Take charge of your day and your attitude by implementing mental health activities such as these.
Making Emotional Fitness & Well-Being a Personal Priority for the New Year
Have you given thought to what improvements and changes you hope to see in your life in the upcoming year? Some of the most common resolutions involve losing weight, improving health, repairing relationships, improving finances, and learning a new skill or hobby. All worthy and inspiring, no doubt, but do we give enough time and thought to improvements in our mental health? After all, isn’t a foundation of mental and emotional fitness crucial to most of the other resolutions we’re making?
If your New Year’s resolutions include ideas such as being more in control of your emotions, improving your relationships, improving your mood, and/or ability to manage stress, I would encourage you to spend a few minutes each day, intentionally working one of the ideas from this list by Susan Pearce, author of Mind Gardener.
Take charge of your day and your attitude by implementing mental health activities such as these.
- Meditate — start with two minutes and build an extra minute per day
- Spend five minutes in nature
- Express gratitude to someone
- Set an intention for your day
- Have a complaint-free day
- Do something for someone else without expectation of recognition or reward
- Be a good listener in every conversation
- Give someone a seven-second hug
- Watch a documentary that opens your mind to something new
- Do something you love
- Spend time with people who uplift you
- Write a list of at least 10 things you love about yourself
- Do 30 minutes of physical exercise
- Learn something completely new
- Do something you’ve been putting off
- Make 10 people smile
- Play, laugh and create a fun environment for those around you
- Do all your tasks today with full attention
- Read an uplifting book
- Volunteer your time or give to a charity
- Write a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life
- Engage a stranger in conversation
- For every negative thing you think, say, or do, counter it with at least three positives
- Declutter your home or work environment
- Connect with an old friend
- Unleash your creativity — dance, draw, paint, write, create!
Emotional fitness, like physical and financial fitness, is a continuous process. Prepare for and understand that there will surely be times that you get off track -- or even completely blow it. Acknowledge the relapse and have a “get back on track” plan ready. Being flexible, kind, and forgiving is one of the healthiest things you can do (and model for others around you!).
For some people, implementing a few new healthy behaviors and breaking a couple of “bad” habits may be all it takes to increase their feelings of well-being and personal control. Others may choose to partner with a mental health professional who can help them clearly define the aspects of their life in which they would like to see changes occur and to set and maintain the course of achieving those goals.
Whichever you choose, I wish you the joy of finding your very best self in 2024!
Mental Health Services at CHE
When mental health conditions impede a person’s ability to lead a normal life, both psychiatry and psychology can offer effective solutions for treatment and symptom relief.
If you are unsure which provider is best for your condition, contact your primary care physician to discuss the appropriate course of treatment.
CHE offers treatment for a variety of mental health issues virtually with our network of over 850 licensed psychologists, therapists and psychiatry providers. To learn more about our mental health services and qualified mental health professionals, please call 888-515-3834.
