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How to Leave Your Worries in 2018

We celebrate the new year with happiness and hope, surrounded by our friends and family. So why can’t the whole year be like this? People suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental health problems may look to the upcoming year with fear and worries rather than hopeful anticipation. Having possibly already faced many years with the symptoms of their mental health issue, 2019 can seem like just another year of pain to endure. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. I’ve put together a list of steps that you can take from today to make a positive impact on your life and to make a change in time for 2019. You can make this upcoming year your best one yet.The health and happiness of my clients is always my top priority, and as an expert in mental health, I want to make sure everyone leaves their worries behind in 2018. If you want to learn more about how I can help you, and how you can help yourself, then read on for my best tips in self-care and wellness.

Make Your Mental Wellness a Priority

Heading into 2019, the most important thing to take care of is your mental health. If you want a worry free year, you need to make sure you are dedicating time to considering that your mental state of mind will greatly influence your mood. For example, if something unexpected happens and plans are disrupted, rather than worrying as you may usually automatically do, you should take time to assess the situation. Realise that some things that happen in life are unavoidable - they aren’t your fault and they cannot be prevented. Don’t blame yourself.The best way to make your wellness a priority in your life is by starting with baby steps. It’s no good just claiming “I am going to be less worried”. It’s not an easily attainable goal as it’s too broad. Instead, you can identify what it is you need to prioritise - such as trying to cope with your worries and then set yourself smaller goals throughout the year. For example, the next time when plans go awry or end up cancelled you might try to have some alternative plans in place so that you still have something positive to focus on instead of feeling dejected and allowing nerves to set in. Make your goal to focus on the positives as best as you can.Making weekly or monthly goals and keeping an up-to-date planner where you can track what you are doing can be a really good idea. Make a note of even the smaller achievements in your progress. Being able to acknowledge this makes staying on track easier and boosts your mood and confidence when you can easily look back over how far you’ve come and the obstacles you’ve faced.

Speak to People or a Counsellor

Leave your mental health issues and worries behind in 2018 by scheduling time for wellness and understanding your mental health. You can do this by sharing any problems that crop up with friends or family. They can provide the listening ear and advice you need to help address a situation and find ways to overcome it. Trying to face something alone can be hard, and you may feel yourself being overwhelmed. However, by inviting a select few people you trust to learn about your struggles, you can create a small support circle to fall back on when times get tough.Unfortunately, not everyone has understanding or supportive friends or family. Or, even when they do, people sometimes want to keep their mental health to themselves or aren’t ready to open up about their struggles to those they love. If you are facing one of these issues coming into 2019, you can seek help from a counsellor instead. Therapists have the expert knowledge and experience to help you understand why you are feeling certain things and how to tackle problems that set you back in overcoming your depression, anxiety or other issues. Set a time weekly, biweekly or monthly where you can sit down with your therapist and discuss the big issue affecting you as well as the little things that cause you to stress every day. Talking to someone, especially an experienced counsellor, can be the first step in acceptance and moving forwards and way from your struggles.

Focus on Your Physical Health

Take your mind off your worries by involving yourself more in your physical health and exercise during 2019. Walking is totally free and a perfect beginners exercise to start with. The physical health benefits from waking are incredible but also, it gets you outside and in the fresh air which can help to calm you mentally too. You can start off with very small walks and gradually increase them as you feel fitter and more able to take on the longer exercise. If walking is not for you, you could join your local gym and have your goal to attend a class once a week at first. There are also lots of free runs you can take part in as a group, such as parkrun or you could go by yourself in your local area. If you’d prefer to be more private, there are thousands of home-based workouts online for free or to buy. All you need is motivation and 15 minutes of your time to get started. You might need to push yourself for the first couple of weeks to get out of bed and move, but after a while, it can become a hobby that is part of your routine.When you exercise your body releases endorphins, also known as the happy hormone, which boosts your mood immediately after working out. This lasts beyond just your exercise time, so if you are exercising regularly, your mood can see a permanent change. Also, seeing your body change and grow stronger will help to boost your mental health - as you recognise that your body is feeling healthier and looking stronger you can gain confidence from this and this will reflect in your mood. Not only will your mental health benefit from this, but your body will start feeling healthier and happier as well.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

If want a worry-free 2019, you need to learn how to let the small stuff go. People with anxiety, depression or other mental health issues, can often make little problems seem more significant than they are. Because their symptoms already have such a hold over them, people find it much harder to overcome the little things that set them back in life.Try and keep a journal of everything that caused you upset, anger or pain no matter how small. You can read over it nightly or weekly and look at other ways you could have responded to that situation. Rather than letting your depression take over because of a cancelled plan or mistake, you can understand it isn’t your fault, move on and instead look for something else to do. Over time, this will become natural for you and you can see a change in your responses to smaller issues. In the long-run, this will make tackling the more substantial problem like anxiety or depression much easier as you are taking it down one piece at a time.Just because you are facing mental health issues doesn’t mean you should look to 2019 with fear. There are many small ways you can take away your worries and have a happier and healthier 2019. If you are interested in learning more tactics for overcoming your symptoms, or more information on my services, then contact me today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]