New Year's Mental Health Resolutions

by Beth McHugh | More from this Blogger

04 Jan 2008 07:16 PM

Whether you suffer from a pre-existing mental health condition or just plain-old garden variety stress, why not try a different type of New Year's resolution this year? The resolution to improve your mental health.

There isn't anyone who couldn't benefit from taking steps to improve their mental health, just as we could all benefit from a fitness regime makeover from time to time. So what types of activities should we include on our Mental Health New Year's Resolution?

Number One would have to be a commitment to better sleep habits. Poor sleep underlines and exacerbates many health problems, both physical and mental. As the mind/body is a connected entity, improving the mechanics of your sleep will have a corresponding positive effect on your mood.

Similarly an overhaul of your eating regime will also contribute to improved mental health and mood stability. Cutting back on refined sugars, caffeine, and simple carbohydrates will result in feelings of wellbeing with less depression and anxiety swings associated with poor diet.

Another resolution worth considering is removing, or at minimizing, contact with toxic people in your life. Toxic persons can range from people who mentally drain you with their constant negativity to people who actually cause you physical and emotional harm. Make this year the year that you begin to choose who is beneficial to your happiness and who is not worthy of your friendship or assistance.

Of course, no resolutions would be complete without considering the negative effects of your own thought patterns and how you self-sabotage your life. In fact, we are the most potent cause of our own happiness or unhappiness, based on our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves and the world in which we live and the people in our lives. When we can change our own roadmaps, we can really say at the end of 2008 that we have achieved our New Year's Mental Health Resolutions!

Contact Beth McHugh for further assistance regarding this issue.

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Learn more about Beth McHugh

Beth McHugh began her career as a geologist and worked both in industry and as a university researcher.

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cal1 (75) 06 Jan 2008 09:26 PM

my new years resolution is to either recover from my mental illness this year (or get it under control with meds and other things) or die. Hopefully one way or another my suffering will be over.

Beth McHugh (12962) 06 Jan 2008 09:45 PM

Ok Cal, let's opt for the former. I completely understand the latter, yet while you're still here I hope you will try to make the best of it. It sounds like you are feeling very down today, but things might improve, just for a moment, some time today. That moment is precious because it demonstrates that you can be at peace, if only just for a moment. And life is just a series of moments. Hold on to that Cal, and I hope 2008 will be a bright new start to the rest of your life. Beth