A new year can sometimes feel daunting, make us feel a little anxious and may feel like a stressful time for some of us, which can affect our mental health. It Is important to recognise when we are feeling like this and to find ways to deal with it.
If this is how you are feeling going into the new year, here are some tips and coping strategies for you to use…
- You don’t have to have New Year’s resolutions. If you are worrying that you haven’t got anything you want to work towards yet in the new year, that is okay, you don’t have to rush it if anything it is much better to take your time and think about what you want to work on, or if you just want to continue working on the goals you set the year before or even if you just want to see how the year goes, that is also completely fine.
- Be kind to yourself. If you have not started the year the way you thought you would, don’t be too hard on yourself, you still have a chance to restart and reset and you still have the rest of the year to figure it out, be kind to yourself.
- Start a journal/diary. Find a safe space to write down your feelings, goals, achievements, thoughts, memories, etc. If you are somebody who struggles to talk about their feelings or even just wants to keep track of how their day-to-day is going and plan, this is such a great way to do this, this is your safe space and something personal to you. If this is something you have thought about doing this year, GO FOR IT!
- Don’t compare yourself to everybody else. As social media is a great way to share a lot of people’s personal lives, don’t compare yourself to what others doing and what you think you should be doing. This is your life and your journey, it’s completely different to somebody else’s, where you are now is where you should be. So, keep doing YOU and working on yourself, and let other people get on with their journey.
- Have a clearout. This can feel quite daunting and something I used to struggle with, throwing away things that used to mean something to us. However, change is good and I am so glad I started to do this. Throw away old clothes, sort the cupboards out, redecorate, etc and make space for new things, for me, it feels so productive and uplifting, and it might do for you too.
- Practice self-care. Whatever time of year it is, self-care should always be a priority, but as the start of a new year can feel stressful and anxious, this is a great time to start practising this more. Have pamper days/evenings, go for walks, move your body, meditate, take up a new hobby or fitness class, anything that makes you feel YOU.
I hope you find these few tips somewhat helpful, please remember these are all tips and coping strategies that have worked wonders for me and something I want to share with you all, so feel free to give them a go if you think it will work for you also, wishing you all the best year,
Lots of love x