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Tips to Starting the New Year with a Better Outlook

You may have heard of the phrase ‘new year, new me’; but, you don’t have to put this kind of pressure on yourself to boost your mental health in 2020. There are several simple steps that you can take to guarantee that you start the 2020s with a better mindset and a promise to start caring for your mental health. There’s no better time like a fresh, new decade to dedicate your time to improving your happiness. As we head towards 2020, now is the perfect time to have a plan in mind on what we can do to be the best version of ourselves. Keep reading for my top tips on how you can start the new year with a better outlook on your mental health; by taking on board one or two of the following tips, you will start to see a significant change in your health and happiness in a matter of weeks.

Circle of Support

Depression, anxiety and other mental health stresses can be overwhelming and hard to control on our own. But often, we choose to be isolated by our thoughts and feelings; distancing ourselves from others. Staying inside and avoiding family and friends will only make your mental health even more unbearable. Rather than taking your mind off of it, your mental health is at the forefront of your brain; deteriorating your happiness even more so.However, if you push past these instincts and start reaching out to your friends and family again, you will soon accustom a strong circle of support. This can be amazingly beneficial for you on your journey of recovery in 2020. You will be more focused on overcoming your mental health issues if you know you have friends and family to support and encourage you in case you have any hiccups along the way. If you suddenly fall into a depressive state or have an anxiety attack while out with your friends, they will do their best to distract you or support you in the way that you have advised them to in the past. Alternatively, your friends and family can be there to celebrate your achievements with you and help you recognise your self-worth.

Start Fresh

As we head into 2020, we have a new year and a fresh decade to play with. It’s the ideal time for us to start new and let go of everything in the past which has held us back or made us feel unworthy. Sometimes, this means finding a new job or letting go of ‘friends’ who don’t have your best interests in mind. In other regards, it might be something small; such as creating a new routine or letting go of bad habits. Start writing down a list of all the things that you want to improve on, small or big. As you progress throughout the year, you can tick each item off of your list; giving you a sense of accomplishment. But, I recommend that you don’t have just one big goal for the end of 2020; as this can be discouraging. Instead, set small goals for every month; whether that’s a smoking ban for 14 days, finding a new hobby or seeing a therapist once a week. These smaller goals can put you on the right track for permanent change.

Try Therapy

If you don’t have friends or family to support you or you want an outside perspective before you approach those close to you about your mental health, therapy could be your best bet. Therapy can help you to understand your thoughts and emotions so that you enter 2020 with a better outlook on your life. A therapist can give you the spade in order to dig to the root of the underlying issue that causes your anxiety or depression and support you in finding ways of battling this. Sometimes, we have repressed emotions or memories which we find hard to let go of; then, sometimes these repressed emotions are triggered. With this new knowledge of your triggers comes the ability to start tackling the symptoms; and soon enough, you will be working towards acceptance.Often, people have a negative view of therapy, seeing it as unnecessary or a sign of weakness. We shouldn’t let other people’s opinions dictate what we do in life as therapy can be very beneficial when struggling with mental health. All of your therapy sessions are confidential by law, and it’s up to you what you choose to talk about. Check out my website today to learn more about how I can help support your positive mental health journey in 2020. With the right help and advice from myself, you can make sure that the new year is started in the right way. I’m just one consultation away from being part of this change, so contact me today to learn more about how I can help you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]