Mental Health in the New Year

Happy New Year!
   As we enter into 2022, I wanted to briefly discuss mental health and some ideas on how to create and maintain a healthy and balanced outlook. I have three main topic areas to discuss - the importance of play and joy, finding our values and purpose, and supplement recommendations for mental health.
  There is much uncertainty within our world right now.
However, taking care of ourselves and maintaining a daily wellness routine can greatly help keep a positive outlook. Whether you have found balance within these trying times, or are struggling to keep the negative thoughts at bay, these tips can be used to improve yourself. 

Adding Play and Joy 

  Something often overlooked within our busy non-stop lives, is making time for play and joy.
  We as a society have focused so much attention on hard work and effort, that we easily lose balance between the time we put into our work, and how often we spend time doing the things that actually make us happy.
  If you spend time around children, you know that lots of play and joy are central to their well-being. An easy way to add play into our lives is to find time to play with your own children or the children around you. If you do not have children, ask your significant other and/or friends to partake in exciting and engaging activities with you. After all, they need the extra bit of joy and happiness in their lives as well.

  If you are having a hard time with this, think back to your passion as a child. I know for myself, my siblings and I loved to play with Legos. I was often making houses or garages for my dolls, but it was still a practice on seeing where my creativity took me. If it is Legos, try finding some to spark that within yourself again. It might be making friendship bracelets, playing with clay, or whatever it is, even if it feels silly, you will probably have plenty of fun getting back into your playful spirit.