2023 is around the corner, and some people like to take this time to reflect on the past year and make a New Year’s Resolution for the coming year. New Year’s Resolutions are a chance to reevaluate yourself and reevaluate your life.

When setting resolutions, it’s essential to focus on healthy, positive ways to improve yourself and choose goals that are achievable and realistic. While change is good and it can be difficult at times, our tendency is to only place our focus on the negative. However, when all you focus on is the negative, that’s all you tend to see. It’s important to set healthy New Year’s Resolutions while maintaining a positive state of mind. This is especially true if you struggle with mental health issues.

How to set a realistic New Year’s resolution

It may help to write out your resolution. Be specific about your goal and what you are trying to accomplish. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

• Is my goal achievable? Is it realistic?
• What am I trying to accomplish? What actions will I take?
• How will I measure success?
• Is it worthwhile?
• Will it make me feel good about myself if I accomplish it?
• Have I set a realistic time frame to achieve my goal?
• Is now the right time?

Be realistic

Try not to set goals with unreasonably high expectations. It’s important not to set yourself up to fail. By setting unreasonably high expectations, goals will be unachievable. When you don’t follow thru or achieve these goals, you may be left feeling down and discouraged. This can affect your mental health, including your self-esteem and how you feel about yourself.

Start with a small goal

When setting a New Year’s resolution, you could start with a smaller goal. Many people focus on exercise as a resolution for the upcoming year. For instance, if your resolution is to start exercising, start small. Begin by adding exercise two to three days a week instead of starting with a strict routine that you are less likely to stick with. You can always add in more days if it’s going well.

Remember goals don’t have to be for the whole year. Instead, set a short-term goal. Try it for a month or two and see how it goes. Having a clear timeframe for yourself is essential. However, taking it one day at a time is also important. Think about it more as a lifestyle change.

You may be more likely to succeed if you start small.

Be kind to yourself – restarting is okay

It’s important to be kind to yourself, allow flexibility and realize that not everything will happen overnight or even the first time you try. As humans, we like to see changes immediately, but we have to remember goals take time.

All-or-nothing behavior may cause us to give up when we hit a speed bump that sets us back. When you hit a setback, pick yourself up and try again. Accept the setback, forgive yourself, and keep pushing forward. Setbacks are okay, and things in life often change, but you shouldn’t look at them as failures because this may have a negative impact on your mental health. This could also cause you to slip back into your old ways entirely.

Think about what made it hard to succeed and make changes to the goal if need be. Allow for some flexibility and grace, and be kind and encouraging to yourself.

Remember that the goals you set for yourself are individualized for you and may not be the same for everyone.

Consider exercise or diet as a resolution – it’s good for your mental health

If you’re looking for a resolution idea, consider adding exercise to your life. Something that increases your heart rate for even 20 minutes a day benefits your mental health. Also, get outside: a little sun and vitamin D are essential, and nature can also benefit your mental health.

Another promising idea is to be more conscious of the food you are fueling your body with. People often make resolutions around food choices that are too restrictive such as completely cutting out sugar. For example, choose something more realistic, like eating two cups of vegetables daily.

What’s good for your body is often good for your mental health.

Goal helpers

It’s important to have an accountability partner, such as a trusted friend who will check on you and see how things are going. This can keep you on track toward reaching your goal. Make sure you pick someone who is positive and will be encouraging if you have setbacks.

Journaling is another good way of keeping yourself accountable. Journaling provides an opportunity to reflect on how things are going and how you are feeling about yourself. Reflection can increase your self-awareness and help you appreciate the positive things that are happening while also increasing empathy for others. Furthermore, helping you to process and learn from the more challenging experiences.

Reflective practice is a great way to start developing your New Year’s Resolutions to benefit your mental health.

Pick resolutions that bring you joy

Too many people make resolutions that focus solely on the negative or what they don’t like about themselves. Instead, focus on what lifestyle changes you want to improve on or what qualities about yourself you want to see change. Resolutions can be anything you want. Pick something that brings you joy.

• Keep a gratitude journal and write about the things you are grateful for every day.
• Build up your relationships with friends and family. Make phone calls or visit people that make you feel good.
• Helping others not only makes them feel good, but it also makes you happier.
• Work on being a better person in whatever way that means to you.
• Choose to be less angry or negative or choose to respond to people differently than you have in the past.
• Take time for self-care – read, take a bath, go for a walk, or join an activity that you enjoy.
• Take a little extra time this year for yourself.

Resolutions are not for everyone

There is no pressure to make a resolution. Resolutions can be made at any time of the year. If making a resolution will cause you more anxiety or stress, stick with one that will better your mental health, individualized just for you.

Change and success can also have their challenges. There can be a significant amount of pressure you put on yourself when trying to reach these goals. Getting out of your comfort zone and familiarity can be challenging. Relationships can also change.

It’s important to remember that some degree of stress or anxiety keeps you motivated and excited about life and the changes that are happening. This can lead you to the end result of being healthier, happier, and more successful.

Celebrate success

A little bit of success goes a long way toward feeling better about yourself. By achieving even a small, realistic goal, you can feel proud and capable and more confident in your abilities.

Maintain a positive attitude, see how far you’ve come, reflect on your successes, and look at the things you have accomplished and appreciate them.

Celebrate yourself!

Anna Janke, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

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