I hate New Years resolutions. The ideas are often good; everyone could afford to be healthier, to spend less, to be more adventurous. However, why wait to make those sorts of resolutions only one time a year, and then give up on them a week later? Instead, we should make those decisions daily, weekly, monthly--especially in regards to taking care of our mental health. Most of us are crazy busy (I might have hit the point where I can't tell if I'm crying or laughing...), so taking time to practice self-care doesn't always seem feasible. We can't let that be an excuse, though, because the longer we neglect to take care of ourselves, the more we become like this:

So do yourself a favor--implement these few easy tricks!

1. Limit your time on social media.

Contrary to what it’s name suggests, social media can often make a person feel lonely and isolated, even when they aren’t. Plus, seeing the best versions of everyone and the absolute highlights of their day can make us feel more insecure or left out than we should.

2. Set healthy boundaries.

More often than not, we give too much power to other people and things in our lives. While it’s valuable to be kind and generous, there are only so many hours in the day and you can only extend yourself so far. Learn to say no to some things, to set limits. It might not always be fun in the moment, because we all like making people happy and having fun, but it will do wonders for you in the long run!

3. Try to resist negative thinking.

Yeah, OK, like you’ve never thought of that before, right? But there is something to it, really. We get into habits, into typical thought patterns, and it’s so much easier to go for the negative thoughts. It’s easy to believe happy thoughts are just bubbly and unsubstantial while negative thoughts appear to be more realistic, more practical. Make a practice of challenging those thoughts though, of deliberately replacing them with a positive thought each time. It’s not realistic to just stop dwelling on the things that could go wrong, but also make yourself consider what could go well, too. The habit will form where each time the negative thought pops up, the positive one does, too, to combat it. Then, (hopefully!) the positive thought will eventually be the initial response!

4. Exercise.

You knew it was coming. But I’m not talking about the typical New Years exercise resolution to lose weight by trying this new diet and that radical exercise plan. No, I’m talking about exercising because of the immense benefits it can have to your mental health: getting regular exercise has shown time and time again to help with the treatment of depression and anxiety. Plus, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym doing grueling workouts that make you want to cry with how sore you are the next day. You can do yoga, do a fun dance class, go for a walk or run, do an exercise video on YouTube—anything that gets you moving!

5. Let go.

Sometimes people grow apart and friendships end. It doesn’t have to be an extremely toxic friendship that results in a huge breakup, but if you’ve been wasting energy on a one-sided friendship, it’s time to let it go, or at least to quit investing so much of yourself. Relationships take work, yes, so don’t just give up when things are difficult or dull, but also recognize your value and worth—you should have someone who pursues the relationship as much as you do.

6. Have a few "safety outfits."

If you’re like me, on bad days (weeks, months…) you tend to not have any energy whatsoever to look even somewhat presentable, so you end up walking around looking as bad as you feel (the giant bags under my eyes are my favorite accessories). What I’ve learned to do is have some go-to outfits ahead of time. That way, when everything else in my life is swirling down the drain, I can at least look and feel confident and comfortable.

7. Create a space just for you.

For most people, this is probably your room at your dorm, apartment or house. Make it a space that you can come back to and completely unwind and recharge away from everyone and everything. Go all out! Get cozy blankets and giant pillows and make a place to curl up and watch Netflix or read your favorite book. Every night just come back, change into comfy clothes and relax.

Most of all, remember to take care of yourself, whatever that may look like. It's different for everyone--you just have to take time to figure out how to take care of YOU. If you don't take care of you, how can you take care of anyone else?