For many of us, the start of the new year brings a fresh beginning, resolutions, and plans of becoming the best version of ourselves. Often, these resolutions revolve around our physical wellness: we’re going to eat better, exercise more, drop our McDonald’s habit, and finally sign up for that yoga class we’ve been avoiding. 

But what about our mental health? This important aspect of our well being often gets ignored when we’re creating our New Year’s resolutions, so we’ve put together these four great ways to prioritize mental health in 2023.

1. Figure Out YOUR Brand of Self Care

Self-care has become a marketing buzzword, but it’s a lot more than bubble baths and adult coloring books. It’s important to take time to find out what taking care of yourself really looks like for you. Maybe you like taking walks, journaling, wearing nice clothes, spending time with friends, talking to your therapist, or listening to a calming podcast. Find out what works best for you and think of ways to work it into your daily life.

2. Skip Resolutions and Make Goals

While the idea of a fresh start is great, many people feel ashamed when they don’t keep their resolution perfectly. So instead of making a rigid resolution you feel guilty about not keeping, set some goals. Goals can be more broad, like  “my goal is to take better care of my mental health” instead of “I’m going to meditate every day.” Goals can then be broken down into measurable steps, like deciding to meditate three times a week. After a few months, you can see how many weeks you were able to meet that goal. If you did meet it, then great! And if not, you can work on ways to get closer to that goal, instead of feeling guilty that you didn’t keep your New Year’s Resolution past January. 

3. Reflect, Don’t Ruminate

It’s great to think about the previous year, and reflect on what went well or what could have been better, but stay positive! 

Avoid focusing on what went wrong for too long. It’s easy to get stuck in a loop of negative feelings, and this can make it harder to problem solve and adapt to new behaviors. If you find yourself getting stuck thinking about that mistake you made at work, your unexpected breakup, or that fight with your bestie, interrupt those thoughts with positive self talk. 

Remind yourself about what did go well (the raise you got, your new pet, your new found love of yoga, etc.), or, if needed, change your physical space by taking a walk, making yourself a cup of tea, or practicing some breathing exercises like these. 

4. Combat SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (sometimes called seasonal depression) often peaks in January and February, when the excitement from the holidays has died down, daylight hours are shortened and many parts of the country experience their lowest temperatures. Those with preexisting conditions might also experience SAD more profoundly. 

Many people who experience SAD struggle with sleep, feel lethargic, and don’t want to socialize or leave their homes. Although it’s the opposite of what you might want, spending time with loved ones and getting out of the house are two of the easiest ways to help combat SAD. Bundle up and go for an evening walk with a friend, trek to your favorite coffee shop on a Saturday morning, attend that social event – in other words, get out into the world! 

We hope these tips help you! Whatever your goals are for 2023, all of us at PDG hope you have a wonderful New Year!