It’s time to start thinking about the New Year and new beginnings. This year take time to focus on improving your mental health. Mental health has historically been brushed under the rug and not talked about. Thankfully, the conversation about mental health has started and it’s getting the attention it needs. The CDC reports that 10.1-percent of people who have gone to the emergency department have depression, just one of the many possible mental health conditions, listed on their medical record.
It’s easy to keep pushing through tough times waiting for life to get easier. But when you start focusing on yourself and your needs change can happen. Since your mental health is physically invisible it can be easy to ignore. Let’s stop ignoring it and use the New Year to make a resolution to improve it.
1. Long Term Solutions Not Short Term Goals
Your New Year’s resolution should be one (or more) that you can keep for the long run. To keep your resolution moving forward it needs to become a habit. So to start off your resolutions right you need to come to terms that this change will take time. There is no magic number for how long it’ll take you to form a new habit. Some sources report as few as 21 days while others report over a year.
Consistent positive behavior over time will develop your new resolution into a habit. Work on being purposeful with your changes and don’t overextend yourself. It can be easy to give up after a short amount of time so finding accountability is helpful. This can be with a friend, family member, or perhaps even better with a therapist. Anyone that can guide you to your resolution in a healthy, positive way is a great choice.