Happy New Year from our team here at Long Island Counseling Services! We hope that you’ve been able to reach goals and overcome challenges in 2023, and that – together – we can overcome challenges in 2024 and beyond.
During this time of year, many of us are thinking about goals and resolutions. Even those of us that have given up on the general idea of “resolutions,” many of us still reflect back on the past year and try to envision what we want for ourselves in the upcoming year. It’s why gym memberships skyrocket every January, and why so many people start new diets or enroll in new hobbies.
But one of the main issues that stands in your way – and one of the main factors for achieving these goals – is your mental health. Your ability to commit to exercise, or love yourself enough to care for your body, or find joy from the hobbies that you undertake all relates back to your overall mental wellness. That is why, if you need one resolution or goal, this should be the year that you take back control of your mental health.
How Our Mental Health Touches Every Component of Our Lives
Any time you choose a goal for the new year, it all relates back to one idea: that you want to live happy and healthy for longer. You want this year – and subsequent years – to be happy, joyful, and with fewer stresses. Your ability to maintain your goals relies on this as well, because a person that struggles with depression or anxiety will also often have a difficult time trying to achieve the things they set out to achieve.
Now, imagine that your goal was your mental health:
- You plan to see a therapist.
- You take time for yourself to relax.
- You learn to prioritize your mental health and wellness.
- You reduce your anxiety, depression, and stress.
- You enhance your relationship, and more.
It’s easy to see how these behaviors can also translate to achieving all sorts of goals, and how the benefit of these experiences can be long lasting – not only in 2024, but beyond.
In addition, starting your resolution requires less labor. Exercise, diet – these are activities that require a lot from you. But calling a therapist is as simple as picking up the phone and has baked in accountability to help make sure you’re reaching your goals.
Choosing to prioritize your mental health – especially if you do so with a professional – is a resolution that affects all other resolutions, and one that may even be easier to achieve. If you’d like to get started with your mental health, please contact Long Island Counseling Services today, and have a wonderful new year.