3 New Year's Resolutions for Your Mental Health

3 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Mental Health

If you’ve resolved to make positive changes in your life this year, you could start by trying to improve your mental health. Simple, everyday change—establishing self-care habits, prioritizing sleep, and journaling—can help you grow as a person. If you require additional support, seek professional therapy for self-esteem or any other mental health concerns you may have.

January is Celebration of Life Month, so celebrate yours with 3 New Year’s resolutions that can help boost your mental health:

  1. Practice Self-Care

Although unique to each individual, self-care practices tend to share some features. First, your practices will probably counterbalance how you spend most of your time. For instance, if you spend your days on your feet, relaxing may serve as your self-care. If you spend the majority of your days at a desk, activities may provide your self-care. 

Moreover, self-care activates your center of being through awareness. It allows you to check in with your senses—physical, mental, and spiritual—and note their status. You may find that you need to disengage or reengage with them.

So, make a list of activities that allow you to step into your deeper self. Examples include taking a bath, meditating, taking a walk, or completing a task to improve your state of existence. 

  1. Prioritize Sleep

It seems we all need more sleep, all of the time! To ensure your body gets the sleep it needs, you should practice habitual behavior techniques. Begin by identifying a cue for sleep, such as switching off all electronics and overhead lights then heading to your bedroom by a certain time.

Next, identify a reward for this behavior. While waking up refreshed serves as an intrinsic reward, you can reinforce your sleep habit formation with something more immediate. Try enjoying a cup of decaffeinated tea, journaling, listening to ambient music, or reading for 20 minutes before sleeping.

  1. Start Journaling

If you don’t keep a journal, you should consider starting. Journaling has proven to have diverse mental health benefits. Research indicates that it can relieve stress, ease depressive symptoms, and lead to greater self-knowledge.

You need not journal with strict objectives, but if you feel unsure how to start, express your gratitude. Write down 3 things you are grateful for every day. From there, continue with other emotions that you feel.

Identify your mental health concerns in your journal. Record how you responded to an impressionable event or what you struggle with. Use your journal to track mental health progress over time and record concerns that you would like to discuss with your therapist.

Therapeutic Alliance: Professional Therapy for Self-Esteem

You can take responsibility for your mental health with the support of professional guidance. Therapeutic Alliance offers professional counseling to catalyze your mental health. Our services are available to individuals, parents, and children in Fredericksburg, VA. We recognize our clients as the agents of change, so we aim to facilitate their change in a personalized way. Call us at (833) 319-0526 or contact us through our website.

Alkesh Patel LPC, CSAC, CEO