Your Mental Health This Year

*Author’s Note: I intended for this blog to come out back in January. So, you may see me referencing the “new year” and such in this blog. However, don’t forget, we are only a few months into the new year. Now is always a good time to start good habits! As they say, “There is no time like the present.” Enjoy!

For those who know me well, you know I have been on quite the mental health journey over this past year (2024). It certainly has been a year of healing for me and I have seen God work in so many ways! Over the course of this year, I have noticed a few things that have really helped me mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. If you are someone who struggles with anxiety, depression, OCD, or any other form of mental health, I really want to encourage you to try and implement at least one of these in your life this year (of course more than one is always better!;)).

However, even if you would say you do not fit into the mold of “someone who struggles with mental health,” I can guarantee any therapist/ doctor would say every human to a certain degree needs to take this information into consideration. Of course, I am not your therapist or doctor, so I cannot recommend anything officially per se; I will only share what has worked for me and pray it works for you too! So, without further adieu, here is my list of nine things you should try prioritizing for your mental health this year! Enjoy!

1. Personality tests: If you, your friends, or family members have never taken a good personality test before, I highly recommend you take one this year! Why? First, this is a great way to get to know how God has created you. It will give you insight into why you do what you do, how you perceive the world, and help you to know how to best take care of yourself. Now hear me say this, personality tests should NOT define your life! They are not there to say, “You will forever be this way and you can never change.” No, I believe personality tests are a tool to help understand who you are and perhaps learn better who God has made you to be (Ephesians 3:10). Here are some personality tests I recommend: Myers Briggs Test, Love Language Test (how you best receive love from others)

2. Movement: I know we have all heard it over and over again, but your body needs movement and exercise to stay healthy. Exercise outside is especially important if you are someone who struggles with mental health (here is a great article: Link). If you are anything like me, you hate the idea of exercising. However, I have a new suggestion for you. I believe in order to stick with the habit, you need to find something active you enjoy doing. For instance, maybe it is taking a walk, walking your dog, riding a bike, hiking…etc. There are so many ways to move your body that don’t involve ever stepping one foot into a gym! So, get creative and perhaps get a friend to start the habit with and keep you accountable this year!

3. Journaling: I personally love journaling. I think journaling can be helpful for a lot of people (especially if you tend to be an internal processor). Journaling has honestly saved my mental health so much and there are so many different ways to journal! Here are a few different ideas on what to do with your journal: 1. Thankful journal 2. Write about your day (the highs, the lows, questions about life…etc.) 3. Prayer journal 4. A thoughts journal…a place to write down all the things that are causing you frustration, anxiety, and so on. I think journaling is also a great way of expressing your emotions. You don’t have to worry about anyone else reading it or seeing the things you really wish you could say to people! 😀

4. Less Screen time: This is a big one! After talking with my counselor this past year, this was something we decided I need to start working on. Soon after starting to monitor my screen time and choosing to not be on it quite as much, I discovered I didn’t realize how overstimulated I was and how much of my overstimulation was coming from screens! I believe we will not be able to escape screens completely in our culture, however, we can be responsible for how much we use them. I encourage you to perhaps look up on your phone how much time you spend a day on it. Then think about work, tv, movies…etc. and average how much time you spend on those. Next, set a reasonable goal of how much time you can knock out. For instance, if you average about 10 hours, see if you can get it down to 7 or 8. Take a look at your habits as well. See if you can perhaps not look at your phone first thing in the morning or not watch that show while you eat your lunch. I promise once you make this effort and choose to take care of your brain and mind in this way, you will not regret it!

5. Bed and night time routine: This one goes along perfect with the screen time. My therapist recently told me it is advised to not be on a screen 1 hour before bed. Think about it, if we cut down our screen time before bed, it will leave us time to journal, read, pray, and actually do the healthy things that will help our brains calm down and go to sleep. Once you get on a good schedule and routine, stick to it! Do it every night; your brain will eventually adapt and be ready to go to sleep at the same time every night (Psalm 3:5).

6. Community: This one may seem cliche, but I always find that when I come away from hanging out with my friends, doing a Bible study with a group and so on, I always mentally and spiritually feel happier and more joyful. I think it is a known fact among believers that God made us for community. We were not made to do life alone; we need each other! So, I want to encourage you, if there is a friend you have been meaning to get to know better, a group you have been meaning to join, why not take the opportunity of a new year and decide to join that group or make that new friendship even deeper? You may also find those other people need you too! 🙂

7. Get a hold of your money: Honest moment with you here, this is actually one of my goals for the new year! I want to learn how to budget well and set a so- called “allowance” for myself each month. I also want to dig in more to the idea of tithing for the church and the different ways this could look for different individuals. If you want to join me on this journey, then perhaps this is your chance to get a hold of your money with me!

8. Community with the Father: This one is so huge for any believer whether you struggle with mental health or not. Quiet time – time in the Word, prayer, and worship are what ground us in our walk with Christ. When I was going through “it” last year, I did have to take a break from Bible reading. When my roommate asked and talked to me about how my attitude had changed because of not being in the Word, she challenged me to start reading my Bible again. I decided to take her up on it, and I am so glad I did! Reading my Bible and spending time with God in the morning helped me to charge and prepare for the day ahead. So, I encourage you, if you have strayed or gotten off course this past year, get back on! Find what time of day works best for you and get back into it! It doesn’t have to be fancy and most definitely not perfect (Psalm 34)! If you need help knowing what to study, I will leave links and such below.

9. Memorize Scripture: I know we have all heard it before, but memorize God’s Word and store it in your heart (Psalm 119:105)! This has seriously changed the game for me, especially with my anxiety at times. I often struggle with feeling anxious at night. Something I have found to be so sweet and easy to do to get my mind focused on truth is reciting God’s Word. How comforting to have the words of Psalm 23 or Isaiah 41:10 at my disposal when I need a reminder of God’s love, hope, and comfort. Seriously, get into God’s Word and start memorizing it! It does not have to be long passages; you can start with something easy such as Philippians 4:6 or Isaiah 41:10!

I hope these ideas and resources help to ground you and make a healthier you this year! Recently my mom has been talking about how our condition in the physical realm effects how we are in the spiritual, and I so agree with this! If our mental, emotional, and physical health are declining, then you can bet our spiritual health will be tanking as well. So, I encourage you, take a look over the list one more time and find at least one or two things you can do to better help your mind, heart, and spirit this year!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

Alyssa Rasor

*For studying the Bible resources:

1. Favorite Bible studies and highlighters: https://thedailygraceco.com/ Also the book of John is always a great read!
2. The Bible app: https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/ (tons of Bible plans and devotions on here!)
3. Favorite commentary: https://enduringword.com/#commentary
4. A good worship playlist: Passion Playlist