As we seek to make resolutions for the new year, it is good to have goals pertaining to increased wealth, higher education and more. But, goals that prioritise your mental health are also important.
New Year’s resolutions about your mental health should never be sacrificed.
In recent times, mental health has become a big topic of discussion, with several health organisations stressing its importance.
Here are six mental health goals that you can set for 2023 from Taylor Leamey, a mental health professional who holds a bachelors degree in Psychology.
1. Embrace your anxiety
There are often many things that we wish to accomplish within our lifetime, consequently placing a lot of stress on our shoulders and increasing our anxiety.
Instead of trying to hide the fact that you are anxious about these new changes and experiences, embrace that anxious feeling. Then, try to find a way to overcome it.
Avoiding your anxiety can make it worse, but addressing it could lead to you finding solutions to the issue.
2. Talk about it
Once you have accepted your anxiety, Leamey states that the next step is to talk about it with those you love.
Talking about your anxiety and mental health challenges can remove some of the stigma surrounding the topic. It can also enable people to be aware of your triggers, so they can create a safe environment for you.
She further noted that when people talk about their mental health, it makes it easier for them to ask for help.
3. Prioritise sleep
Sleep is important for everyone, especially those with anxiety or mental health issues.
Leamey noted that anxiety is often what keeps people awake, but sleep deprivation can also increase anxiety.
To prevent this from happening, she recommended for people to set a regular bed time and stick to it. Coffee should also be avoided as much as possible, because it can ruin ones ability to sleep, making them more anxious.
4. Declutter your home
Living in a cluttered home can make it harder to concentrate and increase stress.
Often, we have things we hold onto that no longer have value or serve any purpose in our lives. Instead, all they do is take up space, creating a mess.
Since getting rid of things can be an overwhelming task, Leamey recommends doing this step by step, tackling one room at a time.
5. Compliment yourself
It is often quite easy to ridicule and degrade oneself when you are feeling anxious or stressed. For some reason, we tend to be our harshest critics, rarely giving ourselves the benefit of the doubt.
For 2023, this mindset can be changed through daily compliments. Maybe it’s something small, like the cute shirt you’re wearing or something big navigating a difficult situation.
Whatever, it may be, find time to celebrate and lift yourself up.
6. Conquer one thing that scares you
For many people, anxiety or a fear of failure often holds them back from achieving their goals. As such, a new year’s resolution could be to find a challenge to overcome.
Whatever it is that you choose, make sure that it is outside of your comfort zone, so that you can build your confidence along the way.
But, do not rush into it. Instead, take your time to fully plan out how you will approach this task and slowly make steps to achieve it.
Also consider having some coping mechanisms along the way incase you start to feel stressed.
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