Moving into a new year is always filled with emotion: while it is filled with the excitement and hope associated with flipping the calendar, it also presents unspoken pressure to improve our lives. Making life improvements can feel daunting, and as we enter the new year still amid a global pandemic, this year is no exception.
With a little planning and a realistic assessment of what you are able to control during these trying times, you too can start the new year on the right path for becoming the best you that you can be. Below are five tips to help you start the new year in the best way possible.
- Reflect on 2020: This has been a tough, strange year for everyone. Take a look back on where you started 2020 and where you are ending the year. Sure, maybe you didn’t achieve any of your New Year’s resolutions, but you also survived a global pandemic. Reflect on your 2020 experience and find the ways that you’ve grown as a person and appreciate that for several moments.
- Be Realistic: Let’s face it, for those of us who didn’t reach our goal of hitting the gym five times a week or starting a new hobby, it may be tough to achieve those same goals again this year, particularly amid the pandemic and limitations it places on our daily lives. As you begin preparing for how you can work on yourself with the start of the new year, be realistic with your goals and timelines for growth.
- Invest in Your Passion: This sounds like a loaded statement until you break it down to its simplest form: figure out what activities excite you and begin to move yourself closer to them. We all have unique passions, but as we get stuck in the day-to-day routine our excitement for life can slowly fizzle away. As the New Year begins, take time to determine your true passions and spend more time doing, talking or learning about them.
- Find Ways to Improve Other’s Lives: It is so easy to get hyper-focused on our own situation right now, especially when we are socially distancing from others. Break free from that cycle by doing your best to make someone else smile and forget about any struggles they are dealing with at the moment. You just might start a chain reaction of acts of kindness!
- Have an Accountability Partner: Discussing your goals and check in with a friend or loved one your progress is a great way to stay motivated. When someone else knows what you are trying to accomplish, they often see your progress more than you are able to see it for yourself; that can be a huge source of support when growth feels slow. Writing down goals also helps so you can look at them regularly and be able to see what you have already achieved.
These small steps may seem simple, but when put into practice they can make a world of a difference as you enter a new year. If you or a loved one is suffering from a mental health issue, contact a treatment facility for help. To learn more about the breadth of services offered at Havenwood Behavioral Health, visit havenwoodbehavioral.com/or call us at (864) 660-6217. With proper treatment and support, you can overcome addiction.