January can be a hard time of the year – The holiday season is ending, our families and friends are heading back home, and depending on where you live, the weather doesn’t help. We at CityU want to raise awareness and are dedicating this month to recognizing January as National Mental Wellness Month. Improving your mental wellness can be as easy as taking a few deep breaths or listening to some good music. Here are a few more tips and tricks to help improve your mental wellness:

1. Start your day doing something positive: take the time to do a few stretches, listen to a guided meditation, or just make your favorite cup of coffee or tea.
2. Try something new: plan a night for yourself and try something new! You could write in a journal, bake a new recipe, or try a new workout video.
3. Speaking of workout: Find a healthy way to manage your stress and mental wellness by improving your physical health. Even if it’s just a 10-minute video, getting your heart pumping can help improve your stress levels.
4. Do something positive for someone else: Pay for someone’s food or coffee in the line behind you, shovel your neighbor’s walkway, etc. By performing little acts of kindness for others, your self-esteem will improve and you’ll feel better knowing you were able to spread a little kindness.
5. Stay connected: Whether it’s family or friends, take the time to reach out and check on how each other are doing.