Mental Health New Year’s Resolutions

“New year, new me!” is the classic sentiment that appears during the holiday season. Most resolutions tend towards bettering oneself, such as eating a healthier diet, participating in a new hobby or exercising more. While these are great goals, setting attainable (yet gentle) mental health resolutions can also be useful. If you’re not sure where to begin, read on below.

1. Do one kind thing for yourself everyday. While thought patterns influence behaviour, the reverse is also true. One method to boost self-esteem, confidence and mood is to do a kind act for yourself daily, with no strings attached. This doesn’t mean “allowing” yourself to indulge in something fun after completing XYZ. This means buying yourself a coffee just for the fun of it, taking a reading break, or writing a kind note. If you can’t think of anything, consider the acts you perform for others as a genuine display of kindness.
2. Take 5 minutes to practice mindfulness. It’s common to dive into mindfulness or meditation in an unsustainable fashion. Promising you’ll do a half-hour meditation video first thing every morning is like running a marathon with 0 previous running experience. To encourage consistency, start small and work your way up. Don’t have ten minutes? Take 60 seconds to observe your surroundings.
3. Practice gratitude. Again, start small. Write down three things you are grateful for before bed (or, think of them, use your notes app, etc.) Whatever keeps you consistent is the best option. 
4. Move your body. Mental and physical health are connected. Exercising (any form of it) reduces stress and helps to clear the mind. Aim for about thirty minutes a day. If you’re feeling unmotivated, yoga while watching your favourite show, squats or lunges while cooking dinner, or a nice evening walk can be lower-effort ways to get some movement in.
5. Book that appointment. If you’ve been on the fence about going to the doctor, a therapist, or any other specialist, it’s time to get it done. You wouldn’t be considering it if you didn’t think it was important. It will be a weight off your shoulders, and one less thing to do. 

While resolutions shouldn’t be easy to immediately accomplish, they shouldn’t be impossible either. Bettering yourself is not about punishing your current self, rather it’s for encouraging the healthiest and happiest version to come forward. 

If you need further mental health tips, or you’re looking to book that appointment, book a consultation here.