever and helps to declutter the mind. Similarly, sleep helps you feel energized, stay focused and improves your memory. Maintaining a regular schedule for these activities can improve our mood, motivation levels and productivity during busy periods.

2) Some things can wait

Before taking an end-of-year break, we often feel the need to finalize many of the professional and personal projects we’ve been working on during the year. Ask yourself what the immovable priorities are and what can wait until the new year. Putting some projects on the back burner might even produce a better outcome, as you will return to them refreshed and focused.

3) Look after your mental health during the holidays

Many holidays are celebrated this time of year – Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year – and although they can be an opportunity to switch off and spend time with loved ones, for many people it can be a stressful or lonely time. Prioritize your mental health this holiday season - our top ten tips for looking after your mental health during the holidays provides guidance for managing the holiday blues.

4) Reflect, but don’t judge

As the year draws to a close, many of us might feel self-critical about not completing all our goals or disheartened that things haven’t unfolded as we thought they would. Be kind to yourself as you reflect on your experiences and try to avoid judgement and self-criticism. Remember that it’s okay to reset or adjust your goals using the learnings from what went wrong. Most importantly, remember to recognize and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.

5) Understand how you’re currently coping

When we understand our mental health, we can take steps to improve it. Complete a One Million Lives check-in to receive a scorecard on how you’re currently coping and suggestions on how to build mental health resiliency. For those who are feeling well, the check-in provides insight to early warning signs and allows users monitor their mental health in a measurable way. One Million Lives is not intended to diagnose, but the full check-in provides results that you can take to your doctor or share with a loved one to help jump-start a conversation.

Need help now?

If end-of-year stress is getting too much for you and you need support, visit https://www.oml.world/needhelpnow to find services in your location.

All services are confidential, free to use and available 24/7.