Many of us equate a fresh start in the New Year with resolutions for dropping excess weight, exercising more, or eating cleaner. These are all healthy goals to work toward, that support our physical well-being. Many of us have also found it challenging to sustain resolutions like these over time.
After the holidays, it is not uncommon to be concerned about cleaning up, getting back on track financially, and making a smooth transition to our daily routine – while also feeling pressure to do things differently in the New Year.
Perhaps including a focus on your mental health and emotional well-being can be part of the secret sauce to help fuel your success in 2018.
How about a resolution to nurture your mental health?
Here are a few ways to start the New Year with self-compassion:
1. Unplug for a while
The pressure to be available, to be in the know, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) can keep us – almost hypervigilant (super alert and sensitive) – to what’s happening around us. Do you sleep with your cell phone nearby? Many of us do these days. We schedule time to work, to pick up the kids, meal time, sleep time, why not schedule ME time? What’s me time? Time to be aware of what’s going on inside, so it can be recognized and factored in. Turn off the electronics, find a quiet, comfortable place and meditate for ten minutes at a time. These short self-check-ins allow us to become aware of what we’re feeling, recognize which of our needs are/are not being met and recharge. A few minutes in the morning, before bed or during the day can go a long way in coping with the daily pressures. And, if you schedule it, it’s more likely that you will follow through.
2. Connect
Yes, we connect through social media, texts, phone calls and the like. These connections are a step away from face-to-face interaction. Scheduling (there’s that word again!) some actual “face time” with family, friends, neighbors, and even the larger community can strengthen our sense of calm and well-being. Think about what the news has been filled with of late. It’s important to have personal contact with people we care about and who care about us in our own corner of the world.
3. Be in the moment
All too often we get caught up in the daily grind. Wake up. Shower. Eat. Work. Run errands. Eat. Sleep. Do it again tomorrow. It’s easy to become so focused on what needs to be done that we don’t stop to enjoy what we are doing in the moment. We have little control over what’s happened or what will happen, especially in the larger world. Our primary power is in the here and now. Is it time for a break? Am I feeling tired? Energized? When we stop to reflect on where we are in any given moment, it can go a long way to helping to boost our mood and give us clearer choices about how to move forward in a manner that respects our own feelings and needs.
4. Mix it up a little
Have you ever had the itch to rearrange your furniture or change the look of your home’s interior? If you have, hopefully you experienced a sense of rejuvenation when your redo was done. It’s the same place, but there’s a feeling of newness to it. You can do the same thing with your day. Take a different route to work; plan lunch with someone you haven’t seen in a while; get a different flavor coffee in the morning. While structuring our day helps keep us organized, a small change in our routine can provide emotional refreshment.
5. Indulge in talking with a professional
It doesn’t need to be a big life shattering concern to treat yourself to a conversation with a professional counselor. Maybe you want to understand yourself a little better. Maybe you want to learn about your place in the world. Maybe you’re thinking about some decisions or some of your relationships. Imagine, having someone whose job is to listen to you and only you! Therapy is like a massage for the mind. It’s a safe, supportive, private space to take thoughts and feelings out into the light of day and have a look at them with someone you can trust. There’s always room to learn and grow. And THAT certainly promotes mental health!
Improving physical health influences mental health. The reverse is also true. You may find that spending some time and energy focusing on your mental health and emotional well-being will make it easier to attain some of your physical health goals as well!