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Top Tips for Making 2020 a Better Year for Your Mental Health

1 in 4 people suffer from mental health issues a year. It's also likely that you will or already have faced mental health issues yourself. Events such as death, strained relationships and even education, amongst other reasons, can cause the stirring of these negative thoughts and feelings. If you are currently facing a struggle with your mental health, it can be daunting to go into a new year without hope of ever overcoming these issues.If you want 2020 to be a good year for your mental health, continue reading this blog post for my advice. As an experienced therapist, I know the best ways that you can overcome your mental health struggles and look towards a brighter future.

Implement Goals and A Plan

The transition from 2019 to 2020 (a whole new decade!) is the perfect time to start taking your mental health by the reigns. By implementing a plan, you can create a path for real, positive change. Have a long, hard think about where you are and where you want to be in the near future. Write everything down; how you feel in moments of happiness, what brings on your bouts of depression or anxiety, your small goals for the upcoming months and your larger goals for the end of 2020. You can work through your small goals and tick them off as you go for motivation, but always have the bigger picture in mind. With a plan in place, the next 12 months of recovery should be much more manageable, and you can always look back over your progress for a positive mindset.

Gather Support

King Arthur had his knights, Harry had Ron & Hermoine, and Rachel had Monica, Phoebe and the rest of the Central Perk gang; every protagonist has a support circle through their journeys. And your journey on the road to recovery deserves one, too. This doesn't necessarily have to be your family as sometimes it can be hard to open up to the people who are close to you about your mental health. It can be finding a close friend that you trust to help you through your darkest moments and celebrate your achievements with you.If the prospect of even talking to your close ones about this is terrifying, there are several groups that you can join in order to meet people that are in similar situations. Though it may be sound hard talking to strangers, it may be easier to talk to them because they can relate to you; meaning you are gaining significant support while also making new friendships.

Leave The House More

Having a healthy balanced diet plays an important role in a healthy mindset, as well as exercise. As you may already know, physical activity releases endorphins; the feel-good hormone. There's nothing worse than hiding under the covers and ignoring the rest of the world; although our mental health issue may make us feel like that’s all we want to be doing, the opposite is what will have a positive effect on you. Taking a walk, jog or run is a great way to get out of the stuffy house and get that sunlight exposure that we need to boost our mood and gain Vitamin D. Although, we realise that during the Winter, this is a lot easier said than done. SAD can affect anyone, and shutting ourselves away, especially in the Winter, can bring on this form of depression. Walking is excellent for people who suffer from depression or anxiety, all year round. Make a goal to walk once a week then boost this number up as the months roll by. By the end of 2020, you might have a new hobby, but what’s for certain is you’ll have reaped the benefits of removing yourself from the house.

Attend Therapy

If you still think you need that extra one-on-one support to get you through the first tough months of battling with your mental health issues, therapy could be your answer. Therapy is a great way to get outside expertise on why you think and feel a certain way. By working with you to uncover hidden memories, repressed thoughts, feelings and much more, a therapist can help you understand your mental health.Through your understanding, and a therapist's advice and tips, you can work on overcoming the symptoms of your mental health issue, until it is more manageable or completely in the past. You can pace your sessions to however you want them, so even when you feel like you have won the war, you can come back and talk whenever you feel a sudden hiccup.Check out my website to learn more about my services as a therapist in the North West and how I can support your journey to better mental health; whether that’s with weekly therapy sessions or monthly. 2020 can be the new start that you need to fight against your mental health issues for a better year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]