Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? Why not make good mental health practices top on your list? By actively working to improve your mood and care for your mental health, you can bring more goodness and light into each new day. Therefore, make these resolutions to improve the way you feel this year. If you need help making your New Year’s resolutions a reality, reach out to The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® today at 855.773.0614.
1. I Will Ask for Mental Health Help When I Need It
It’s often difficult for those who struggle with problems such as loneliness, addiction, or depression to ask for help. This difficulty may stem from childhood when caretakers either discouraged the action or weren’t receptive to it.
Make it one of your mental health resolutions this year to stop confusing the act of asking for help with weakness. There’s nothing weak about admitting you can’t do everything alone. In fact, quite the opposite is true. It takes courage to admit you don’t understand something or that you need help to reach a goal.
2. I Will Take Time to Nurture My Mental Health
Your mental health is a valuable part of your health that you should not only guard but nurture. There’s much you can do to improve your mental state on those days when you feel “off.” Proven techniques include:
- Meditating
- Practicing mindfulness
- Engaging in controlled breathing
- Working out
- Taking a nature walk
- Venting to a friend
Stress management is vital to maintaining your mental health. As the new year beckons, make a resolution to spend more time nurturing your mental state of mind. Stop and take a breather when needed, and if you need to bow out or disappear for a few hours to improve the way you feel, refuse to feel guilty about it afterward.
3. I Will Make Nutrition a Part of My Mental Health Resolutions
There’s overwhelming evidence to prove that nutrition plays a vital role in every aspect of your life, your mental health included. Some foods make you feel good when you eat them regularly. Foods like berries that are rich in antioxidants help prevent cognitive decline as you age, and they help improve memory, focus, and mood. Other nutritional offerings, such as nuts, seeds, vegetables, and legumes, help lessen the symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
This year, make it a point to add healthy ingredients to every meal and to make snacks as nutritious as possible. For instance, you might try replacing a snack of chips and soda with the following:
- Fresh apple slices dipped in peanut butter
- A frozen fruit smoothie
- Carrot sticks dipped in hummus
- An avocado on whole-wheat toast
- Roasted vegetables
- Unsalted nuts and seeds
Begin by replacing just one snack a day with something more nutritious and build from there. Healthy lifestyle changes become healthy habits over time. Make small improvements daily, and don’t beat yourself up when you falter. Eventually, eating well will become much easier to manage.
4. I Will Embrace Positivity in the New Year
Your thoughts have immense power. When you focus on the negatives, such as on the “never” and the “why me,” it sends your mood plummeting. Resolve to change negative thinking patterns in the New Year. Replace them with thoughts that are less doom-laden and that allow for a more realistic outlook. Bad things happen to everyone. But they’re not harbingers of terrible things to come. In reality, they’re minor setbacks that you can overcome with a little effort and a lot of positivity. Aim for happiness in the New Year, and you might be surprised how easily you’re able to find it.
Seek Mental Health Treatment if You Need It
In many cases, those who are suffering from mental health issues don’t feel capable of making healthy choices. As a result, you may not feel like you’re able to make healthy New Year resolutions this year. In such cases, it may be necessary to enroll in a mental health treatment program. Our women’s mental health treatment center is tailored to the needs of the women we treat. We utilize a range of evidence-based and experiential therapy options to support our clients’ recoveries. For instance, our therapeutic options include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Yoga therapy
- EMDR therapy
- Recreational therapy
With the help of our treatment programs, you can begin the process of recovery. If you’re suffering from mental health issues, it’s time to seek treatment. To learn more about our services, please contact The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® today.
Contact The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® Today
If you need help with mental wellness in the North Carolina area, The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® may be the solution. Treating young women, ages 18-30, we help you reframe years of negative thinking into positivity. Visit us online today for more information, or call 855.773.0614. Contact The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® to help you make the New Year your best one ever.
