New Year, New You?

How many of us made new year resolutions? Why do we promise ourselves something that most of us won’t keep up with or really commit to? What is it about the beginning of a new year that gives us hope for the future? 

 Well, we all love temporal landmarks- the beginning of the week or the month, or in this case the year. You could always decide to quit smoking on April 23, for example, but you are more likely to decide this for January 1. It’s a landmark date that’s easier for our brains to understand. 

Anyway….

I’ll encourage you this year to put a spin on any new year resolution. In addition to thinking about what you want to stop doing this year, let’s give thought to what you’d like to START. 

It’s never too late to prioritize your mental health. It seems to me that many people make new year resolutions related to eating healthier, or to losing weight, or to run a 5k and these are all fine.  They are all related to your physical health, though, right?  But how many of us make resolutions to journal daily, or to start therapy to help work through some road blocks?  How many of us resolve to improve our mental health?

Good mental health takes effort , sure, but I can guarantee it’s worth it. What does good mental health look like? Well, let me explain a little bit…

I am often asked “How can you listen to other people problems all day long? Doesn’t that wear on you?”

 I’ve been a therapist for almost 13 years and very early on I wondered this same thing. I looked around me and noticed all the experienced therapists I knew had several things I common:

Good Work/life balance – They weren’t in the office at all hours of the night.  When they were done seeing clients, they left.  They didn’t check their email or voice mail when they were at home.  Many worked longer days so they could do a 4 day work week and have a longer weekend. They were active with friends, or family outside of work.

Some sort of spirituality practice – Faith was very important to many of these therapists and they made time to regularly practice their faith.  They attended organized religious services, or they practiced at home. They did daily devotionals, prayed, and/or journaled.

Healthy practices including nutrition and exercise  - They always packed a lunch and took regular lunch breaks.  They packed healthy food rather than running out for McDonald’s.  They exercised- running, or yoga, or aerobic classes – on a consistent basis.

These are good self care ideas for anyone.  These are the elements that good mental health starts with.  These experienced therapists knew that in order to help others they had to help themselves first, and had to prioritize their own self care to avoid burnout.

So, for 2022, I encourage you to start with these self care practices, to help you prioritize your mental wellness this year.  Many employers offer EAP (check out this blog for details on EAPs) which is free therapy so contact your HR department to ask about that, or reach out and we’ll help you get started. I know that last year (or two!) has been hard on many of us, so let’s resolve to prioritize our mental health this year!

The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.