Health & Nutrition

33 Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health in the New Year

Put yourself first with these self-care ideas, mental health apps, and other formal supports recommended by ADDitude readers.

By ADDitude Editors Verified Updated on December 12, 2024
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We make time for everything and everyone but ourselves. We consistently prioritize the needs of others. We feel guilty erecting boundaries. And this struggle to carve out space for our own wellbeing is the biggest barrier to mental and emotional health for more than half of adults with ADHD, according to a new survey of 1,898 ADDitude readers.

“I have a hard time putting myself first. I worry about others to my own detriment.”

“I really want to journal but, when I remember to, I spend an hour writing and then find myself thinking, ‘I don’t have time for this!’”

On a 10-point scale, where 10 is extremely satisfied, ADDitude readers rated their mental and emotional health a 5.2. Additional barriers to mental health care cited by readers include the following:

  • Defining effective self-care strategies: 45%
  • Sticking with a routine: 45%
  • Practicing mindful meditation and/or gratitude: 38%
  • Affording a mental-health practitioner: 23%

“Insurance makes things impossible sometimes. Also, I’ve had to switch mental healthcare doctors many times due to clashes of ideals and personality. One actually said ADHD wasn’t real and that I just needed discipline to work through my ‘laziness’.”

“I have not found a single counselor who is highly familiar with adult ADHD and its nasty companions.”

[Get This Free Download: Make Mindfulness Work for You]

Top Mental Health Apps and Tools

Following are the top apps, websites, podcasts, books, and other resources recommended by ADDitude readers for improving mental and emotional health.

Self-Care Apps

  • Insight Timer: Guided meditation sessions, music, and courses for mindfulness and relaxation
  • Balance: Personalized meditation that adapts sessions to your goals and progress
  • Gratitude: Foster daily gratitude and positivity via journaling
  • Happify: Activities and games to boost happiness and reduce stress
  • Headspace: Mindfulness and meditation tools, sleep sounds, mindful movement, and exercise.
  • Calm: Sleep stories and music, meditation and inspirational stories, mood tracking, and relaxation tools
  • Healthy Minds: Unlock wellbeing my practicing four skills — awareness, connection, insight, and purpose
  • Finch: Nurture a virtual pet by completing daily wellness and self-care tasks

Self-Care YouTube Channels, Podcasts, and Websites

  • How to ADHD: A YouTube channel created by Jessica McCabe that offers practical tools and insights for living with ADHD.
  • The Happiness Lab: A podcast by Laurie Santos, Ph.D., that explores science-backed strategies for a happier life.
  • The Teen Anxiety Maze : A podcast by Cynthia Coufal, a teen anxiety coach.
  • Therapy in a Nutshell : A mental health and strategies podcast, YouTube channel, and website by Emma McAdam, LMFT.
  • Something Shiny: A podcast by therapists David Kessler and Isabelle Richards that tackles ADHD and relationships with humor and authenticity.
  • ADDitude ADHD Experts: Leading experts in ADHD and mental health share the latest research and proven strategies.

Self-Care Books

Daily Self-Care Approaches

To prioritize self-care, many ADDitude readers incorporate small practices and routines into daily life. Here is their advice.

“Take three deep breaths a few times a day. Connect it to something you are doing anyway; do it after going to the bathroom first thing in the morning or when you get into your car.”

“I have a ‘blow off steam’ playlist that I listen to when I feel wired or hostile. (I also have calming playlists!)”

“As weird as it sounds, I find ChatGPT great for journaling. It asks me questions about what I’ve written and helps me develop a deeper understanding of my thoughts.”

“Exercise is the magic medicine for my mental health. I notice a difference in my energy, focus, attitude, and motivation to get things done when I exercise. I try to walk three days a week and attend a class at my local YMCA three days a week.”

“I write about three good things every morning. It gives me a sense of achievement and agency and calms my anxiety.”

“I have set aside Fridays after work as ‘nothing needs to get done’ time.”

“I try to have 30 minutes of ‘me’ time every day. I take a bath, listen to an audiobook, or watch a show.”

[Read: 31 Ways to Work Out the Kinks in Your Workout Plan]

The Power of Therapy and Medication for Mental Health

Readers report that taking prescribed medications and working with mental health professionals do wonders for their health, and assigned the following “helpfulness” ratings to each tool (on a 5-point scale where 5 is extremely helpful):

  • Therapist (in-person or online): 4.11
  • Medication for ADHD: 3.91
  • Medication for another condition: 3.88
  • Psychiatrist: 3.67

“ADHD meds have helped so much with emotional regulation that I’m quite upset I didn’t have access to them earlier!”

“Medication for anxiety has largely cleared up my ADHD mess, so much that I’m able to handle other sides that come up (time blindness, forgetfulness, etc.)”

“Accessing a therapist is paramount to understanding your emotions, triggers, and boundaries.”

“Medication can be so helpful, but it can take a while to figure out what works for you. Try some stuff and don’t be afraid to try something else if it is not working or if side effects make life unfun. Also, know that medication is a helpful tool, but it doesn’t do the work for you. It helps you do the work of setting up systems, finding coping skills and accommodations, and looking honestly at how your current patterns are helping or hurting you as you seek to be the best you.”

More Recommended Mental Health Supports

What other supports are helpful for improving mental and emotional health? ADDitude readers contributed the following “helpfulness” ratings:

  • ADHD coach: 3.67
  • Yoga or meditation class: 3.50
  • Spouse, family member, friend: 3.38
  • Anger-management training: 2.75
  • Journaling: 3.08

“Get a good yoga teacher who focuses on the emotional benefits of yoga as well as the physical benefits. It is so much more than exercise and is really beneficial for all sorts of ADHD symptoms, too.”

“Find safe spaces to talk about your feelings, even if it is just an online community of strangers. Communities of people with ADHD are great to engage with because they have empathy for what you are experiencing and often really great advice for ways to better your daily life.”

“There is something therapeutic about writing on paper while curled up in a chair. It clears my mind and gets the chaos out of my head.”

“My most helpful experiences come from seeing others with similar struggles and finding that I am normal.”

How to Improve Mental Health: Next Steps

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