5 Steps to Thrive in the New Year

Can you believe that it is almost the new year already? Have you made your new year’s resolutions yet? Does it include mental health? With COVID and the Omicron variant surging rapidly, many people have mixed feelings about the New Year. Understandably some people worry about change and fear the unknown. They think:”What could the new year bring?” How will it affect my life?” 

A recent poll by American Psychiatric Association (APA) found that more than one in four Americans have already planned a mental health resolution in 2022. This study showed that people have good reasons to focus on their mental health. Nearly half (46%) of young adults ages 18-34 and mothers (42%) graded their mental health in 2021 as fair or poor.

You may be wondering: “How do I set smart goals for mental health in the new year? How can I thrive in 2022?” Without a doubt, there are many things you can before the new year starts. To help you to prepare for your new chapter in life, this article discusses ways to fulfill your new year’s wishes.

How to Feel Prepared in the New Year

Many things (if not all) involve some level of planning and organizing. You might want to do the same to help yourself be prepared for the new year. The end of 2021 can be a time for you to help yourself figure out your next steps and plan of action for the new year. Here are some tips for helping you do so in preparation of 2022:

First, Reflect on the Past Year

Before we get to the new year, it is essential to reflect on the past year that we have been living. 2021 was a big year for many reasons. It may have brought much change and growth to your life. It could have shown you beautiful opportunities and experiences you have been waiting on in life. Unfortunately, it also might have brought along hard times and moments you are hoping to move past in 2022. Reflecting on the year is helpful for all of us to do. 2021 might have been challenging for you for many reasons. That is, there might be things that you would rather not think of and choose to push aside as you step into 2022.

The important (yet frustrating) thing about the past is that we cannot erase it no matter how hard we try. There are so many experiences in our lives that we wish didn’t happen because they hurt us so badly. For example, messy breakups can leave you scarred and sad. When you love someone so deeply, it can feel devastating when that relationship runs dry. It can be challenging to think about the moments you shared with your ex-partner, good and bad. There were moments where you thought, “how can I live without this person?” and you eventually had to pick up the pieces and do find answers to that question.

Looking back on the past is hard, but it teaches us so much. We have an opportunity to learn a lot from all of our mistakes, experiences, and opportunities. When we mess up, although it is embarrassing at first, we have a chance to take notes and learn from it all. This way, in the future, we will not have to make the same mistakes or travel down the paths we once did. Through breakups, you can examine the relationship and look for the takeaways. In what ways could the relationship have gone better? What can you learn? What did the relationship teach you about dating and dealing with people, in general?

Ways to Reflect on Your Life

One you can reflect on your life is by journaling. Journaling allows you to review your thoughts and explore your emotions on paper. Allow yourself to answer prompts and get to know your genuine opinions on things/people in your life. In each day, you may feel obligated to tell white lies or fake emotions to please other people. When journaling, none of these social expectations matter. You can be raw and honest – you don’t have to worry about what anyone but YOURSELF will think while reading these pages. Some questions/prompts you can write about are:

• How was this year, overall?
• What were some of the high moments of 2021, and were some lows?
• What people made me smile this year? Write about why you are grateful for them.
• Did anyone make you sad or feel unsafe? Are there any toxic people you wish to distance yourself from in 2022? Write about how they made you feel.
• Which experience are you most grateful for this year?
• Name reasons why you are proud of yourself after 2021.

Look back on your answers to these questions when you are done writing. What lessons can you take from your year, and how can you use 2021 to make 2022 better?

Second, Feel Your Emotions

After you reflect on the past, think about how you feel. In these times, allow yourself to embrace your emotions, not run away from them. There may have been many things that upset you in 2021. For one thing, the pandemic is on everyone’s mind. Almost 20% of people have COVID currently in New York. The city has been surging with cases since the Thanksgiving holidays. As of November 2021, 4.2% of people are without jobs. Other than work, people have lost loved ones, broken up relationships, experienced mental health struggles, etc. Of course, we all want to be as optimistic as possible, but it is OK to admit that life is challenging in many ways right now.

It is entirely normal if you need time to mourn or cry! Allow yourself to face the emotions you might have been running away from. One way to do this, as mentioned before, is by exploring your feelings through journaling. You can find other ideas in our article here. This article first suggests finding a safe place to cry. You can find this space in your room or even in your car. If you need, listen to emotional music or watch a sad scene of a show or movie. When you feel the tears or emotions rushing in, let them out! Cry for as long as you need and listen to what your body needs. After, comfort yourself and do something that will make you smile. You can do this by changing the music to something that makes you want to dance or calling a friend that makes you laugh!

Third, Remember that Healing and Growing is a Process

After reflecting and feeling your emotions, you may feel ready to move past this experience and move on. This is wonderful! You should be so proud of yourself for making these steps and deciding to move on with your life in new ways. Remember to be proud of yourself regardless of where you are in your journey. The processes. of healing and growing are not a linear, straight line. They are more like a rollercoaster – going up and down, fast and slow. There will be times when you feel like you keep moving forward and thriving. There will also be times when you feel like you are standing still, or even worse, moving backward. In these times, be kind to your body and mind. Treat yourself like you would comfort your best friend – be supportive, encourage yourself, and embrace yourself when you feel down.

You can try writing a self-love/self-compassion letter to yourself in hard times. Read here to learn more. First, sit down and find a safe place to be vulnerable with yourself. Write a letter to yourself full of phrases and lines that affirm your feelings, comfort you, and show you love through your worst times.

Throughout 2022, if you ever start feeling down or discouraged, you can reread the letter to yourself to feel comfortable and safe.

Fourth, Start Planning to Be Prepared in the New Year

Planning for the new year can be really fun! Setting goals and looking forward to new experiences gets us excited for all good things to come! You can do this by:

• Making a vision board
  • These boards would be great for you if you are a visual learner! Print out fun pictures, quotes, and phrases. Find inspiring things you want to put on your board- think of what you want to accomplish, who you’d like to meet, what you’d like to do, etc. Take all these images and words and print them out. Paste them on a board and decorate them any way you’d like. Hang this board on your wall and look at it each day. This will inspire you to keep going and follow your dreams!
• Plan to make a (realistic) to-do list each day in the new year: Achieving our goals takes work and effort! Start each day by making a doable to-do list!
  • The more realistic it is, the more you will get done.
  • The more you cross off your list, the better you will feel about yourself!
• Find a friend to team up with
  • Sometimes, it can be hard to get started and stick to a plan. Finding a friend to do things with can help make it seem less scary and intimidating! Make goals with your friend to accomplish tasks (i.e., getting active, learning a new hobby, etc.)

Fifth, Remember that a New Start Can Happen Any Time of the Year

The month of January feels exciting and hopeful. Many people tell themselves that they will finally do ____ in January or start their life over once that month hits. There are a few things that you should remind yourself of as 2022 approaches:

• You can choose to change your life at any moment of any day at any time! You don’t have to wait for January or the beginning of the new year to do so! Even if you start doing many new things in January and feel discouraged by the end of March, you can always start again. You can choose to improve your year at any time, even if it’s in the last month of December. This is YOUR life – you can do whatever you want!
• Appreciate who you are NOW: Many people seem to glorify the “new year, new me” slogan. While it is fantastic to plan for the new year and set goals, don’t forget to be kind to who you are at this exact moment. You are not a project that needs work or redesign – you are a person who is worthy just for being you. It is excellent to want to improve your life, but at the end of the day, loving who you are and caring for that person is what matters most. 
• You can do whatever you put your mind to: Realize that no goal is too big or small for you to focus on! All your desires and dreams matter and have a purpose. Be proud of who you are and honor all of your passions and interests. 

Consider Therapy in the New Year

The new year brings about new opportunities for growth, change, development, and new beginnings. 2022 can be your time to try therapy out for the first time!

Our therapists at Mind Connections want to support you through any mental health concerns. Therapy can help address any issue you are dealing with, like depression, anxiety, relationship issues, career/goal coaching, self-esteem problems, accepting your sexuality/gender identity, and more. Call now for a FREE 15-minute consolation to learn more!

The team at Mind Connections is wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year!

Content Creator, Victoria Gallo; Reviewed by Dr. June Cao,