New Year, New Mental Health Outlook
As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, we inevitably reflect back on the last year, and think about how we want life to unfold in the coming year. Resolutions can make us feel like failures we don't succeed 100 percent. Yet, the new year is a time for new beginnings. It is still a great time to check in on our mental health and think of new ways we can care for ourselves without hard and fast resolutions.
Every person’s mental health is different, so our goals also will be different. If you’ve been struggling with your mental health lately, you might want to set manageable goals like brushing your teeth every day. If things have been going well for you, you might want to set bigger challenges, like pushing extra hard in your career, or to hit a personal goal like running a 5K race.
Here are some ideas that we can all use, no matter where we are with our mental health:
- Be kind to yourself. Whether things have been going well for you or if you’ve been having a tough time lately, it’s important that you treat yourself with the same kindness and encouragement you would extend to a friend. If you wouldn’t say it to someone you love, then you shouldn’t say it to yourself.
- Practice good sleeping habits. Getting enough sleep can be hard when you’re living with a mental health disorder, but studies show the importance of prioritizing sleep for improving mental health symptoms.
- Eat healthy foods and move your body. Many people include losing weight by dieting or hitting the gym on a list of resolutions, but those goals can actually be tough on one’s mental health. Instead of putting the focus on the scale, think about how you can include more veggies in your weekly meals, or maybe going for a walk with a friend. This goal is about caring for your body, not pushing yourself to attain a certain look or weight.
- Talk more about your mental health. Being more open about your mental health helps others understand your needs and allows them to be supportive. It also helps to build connections. Your friends and family members also might be struggling, but if one of you doesn’t open up the conversation, you may never know.
- Help others. You might do small random acts of kindness once a month or put in extra effort to show your loved ones that you appreciate them. It could mean volunteering at a local soup kitchen or animal shelter. Studies show that helping others is good for your mental health – and those around you will appreciate it as well!
Isn't it better to set new year’s goals that you can keep up with, and that benefit your mind and body, rather than add pressure and stress to your life? Consider some of the above ideas to frame your outlook for the new year!
If you feel that you might need more support in setting goals or not sure if mental illness is affecting you, take our mental health screening. It’s a simple, confidential way to see if you have symptoms of a treatable mental health disorder. After the screening, if needed, you can make the decision to meet with a mental health professional.
