Mental Health Tips for the New Year!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a nice holiday season and is ready to take on 2025. The holiday season is both stress and a break from mundane daily life. Some are happy that the holidays are over, while others miss the extra cheer of the season. However, the start of a new year is empowering regardless of your feelings about the holidays. Many people make resolutions about their health(for example, exercising more or eating healthier), but what about improving our mental health? Here are some ways to positively change for the new year.
It is common for people to make resolutions at the start of a new year. A resolution is a promise a person makes to improve their life somehow. While this sounds positive, the truth is many times, it doesn’t work out. This usually happens after a few weeks, leading the person not to feel so great about themselves. If you have a past of breaking resolutions, try setting goals instead. Create goals that you can work towards obtaining throughout the year. This way, you can give yourself grace when bumps in your progress occur.
No goal or resolution is possible without proper time management. Time management is key for your mental health and a harmonized life. How can you do a morning workout if your schedule doesn’t allow it? Or how will you be able to spend more quality time with family if work meetings get in the way? Planning out your time is super important. Blocking off time helps. Start the new year with a planner to organize your time better, which will help you prioritize tasks and enjoy a fun time with peace of mind!
Mindfulness is an excellent way to improve mental health. We are overwhelmed with so much, so taking time to calm down is essential. Although longer meditations may not work for everyone, taking a few minutes to try to quiet the mind, reflect, practice gratitude, or journal helps bring clarity to our lives. We must know what’s going on before it gets out of control.
Socialization helps us beat those winter blues! The holiday season is filled with gatherings, and it stops after New Year's parties. Although we don’t have all the events like during the holidays, it’s still good to get out as much as possible. If you live somewhere where it gets cold, it may be a good idea to get together for dinner, coffee, shopping, and game night. These are some fun ideas for spending time together!
Self-care is vital after the holiday rush and during winter. Although we can’t always prevent getting sick during the winter months, taking proper care of oneself helps to defend us against all the germs. Not only does it protect us from getting sick, it helps improve our mental health. The third Monday of January is often called “Blue Monday,” aka the most depressing day of the year. Although research doesn’t always back it up, there can be some truth to it. During this time, we face bills from the holidays, cold and dark weather, and failed New Year’s resolutions. Practicing self-care helps us to stay healthy both physically and mentally. Take a warm bath, drink some tea, do a spa night, take a yoga class, take some Vitamin D, unplug or even book a weekend getaway! Find what works best to beat the bleakness winter can bring for some people.
As always, help is available. The new year is a good time to start your therapeutic journey. If issues go beyond what these tips can do, seeking professional help may be necessary. If you’re having difficulty reaching your goals, talking with someone can help. I wish everyone a wonderful 2025 and look forward to finding ways to make those positive changes for the new year!
