Have you set previous resolutions for yourself only to fall back into old habits weeks later?
Maybe you’ve conquered your New Near’s Resolutions in the past but you’ve still felt unfulfilled. Sound familiar?
Are you ready to implement realistic and sustainable daily habits that promote immediate change and positivity in your everyday life?
The most popular New Year’s Resolutions we hear about are people wanting to lose weight, make more money, work less, and spend more time with family. All of these are great and can promote positive mental well being but they can take a long time to accomplish which can leave us feeling tired and burnt out. Soon after we fall into old habits and our resolutions begin to fade away.
The best way to combat resolution burnout and revitalize sustainable motivation is to focus on your daily mental health!
Good mental health is important when it comes to optimal emotional well-being. If you want to create a new you in 2018 why not take these steps that promote mental health and wellness that lead to a happy and fulfilling life?
1. Focus on Gratitude:
Research shows that adaily gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 percent. Gratitude reduces negative emotions, shifts our mindset and helps us bounce back from negative thinking.
2. Practice Self Love:
Make time for yourself. When is the last time that you set aside 10 or 15 minutes each day to be alone doing something that you enjoy doing? Learn something new, read a book, take up a hobby, plant a garden, do a crossword puzzle, etc. By taking time aside for you, you will not only nurture yourself, but you will begin to notice improvement in your overall mental health. Don’t forget.be kind to yourself..avoid self-sabotaging thoughts!!
3. Be Mindfully Present:
There is so much research out there that indicates over and over again the positive effects that meditation has on mental health and wellness. Incorporate daily meditation in your life. Try yoga, listen to a guided meditation app, incorporate diaphragmatic breathing daily, use relaxation exercises to help you feel calm. Don’t forget to turn off all electronic devices that prevent you from being in the present moment.
4. Remove Toxic People from Your Life:
Unhealthy relationships impact your mental health more than you may know. Toxic relationships can be emotionally draining. Reevaluate some of the relationships in your life. You may find some people in your life who constantly take advantage of you, or perhaps you are constantly giving of your time and energy and never receiving. If this is the case, it may be time to reevaluate certain relationships in your life. It’s o.k. to purge toxic relationships that steal your joy! Replace those relationships with more positive influences in your life.
5. Surround Yourself with Positive Relationships:
Research shows that interaction with friends, family, and colleagues leads to reduced anxiety/depression and improves your overall mental well-being. Having a strong, solid support system is key to good mental health. When it comes to support, quality counts over quantity. Choose relationships that are authentic, that help you grow and that bring you joy!
6. Volunteer Your Time:
Helping others is a great way to find fulfillment in knowing you’re making a difference in the lives of others. Why not volunteer your talents, time and energy to help others in need? There is no experience more uplifting than giving.
7. Practice Forgiveness:
When you’ve been hurt by someone, it’s not always easy to let it go. Holding on to a grudge will only make you feel worse — and it’s not just emotional, but can also lead to physical symptoms as well. Not forgiving gives permission for someone to be present in your mind and prevents you for growing and living a healthy and happy life. So how do you know you’ve forgiven someone? It’s when you are able to think about them and it no longer evokes an emotional response.8
8. Take Care of Your Mind and Body:
You’ve heard the phrase..healthy body, healthy mind. So how can you accomplish this in 2019? Eat nutritious meals, develop a work out routine, sleep, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, nicotine and sugars, and drink plenty of water.
9. Simplify Your Life:
Slow down. Strive to simplify your life to do the things that really matter most to you. The best memories are when we are engaged in the present moment doing what matters most. Take a step back and ask yourself what are my priorities in my life? Are they family? Friends? Then ask yourself ..What am I spending my time doing? Is it answering text messages? Going on facebook? Do my priorities align with my time?
10. Seek Therapy:
Not everyone “needs” to be in therapy; but what if counseling can assist you in identifying deficits in your life that lead to you feeling unhappy or unfulfilled? Everyone can benefit from gaining deeper insight about themselves. Often times people seek counseling and mental health services to not only get them out of problematic thinking and behaviors, but to also gain better insight into what they want out of life. You can learn a totally new set of skills and perspective to get one step closer to the life you deserve!
Call Us Today for a Free Counseling Consultation!
As a St. Petersburg, FL based counseling clinic, our individual counseling services help people like you all the time! Whether you’re coping with anxiety, trying to figure out how you fit into the world as a woman, having difficulties relating to all aspects of parenting, or just trying to figure out who you are-we can help. Contact McNulty Counseling today to learn more about our mental health counseling services. We are located in Pinellas County and serve the St. Petersburg, FL area. This article was written by Carolyn McNulty, a licensed mental health counselor with over 20 years of experience with a passion of helping others achieve optimal mental health while helping them find fulfillment and meaning in their lives. If you would guidance and counseling in 2019, Give us a call at 727-344-9867!
