A New Year, A New You: 5 Mental Health Resolutions to Make This Year

When was the last time you wrote down a resolution for the next year that actually made you smile right after you put the pen down?

Most resolutions come with pressure, the need for performance, and a hefty amount of anxiety. No wonder everyone drops them after one month.

But what if there were a way to set resolutions that actually feel good for you and that set a healthy foundation for all your other goals, even if you still believe those goals contribute to your actual well-being? Here to help you, our team at VP MindCare shares 5 resolutions for a new year, anew you, on your own terms.

1. Find your real capacity and energy levels

Most people complain about the fact that they don’t go to the gym regularly, don’t make home-cooked meals, don’t read enough, don’t work enough, or don’t go out enough. They add activities to their checklist just to feel busy, only to become exhausted, drop everything, and start from scratch.

This never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction doesn’t end when you are doing more. Clearly, sometimes doing more is not sustainable. A better question to ask is: What is your capacity?

You could be doing a lot, even if it doesn’t feel like you are doing much, especially if your mental energy is spent elsewhere. Anxiety and rumination take a lot of bandwidth. Nervous system dysregulation can drain your energy. Being in an unsupportive environment can also leave you depleted.

What can sometimes help is learning your actual capacity and building an environment that supports your energy levels and goals.

2. Set goals that make you happy

Being true to yourself is often a resolution that makes people happier than eating kale three times per week. We are all influenced by the opinions of our peers, but sometimes it is worth exploring whether our goals actually bring us joy or are simply things we force ourselves to do, even if we are unhappy, in the hope that others will be pleased with us.

3. Do an inventory of your relationships

No relationship is perfect, but if you are constantly dealing with ups and downs, with praise quickly followed by criticism, it is worth asking yourself whether these relationships are draining your energy and harming your mental health. 

Setting boundaries, choosing distance, or cutting off relationships with people who hold a negative view of you is completely warranted.

4. Keep your inner critic in check

Do you have a relentless inner critic? It is worth noting that the inner critic can sometimes reflect early caregiving experiences rather than objective reality. 

Adults raised in homes with supportive caregivers tend to develop a positive inner dialogue, while those raised by cold or critical caregivers often internalize a harsh inner critic. Sometimes, it is worth creating some distance from that voice and asking whether it is always right.

5. Normalize accepting all feelings

We all want to be happy and satisfied with our lives. But when we try to live out this expectation, we often end up hiding parts of ourselves and feeling unhappy because we shame ourselves for certain emotions. 

Positive feelings are often associated with success, yet we can still feel sad, angry, or disappointed. Upsetting things happen, and negative feelings are a very normal response.

Get support in your wellbeing journey

If you are determined to make the new year truly your year, contact us to schedule an appointment at our Anchorage, Alaska office. Resolutions, goals, and life itself become easier when you have someone on your side, especially someone trained to help you navigate life’s challenges.

Our team offers medication management, evaluations, and collaborates closely with therapists and counselors, providing both individual and group therapy.