Homebuilders – A mentally healthy new year

New year is often cited as a time of promise and motivation. Setting resolutions can be appealing as we start the year with a clean state and fresh start. On the flip side, they can bring internal and external pressure, and can become restrictive over time. Goal-setting is often focused on improving areas of our lives such as physical health, relationships and finances, but what about prioritising mental health?

A healthy mindset enables us to make choices that boost, rather than reduce, our self-esteem, including:

• Taking time to reflect on people, situations and environments, and determining their influence on our happiness. This enables us to seek and make time for relationships and experiences that fulfil us

• Choosing activities and exercise that promote achievement and wellbeing, whether it be hobbies, sports and events that make us feel good

• Creating a sense of wellbeing that keeps us in the present and not ruminating on the past or carrying anxiety for the future

Personal achievement is often unseen and discrete yet holds great transformative power. A change in mindset, which allows for more self-compassion is an achievable first step.

Tips for making mentally healthy resolutions:

Make positive resolutions

Just a simple reframing of a resolution removes the pressure and potential for failure. For example, “I will eat healthier”, instead of “I will stop eating unhealthy food”.

Make your resolutions flexible

Flexibility allows you to be adaptable and responsive to life’s inevitable challenges. Busy periods, a hard week/month or sickness all have the potential to derail the best of intentions. Resolutions can start small and be revisited each month. For example, if you want to read more, then start with a resolution to simply start a book.

Make resolutions with self-kindness

When we don’t meet our own goals, we are often our own worst critics. Try to apply the same kindness to yourself that you would to a friend. If a friend didn’t achieve a goal, we would likely say something kind and supportive.

Try something new

New experiences outside of your comfort zone can be good for mental health. They can often make life feel interesting, lively and rewarding. This can be done in the form of specific goals, or by changing the way we already do things.

Get closer to nature

Spending time in nature is a great boost to mental health. A resolution that gets you out into nature will be a significant step towards healthy living. The Mahurangi region makes this a totally achievable goal. If getting out is difficult, consider bringing nature into your home.

Plan things to look forward to

Making plans for things we enjoy can increase our sense of hope, which is important for our mental health, as well helping us cope with difficult situations. Whether they be big or small, try to make regular plans to do things you enjoy.