10 Mental Health Resolutions That May Help Your Clients in the New Year

December 27, 2019, Mary Ellen EllisConstellation Behavioral Health

As a mental health professional, you are always guiding clients to make

improvements, and it isn’t always easy. New Year’s is a great time to push for bigger
changes for better mental health. Many people feel more inspired and motivated at
this time of year to actually take steps to improve. Use that momentum and some
carefully chosen resolutions and goals to help your clients go into next year with
more hope and lasting, positive changes.
Quick Links

 1. Start a Gratitude Journal.

 2. Ask for Help.
 3. Learn How to Meditate.
 4. Love Yourself As You Are Now.
 5. Eliminate What Causes Stress.
 6. Add Exercise to Your Life.
 7. Disconnect From Social Media.
 8. Drink Less Alcohol.
 9. Try Something New.
 10. Be Kind to Yourself.
 Our Addiction, Mental Health, and Co-Occurring Disorder Facilities

Any time is a good time to improve your mental health. But for many people, January
1st is a good opportunity to really take action. There are several things your clients
can do to make mental health a priority next year. Start with individual needs and
challenges and create goals they can be successful in achieving throughout the
year. Before making resolutions, though, consider that there is a right way and a
wrong way to do it.
Setting goals for improving mental health is a great way to improve wellness in the
coming year. But resolutions can backfire and cause more harm than good. People
tend to set goals for their New Year’s resolutions that are neither realistic nor
reasonable. Then, when they inevitably fail it can be damaging to mental health,
causing anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem.
Avoid goals that are too big, unrealistic, and absolute. Instead, focus on small
changes that you can achieve. Make resolutions about the process of change, not a
big, pie-in-the-sky final achievement. For instance, instead of resolving to take
control of depression, set small goals for daily changes that will eventually help
reduce depression symptoms. Here are some ideas to get you started in helping
your clients set resolutions for good mental health in the coming year.
1. Start a Gratitude Journal.

Studies have proven that being actively grateful in your life improves mental health .
One study asked participants to keep a daily journal. One group was instructed to
write about what they were thankful for, another to write about daily irritations, and a
third to write about anything that impacted them that day.
Those who recorded gratitude were happier, more optimistic, and generally felt
better about their lives. Benefit from gratitude with a simple, daily journal. It doesn’t
have to take more than a few minutes a day to get a significant mood boost.
2. Ask for Help.

This is a simple goal, but one that is very difficult for many people. Humans are
social creatures, and we benefit from living in social groups, supporting each other,
and relying on one another’s strengths. But for some reason many of us find it hard
to ask for help, especially for mental health issues. Help your clients to resolve to
rely more on other people and to be supportive in return.
3. Learn How to Meditate.

Meditation is a powerful tool in the struggle for better mental health. Meditation helps
improve well-being by focusing your attention on the present moment. It provides a
new perspective, helps manage stress, reduces negative emotions, and helps
manage mental illness symptoms. Anyone can meditate and benefit from it, and it
doesn’t have to take more than ten minutes.
4. Love Yourself As You Are Now.

Change is difficult, and while striving for steady improvement is healthy, remind your
client that it is a process. Happiness and satisfaction with who oneself is is not going
to magically appear with achieved goals. If your client struggles with self-loathing or
low self-worth now, it won’t necessarily improve by hitting a goal.
Ask your client to list their positive attributes as part of a daily gratitude journal.
Alongside the things they are grateful for in each day, include what they like about
themselves. Over time, they will have a better appreciation of themselves as
individuals—right now, not future, better selves.
5. Eliminate What Causes Stress.

Stress is a major factor in mental health. Some degree of stress is good. It pushes
achievement. On the other hand, too much stress can cause physical as well as
mental health issues. Statistics indicate that adults in the U.S. are experiencing
increasing levels of stress and that this is detrimental to mental health.
Learning how to manage stress in healthful ways, such as through meditation or
exercise, is important. But to really get to the root of the problem, help your client
determine what stresses them and to eliminate at least one or two of those sources.
For example, if their job causes significant and harmful stress, help them set goals
for job searching or learning new skills to move into another career.
Begin Your Recovery Journey Today!
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6. Add Exercise to Your Life.

One of the most powerful things anyone can do to improve mental health is to be
more physically active. Exercise benefits mental health  by reducing anxiety and
depression; by providing an effective way to cope with stress; manage difficult and
traumatic memories; and by improving sleep quality.
Help your client set reasonable, stepwise goals for more exercise. Being active
outdoors should be part of the goal, as being in nature can also provide mental
health benefits. Make sure your clients understand that this doesn’t have to be a big
change. Just a daily walk outside can provide huge benefits immediately and over
time.
7. Disconnect From Social Media.

Social media can be a positive tool for connecting with others, but it can also be
detrimental to mental health. If your client spends too much time on social media
sites, they may suffer from comparing their lives to those of others, from a fear of
missing out, or from a general dissatisfaction with their own lives. Too much social
media can trigger anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. Help your client set
reasonable limitations on using social media.
8. Drink Less Alcohol.

Whether your client struggles with a substance use disorder or not, they can
definitely benefit from drinking less. Alcohol consumption can trigger mental illness
symptoms, worsen symptoms, and also cause a range of negative emotions from
depression to embarrassment and shame after a binge.
There is a strong connection between mental illness and substance abuse . About 37
percent of people who misuse alcohol also have a mental illness. And many people
diagnosed with mental illnesses drink too much or use alcohol as self-medication.
Help your client set some goals for reducing alcohol use in the new year for better
overall health.
9. Try Something New.

Resolutions don’t always have to seem like work. They can be fun and also benefit
your client’s mental health. Push your client to learn a new skill, try a new hobby, or
just aim to try more new things in the coming year. Trying new things brings variety
to life but also helps improve self-esteem and confidence.
10. Be Kind to Yourself.

As your clients work on resolutions and goals for the coming year, help them also
resolve to be kinder to themselves. Failing at resolutions is one reason they can be
more damaging than beneficial. Emphasize to your clients that this isn’t about
perfection; it’s about consistent, positive changes over time. Help them make
kindness resolutions, such as taking one day off per week from a diet or other
difficult resolution or to forgive themselves when they slip up on a goal.
New Year’s resolutions have the potential to help your clients improve their mental
health. Resolutions and goal setting are powerful tools for self-improvement. They
can also go off the rails and cause damage. As a mental health professional, you
can help your clients learn to set and achieve resolutions in a positive, beneficial
way.
Our Addiction, Mental Health, and Co-Occurring Disorder Facilities

Constellation Behavioral Health provides innovative residential treatment programs

for adults with mental health, addiction, and co-occurring disorders. We believe
excellent treatment outcomes require an intense focus on diagnosing and treating
co-occurring disorders. Constellation programs include Alta Mira Recovery
Programs, specializing in alcoholism, drug addiction, and co-occurring disorders in
Sausalito, CA, Bridges to Recovery, a leading psychiatric program in Los Angeles,
and BrightQuest Treatment Centers, offering long-term treatment for individuals
suffering from severe and complex mental illnesses in San Diego and Nashville.
https://www.constellationbehavioralhealth.com/blog/10-mental-health-resolutions-
that-may-help-your-clients-in-the-new-year/

Mental Health Goals for the New Year You Haven’t Tried Yet
Jan 22, 2021 by The Light Program
2020 was a chaotic year. A worldwide pandemic, social unrest, economic hardship,
natural disasters and everything in between seemed to pack a mere 12 months. The
idea of a new year, a clean slate, is a welcome chance to restart for many of us.
With the new year, you may be creating new year’s resolutions. Maybe you’ve already
made a plan and stuck with it. Ultimately, the ability to self-regulate, cope with the stress
of life and make meaningful achievement were surely brought to the forefront of your
mind in the mayhem of the past 365 days. As you enter this new year, take lessons
learned over the past year and use them as fuel to establish your own mental health
goals for 2021. In order to get started, here are some quick tips for creating goals.
SMART-minded goals
Look to create “SMART” goals. This is an acronym commonly used by mental health
professionals when identifying goals for clients. Use this acronym as a guideline in
outlining and identifying your goals.
Specific: Making a goal more concrete will make it more practical. Instead of “I want to
get in shape,” make sure you definitely outline your goal: “I want to be able to run a
mile.”
Measurable: Although it is difficult to measure mental health, try to quantify when and
where you can. If you’re hoping to decrease social anxiety, you might set a goal to be
able to talk to a stranger for 10 minutes.
Achievable: Setting unrealistic goals may damage your confidence. Don’t say “I want
to get rid of my depression this year.” Say “I want to manage my depression by
developing these three coping skills…”
Relevant: Do your goals address what you’re working on directly or indirectly? Here is
a little shortcut to help increase goal relevancy: a goal is the overarching thing you want
to accomplish; objectives are subgoals, or steps you take to get there.
Timely: Adding a time frame to your goals can be the push you need to get things done
(think words like “daily,” “weekly,” “monthly,” etc.). A goal to drink more water will aid you
less than “I want to drink 8 glasses of water daily.”
Examples of mental health goals
Now that you have some tips in your back pocket for writing the most effective goals for
the coming year, here are some SMART mental health goal examples for guidance or
inspiration.
By the end of 2021 I will… 

 Attend weekly therapy

 Find 3 things I can do at home that help to soothe my anxiety
 Find 2 coping strategies I can implement away from home to soothe anxiety
 Spend 5 minutes every morning doing deep breathing exercises
 Learn about self-affirmation and memorize 3 statements I can repeat when
anxious
 Create a list of people who help me to manage my anxiety
 Journal daily about triggers to anxiety and how to combat them
 Find a safe environment to practice public speaking monthly
 Journal daily about my emotional state
 Identify 5 triggers to depression and a couple ways to avoid or manage each
 Develop a daily mindfulness routine
 Read current research regarding depression treatment on a monthly basis
 Identify 3 people who can offer support for my depression and contact them
weekly
 Engage in a daily mood-enhancing activity (such as cooking or exercising)
 Identify 20 positive things about my life weekly in a journal
 Identify my 3-5 most common emotions and a couple frequent triggers for each
 Identify 3 physiological signs of anger so I can notice it before I act on it
There are numerous studies that show the impact of external factors on mental health,
including finances, community, nutrition, sleep and spirituality. Ordering your life to work
on your mental health will likely include changing at least one external factor. Consider
incorporating one of the following into your mental health New Year’s resolutions.
By the end of 2021 I will… 

 Attend a weekly religious service

 Take a budgeting course
 Call a friend once a week
 Make one self-care purchase a month (like a nice meal or a massage)
 Clean the apartment every week
 Learn how to cook a new healthy recipe every other week
 Go to the gym 3 times a week
 Read 10 books this year
  Stick to a regular sleep schedule, getting 8 hours a night
 Create something that you are proud of every month (a drawing, a poem)
 Visit a park once a month
 Donate to a meaningful charity every month
 Make two new friends this year
 Meditate for 5 minutes every day
 Use a standing desk for work
 Visit family once a week
 Make a budget for eating out
 Volunteer once a month
 Implement a calming nightly routine
 Journal once a week
Creating goals may take some trial and error. It is ok to adapt a goal if you find it to be
too easy or too unreasonable to accomplish. The important thing is getting started by
setting mental health goals. Encountering setbacks and struggling to accomplish a goal
is a good thing – consider it a sign that the goal is meaningful in your life and accurately
addresses an area of difficulty.
As always, enlist the help of your mental health professional at The Light Program for
help in identifying and managing mental health challenges. Call us at (610) 644-6464 or
familiarize yourself with our services online, to take predictive steps toward a truly happy
new year.

https://thelightprogram.pyramidhealthcarepa.com/new-years-mental-health-
resolutions-worth-trying/

10 New Year’s resolutions to look after your mental health in 2021

 Comment

Hattie GladwellThursday 31 Dec 2020 3:21 pm

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Practice self-care in 2020 (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions, most of which don’t tend to
last longer than a couple of months.

Some vow to join the gym and go at least twice a week. Others promise to spend
less time online. Some say they’re going to save £50 a week.

Of course, while many people are able to do these things, for lots of us these can
feel like unacheivable goals.

They sound good when we make them, but they’re hard to keep up with – and when
we ‘fail’ at them, we feel guilty and bad about ourselves, and promise to start all over
again next year.

So why not make resolutions that focus on your mental wellbeing instead?

We’ve come up with 10 resolutions for 2021 that are easy to stick to and important
when it comes to improving your mental health.
1. Limit your time on social media

It should come as no surprise that we have been spending a lot more time on social
media this past year than ever before.
Research has shown that social media can negatively impact our mental health,
so it might be worth limiting time on apps or even cutting them out of your life
completely in 2021.

Social media can heighten anxiety by increasing your ability to keep up to date with
the activities of other people, which may cause you to develop Fear of Missing Out
(FOMO). This in turn can make you obsess about what other people are doing – or
even make yourself feel bad because you’re not doing that specific thing.

Apps like Instagram only paint a small picture of someone’s life, many of whom only
post the good things and never the bad, but try not to compare your life with others
online.

It might be healthier to take a step back from this false sense of reality next year.

2. Go to bed earlier
Getting an earlier night will help you feel rested the following day – which is more
beneficial to your mental health, as a lack of sleep can heighten anxiety and
irritability.

Try turning off your phone an hour before bedtime and not watching anything on
Netflix. Instead, use this hour to relax in your bed without any distractions.

Other ways to help you fall asleep include exercising, avoiding tea and coffee and
not drinking alcohol before bed, as well as only using your bed for sleep or sex – so
that you associate it with these things.

Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine that lets you unwind and sends a signal
to your brain that it’s time to sleep.

3. Cut down on drinking

Many people drink more during the holiday season.

These substances can be harmful to both your physical and mental health; alcohol is
a depressant which can negatively affect your mood, and according to Drink
Aware, can increase anxiety and stress.

Giving up or cutting down on alcohol could help you sleep better, improve your mood
and save you money. What’s not to love?

You could challenge yourself to complete Dry January – where you cut out alcohol
for an entire month.
4. Exercise more
Try to exercise more (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Exercise boosts ‘happy hormones’ in the brain known as endorphins, which will
improve your mood and sense of wellbeing.

We’re not saying join a gym and live there, but making small, positive changes
can help. Why not try something soothing like going swimming a couple of times a
week or make a plan to go on a walk or a run in the morning?
Engaging in some form of exercise every day, even if it is just going for a short walk
outside, is likely to make you feel better both physically and mentally.
5. Practise self-care

Self-care comes in many forms.

For some, it’s a nice long bubble bath with a lit candle and relaxing music. For
others, it’s a face mask, chocolate and their favourite comedy movie.

But self-care isn’t just about pampering. It can also be reading a book, meditating,
going for a run or even just saying no to things that you don’t want to do.

Whatever self-care means to you, know that it is not selfish. It’s important to look
after your mental wellbeing in the best way you know how, so make time for yourself
next year.

6. Be more trusting
People who suffer from loneliness or mental health problems such as depression
and anxiety can often isolate themselves from friends and family, according to
research by the Mental Health Foundation.

If you’re having a bad time, seek support. Try to be more trusting and know that
there are people who love you and will be there for you.

A coffee with a friend can do wonders for your mental health, and can make you feel
less alone.

You may even discover that things aren’t as bad as they seem, and even if they are,
at least you have someone to talk to about it, who will hopefully understand and try
to help.

7. Improve your diet

Try to make an effort to eat better in the New Year.

We’re not talking about counting calories, but rather getting more nutrients such as
vitamins, healthy fats, magnesium – all things that our bodies need and may have a
positive effect on your mental wellbeing.
Research has shown that foods which are rich in folic acid like avocado and spinach
and omega-3 acids such as salmon and tuna, can lower stress, according to
the Priory Group.

This doesn’t mean that you have to restrict yourself – just make a conscious effort to
eat a healthy balanced diet every day.
Try to eat better (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
8. Keep a diary
Keeping a diary can help reduce anxiety, according to Psychology Today.

Whether it’s jotting down your thoughts and feelings to get them out of your head or
to track your mood daily, this can provide an outlet to clear your head.

Even if you write everything down and then throw the paper away, it may still help
you make sense of things that have been troubling you.

9. Be more selfish

This isn’t to say that you should make everything about yourself, but next year, be
more selfish by saying no to things you don’t want to do.

If you don’t want to go on a night out, and would rather stay home in your pyjamas in
front of the telly, do that.

Tell your friends and family when they have upset you, tell people when they are
being hurtful. Be honest with people about what your feelings and try not to feel
guilty about the fact you might be letting others down.

MORE: SOCIAL MEDIA
 Is it possible to avoid spoilers online? Yes - and here's
how...

10. Seek help

If you’re struggling with your mental health, ask for help.

See your GP if you are having a hard time, and if you believe there is something
more going on below the surface, ask to be referred to a mental health professional.

Don’t feel embarrassed about asking for help. Mental illness can be lonely and
overwhelming and it can be hard to cope with it on your own.

If you find yourself struggling and your local GP surgery isn’t open, you can call
111 for advice or go down to A&E, who may be able to refer you to an on-duty
psychiatrist to help you then and there.
If you are having a hard time and need to talk, reach out to someone you trust or
alternatively, call the Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/28/10-new-years-resolutions-to-look-after-your-mental-
health-in-2020-11965371/

How to Set Mental Health Goals for 2021

December 10, 2020

With the end of 2020 approaching, you might be thinking about resolutions you want
to make for the new year. Instead of making resolutions, consider focusing on
creating goals that involve intention setting, planning and taking realistic action.
Goals are more specific efforts to ensure that we can make positive changes for
ourselves for the new year and beyond. While many people may automatically think
about goals they can make focused on their careers or their finances, it also is good
to make mental health goals. These kind of goals have the potential to make a
significant impact on all areas of our lives.

The Importance of Goal Setting

There are many benefits we can gain from goal setting. People who set goals tend to
have higher self-motivation, self-esteem, independence and confidence. Having
goals is important because it gives us a sense of purpose and something to strive
for. Good goals also involve our values and ensure that we are challenging
ourselves to uphold them. When it comes to our mental health, it is especially
important to set goals for ourselves in this area. By striving to improve our mental
wellbeing, we come closer and closer to self-fulfillment (which can allow us to
flourish in our relationships, school, careers, and hobbies). We encourage everyone
to set specific mental health goals for themselves for the new year.

Examples of Mental Health Goals

Your goals should be unique to you and your current needs. However, here are
some examples of good mental health goals that you can set for 2021:

 To practice on self-love and self-compassion

 Take care of and be kind to your body
 Make time for mindfulness
 Find new ways to manage stress, anxiety or depression
 Seek support (from friends and family or by starting therapy)
 Set boundaries and establish when to say “yes” and when to say “no”
 Pay attention to and respect your feelings

How to Set Mental Health Goals

Identify Your “Why”

Before beginning to follow through with your goals, consider the “why” or the real
reason behind them. We should avoid making goals based on what someone else is
telling us or what society is telling us. Instead, our goals should be personal. What
works for others may not work for you and vice versa. They should be rooted in our
values and what we truly want for ourselves, especially when it comes to our own
mental health.

Make SMART-ER Goals

You may already be familiar with SMART goals. These goals are specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. It’s a tried and true formula for
creating successful goals. There are two other components that we might also
consider when setting our goals, making them SMART-ER. In addition to the other
criteria, these goals are also evaluative and ethical, as well as rewarding. With the E
and R addition, our goals should align with our personal values and the end result of
them should bring us a feeling of accomplishment or a reward. Setting SMART-ER
mental health goals will allow us to feel motivated and fulfilled by our intentions for
improving our wellbeing.

Acknowledge That It Will Take Time

It’s important to recognize that it takes time to accomplish our goals. They aren’t
supposed to be easy. We can expect ourselves to slip up or begin to doubt
ourselves, and that’s normal. If things really aren’t working, we may have to pause
and readjust our goals all together, but that’s perfectly okay. What matters is that we
acknowledge our goals are a journey, while still holding ourselves accountable to
attend to them. It’s also important to remember to take care of our mental health
throughout the process, in whatever way works for us.

Set a Range of Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Sometimes big goals can easily become overwhelming. It helps to break down long-
term goals into more manageable, short-term goals if we need to. Having short-term
goals for each day, each week and each month, will enhance our motivation and
allow us to slowly make progress towards our larger, year-long goals. This way, we
won’t feel pressured to make huge, sometimes daunting changes all at once.

Setting goals for the new year that focus on our mental health can be incredibly
beneficial for us. Once we make these type of goals, we can also begin shaping our
larger goals for other aspects of our lives. Begin making these goals for yourself now
and, above all, remember to be kind to yourself throughout the process. Take note of
the small victories and reward yourself along the way for how far you’ve come!
Other Helpful Articles

 SMART Goal Setting

 How to Stay Motivated to Reach Your Goals

 Mental Health Goals for the New Year

https://oregoncounseling.com/article/how-to-set-mental-health-goals-for-2021/

Five Ways to Show Self-Love

February 18, 2020

Your relationship with yourself is just like any other relationship: It requires
commitment, time, and effort. It’s important not to neglect your relationship with
yourself. If nurturing yourself doesn’t come naturally, try these five ways you can
practice self-care and give yourself some love.

Replace criticism and comparison with acceptance and appreciation.

Try to be aware of when you begin to criticize or compare yourself to others. When
those thoughts come, stop and think of something you like about yourself, or simply
repeat a self-love mantra such as, “I am enough. I love and respect myself.”

Communicate with yourself in kind and positive ways.

Self-talk has a big impact on how you feel about yourself. Ask yourself how you
would communicate with someone you love, care about, and admire, and then try to
incorporate that communication style into your internal dialogue.

Show respect for yourself by setting boundaries and prioritizing your needs.

While helping others is a good thing, the demands of family, work, school, friends,
and others can become overwhelming. Practice saying no sometimes so you can
avoid putting yourself under too much pressure. And try not to feel guilty about it: you
can’t take care of others unless you also take care of yourself.

Spend quality time with yourself.

Every relationship benefits from quality time. Learn to appreciate your own company
by taking time to do things that feel good and make you happy. Whether it’s pursuing
a hobby, meditating, going for a hike, or taking yourself out to the movies, spend
time with yourself doing the things you enjoy.
Develop trust in yourself by honoring your commitments.

How would you feel if someone consistently broke their word to you or downplayed
your needs? Doing this damages relationships—including your relationship with
yourself. Whatever commitments you make to show self-love, make sure you honor
them and make them a priority.

These five ways to show self-love can help you to develop greater confidence and
self-esteem, help you to be happier, and even improve your relationships with
others. Remember, there’s only one of you, so treat yourself right.

https://eugenetherapy.com/article/five-ways-to-show-self-love/

5 Ways to Improve Your Body Image and Self-Esteem

May 11, 2014

5 Ways to Improve Your Self-Esteem

It’s totally normal to have body parts that we don’t love, but allowing them to get the
better of us is never good. While worrying about certain characteristics that you were
born with is natural, it can really bring you down and have a negative impact on the
way you see yourself. Usually, we are our own worst critics – which means that while
we’re fretting over our frown lines, our friends don’t even notice! If you’re struggling
with your self-esteem and feel self-conscious about your body, there are a few things
you can do. Practice these behaviors and begin to see yourself the way the rest of
us see you!

 Surround yourself with people who are beautiful on the inside. It’s important to
have a support system of good people who truly appreciate you as a person
and only make you feel amazing, inside and out.
 Spend more time in your own skin. Train yourself to be proud of your body
instead of ashamed of it. Learn to appreciate every curve, mole, wrinkle, and
freckle. Get comfortable with your body!
 Focus on the positive. We tend to focus more on the “negative” than we do on
the positive, standing in front of the mirror and criticizing ourselves. Curb this
habit by looking instead for something you love about yourself. It doesn’t
matter if it’s your tummy or your toes, or even a freckle!
 Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Don’t worry about
wearing what you think you “should” wear according to others – find clothes
that make you feel comfortable and attractive in your own skin and are an
accurate reflection of who you are. Comfort goes a long way when it comes to
confidence!
  Stay active. Exercise improves everyone’s sense of self! Practicing a healthy,
active lifestyle will help you feel better about yourself than spending each day
on the couch will. Enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from a
finished workout, and the benefits that your body will reap from it too!

We hope these tips help! Don’t forget, you are your own worst critic – nobody else is
watching you as closely as you watch yourself. Cut yourself some slack. Remember
that we are all beautiful in our own way, and that how beautiful you are on the
doesn’t matter half as much as how beautiful you are on the inside!

https://oregoncounseling.com/article/5-ways-to-improve-your-body-image-and-self-
esteem/

Establishing a Mindfulness Routine during COVID-19

May 25, 2020

Incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine can help reduce stress
and anxiety, keep you centered, and help you focus on the here and now—and
never has that been more important than during the current global pandemic. Here
are some simple ideas to help you incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life.

At Any Moment

Deep Breathing — We take countless breaths each day, but we rarely think about.
Take a few minutes to draw in a deep breath through your nose, then slowly release
it through your mouth.

At Mealtimes

Mindful eating — Choose a meal or snack each day and focus on it exclusively as
you eat. Enjoy the colors, flavors, and textures of your food.

At Play Time

Blow Bubbles – Take a few minutes to be a kid again and blow a few bubbles. Watch
their shapes and the way the light bounces off of them.

Color – Grab some pencils, crayons, or markers and fill in a coloring page. Listen to
the sound of your coloring instrument on the paper, savor the colors, and notice the
designs.

Listen to Music – Play a soothing song and listen to it without doing anything else.
Focus on the lyrics, a particular instrument, or the shape of the song.
Establishing a mindfulness routine doesn’t have to be complicated. Choose activities
that work for you, and customize your mindfulness routine to fit your needs and
lifestyle. By practicing mindfulness, even for just a few minutes a day, you’ll increase
your sense of well-being and find that you’re better able to enjoy each moment as it
comes.

https://eugenetherapy.com/article/establishing-a-mindfulness-routine-during-covid-
19/

Three Tips for Managing Stress

April 3, 2019

A little bit of stress in your life can be a good thing. In small doses, stress can
motivate you to work hard and accomplish your goals. But if you’re experiencing
levels of stress that cause difficulty concentrating, a weakened immune system,
trouble sleeping, or irritability, you can improve your quality of life by following these
three tips for managing stress.

Recognize Triggers

Learn what causes your stress levels to spike. Everyone’s triggers are different.
These can be obvious, like the stress you experience when you have to give a
presentation, speak in public, or interview for a job. But you may have less obvious
triggers too. Maybe you hate talking on the phone, or get anxious in crowded public
spaces.

Brainstorm Solutions

Many stress triggers are unavoidable. While it’s a good idea to avoid stressful
situations if you’re already feeling overwhelmed, it’s also important to prepare to deal
with them effectively. Brainstorm with a trusted friend or make a list of ways you can
minimize stress when it’s triggered. For example, you might practice your
presentation in front of the mirror several times, or role play that job interview until
you feel more prepared for it. Or, if crowded public spaces are your main concern,
you can plan to do errands like grocery shopping in the early morning or late
evening, when there are fewer people around.

And finally…

Make Time to Relax

Life gets busy, but carving out time to relax and take care of yourself is essential.
The simple act of taking the time to go for a run, read a chapter of a good book, or
soak in the tub can help lower your stress levels and boost your mood.

Remember, stress in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. It’s the amount you have in your
life and how you manage it that makes the difference. Recognizing your stress
triggers, minimizing their impact as much as you can, and taking good care of
yourself can help you manage your stress effectively.

Share this post

https://eugenetherapy.com/article/three-tips-for-managing-stress/

Quick Tips for Managing Anxiety

March 6, 2014

Manage Your Anxiety:

 Take a deep breath

 Focus on meaningful activities
 Surround yourself with positive people
 Focus on the right now
 Use positive self-talk
 Start a gratitude journal
 Make time for your hobbies or interests
 Eat well-balanced meals
 Get plenty of sleep
 Keep a positive attitude/outlook on life
 Exercise regularly; even taking a quick walk can help clear you head and help
you stay calm
 Avoid or limit caffeine
 Take time to notice what is working well in your life (rather than what is not
working)

https://oregoncounseling.com/article/quick-tips-for-managing-anxiety/

Managing Depression

May 5, 2014

8 Tips for Managing Mild Depression

Don’t let depression consume you, remember that you’re more than your mood.
Here are 8 basic mental health tips for managing mild depression:

1. Whatever is getting you down; don’t let it consume you. When you’re feeling
anxious/depressed, try going outside for a nice walk, it will help to clear your
mind, get your blood flowing, and send more oxygen to your brain. While
outside try to remind yourself of all the obstacles that you have overcome in
the past, and know that you’ll make it through whatever it is that’s bringing on
these emotions. And just breathe.
2. Try yoga or meditation. These are great ways to relax and decrease the
tension and anxiety brought on by your depression. You don’t have to go to a
yoga or meditation class, these techniques can be done at your home (for
free!). You can even hop online to get more tips about how to successfully
meditate and find good yoga positions/exercises. These practices will bring
you into the present moment and keep you from worrying about the past or
future. (Depression can be minimized by focusing on exactly what is
happening NOW).
3. Physical activity. Physical activity is a great way to boost your mood. It not
only makes you feel good, but also makes you look good (remember, you’re
lapping everyone on the couch!). You can jog, swim, bike, lift, walk, dance,
whatever your physical forte is, do it! It may not seem like it, but it’s amazing
how much it can make you feel better.
4. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep will only make your
stressors and anxiety worse — adding to your depression. Now this isn’t
possible for everyone, lives get busy and days get filled up, but if you can
watch your show while you’re getting ready in order to add an extra hour of
sleep, do it. Getting enough sleep is very important for your mental and
physical health.
5. Try to remain social. Even if you’re feeling down, get up, get dressed and go
out with some friends. Laughter and togetherness is some of the best
medicine the world has to offer. And studies show that people who have close
friendships are overall happier and live longer!
6. Avoid self-medicating. It’s easy to turn to drugs or alcohol when you’re feeling
down, but there are other routes to lasting relief and happiness. Drugs and
alcohol will only give you a feeling of high for a short period of time and
usually result in rebound depression or anxiety the following day. If you’re
struggling with lowering your reliance on self-medication, it could be an
indication that you are a candidate for a prescribed medication (that might
work a lot better).
7. Take a step back. Observe your situation(s) and challenge your negative
thinking. Do you truly believe what you’re telling yourself? Or is it something
else? Maybe you’ve taken on too many responsibilities. Take a step back and
a good, long look at yourself and your situation(s). What can you do in this
very moment to fix it? If there isn’t anything you can do about it, let go of the
 anxiety and try to move forward. This isn’t easy and will take some time, but
this technique has the potential to become habitual. Sometimes the best way
to solve a nagging problem is simply to accept that it exists.
8. Don’t be so hard on yourself. As humans we are very hard on ourselves, and
for what? If you didn’t get your dream job, then try to stay positive, because
when one door closes, another often opens! If you failed a test, study harder
next time, but don’t dwell on it because a test doesn’t define who you are as a
person. Dwelling on these things and beating yourself up over them doesn’t
solve anything, it only makes your life that much harder. You deserve to be
forgiven, you deserve to be loved and most of all, you’re the best person for
the job.

https://oregoncounseling.com/article/managing-depression/

Mengangkat Resolusi Tahun Baru untuk Kesehatan Mental Anda

Diposting pada 17 Januari 2019 oleh Penulis Tamu untuk www.rtor.org

17JAN
Saatnya tahun lagi ketika kita melambaikan selamat tinggal pada satu tahun dan
mengantar satu tahun lagi. Itu berarti juga waktu resolusi.

Masalah dengan resolusi Tahun Baru adalah tingkat kegagalan. Menurut US News ,

80 persen resolusi gagal pada pertengahan Februari. Kegagalan telah menjadi
begitu umum sehingga kebanyakan dari kita mungkin berharap untuk gagal,
terutama jika kita belum melihat resolusi kita di masa lalu.
Resolusi paling populer , menurut jajak pendapat oleh YouGov yang melibatkan
1.200 orang dewasa, adalah tiga arah dengan masing-masing 37 persen:

1. Makan lebih sehat

2. Hemat lebih banyak uang
3. Berolahraga lebih banyak
Ini seharusnya tidak mengejutkan, karena kebanyakan dari kita menghargai uang
dan kesehatan. Meskipun dapat dikatakan bahwa pada tahun 2019 kesehatan
mental kita sama pentingnya dengan fisik kita — dan mungkin lebih dari itu, karena
juga berkontribusi pada kesehatan fisik kita. Mungkin yang lebih mengejutkan
adalah survei baru - baru ini yang menunjukkan bahwa kecemasan dan depresi
disebut-sebut sebagai hambatan nomor satu yang mencegah wanita mencapai
resolusi kebugaran atau kesehatan mereka.

Dalam artikel ini, kita akan melihat jenis tantangan kesehatan mental yang dihadapi
keluarga, pentingnya kesehatan mental dalam keluarga, dan bagaimana kita dapat
meningkatkan kesehatan mental dan kesejahteraan kita secara keseluruhan.

Tantangan Kesehatan Mental untuk Keluarga

Untuk beberapa alasan, ketika orang ditanya tentang resolusi Tahun Baru mereka,
masalah kesehatan mental jarang muncul di antara resolusi paling populer . Namun,
ketika ditanya langsung tentang tujuan kesehatan mental, Anda mendapatkan
beberapa jawaban menarik.

Herald Mail Media melakukan hal itu bertanya kepada pengikut di Twitter apa tujuan
kesehatan mental mereka untuk tahun 2019. Lima jawaban paling umum adalah:

1. Mencari pertolongan. Sejumlah orang menanggapi dengan mengatakan

mereka sedang mempertimbangkan konseling. Menurut Aliansi Nasional
untuk Penyakit Mental , semakin cepat seseorang mencari bantuan,
semakin besar kemungkinan hasilnya akan positif.
2. Bersyukur. Sebagian besar dari kita mungkin lebih fokus pada apa yang
salah daripada apa yang benar. Ini adalah sebuah kesalahan
besar. Bersyukur atas apa yang kita miliki dapat memiliki manfaat fisik
serta psikologis dan interpersonal.
3. Meminta bantuan. Penting untuk menjangkau anggota keluarga. Beri tahu
mereka jika Anda mengalami masalah. Jika mereka tidak tahu, mereka
tidak akan dapat membantu Anda.
4. Istirahat. Anda layak istirahat, seperti pada waktu dekompresi. Hidup bisa
menjadi stres. Matikan ponsel Anda sebentar, berjalan-jalan di taman, atau
lakukan latihan pernapasan dalam. Apa pun yang dapat Anda lakukan
untuk bersantai akan membantu.
5. Merenungkan. Banyak orang di Twitter memasukkan meditasi dalam
rencana resolusi mereka untuk tahun 2019. Meditasi adalah alat yang
 hebat untuk mengatasi stres dan meningkatkan kesejahteraan mental
Anda.
Masalah kesehatan mental memiliki efek yang luar biasa pada hubungan
keluarga . Efek menetes ke bawah ini termasuk penurunan berat badan yang tidak
dapat dijelaskan, sulit tidur, kecemasan , depresi, kemarahan, kebingungan, dan
rasa bersalah. Kekerasan fisik terhadap anggota keluarga juga menjadi perhatian,
meski jarang terjadi. Ketika salah satu anggota keluarga mengalami sesuatu yang
menyakitkan atau traumatis, seluruh keluarga merasakannya dan terpengaruh
olehnya.

Anak-anak kecil sangat rentan. Memiliki orang tua dengan masalah kesehatan

mental membingungkan bagi mereka, karena mereka tidak mengerti mengapa ibu
atau ayah berperilaku dengan cara tertentu.

Penyalahgunaan zat seringkali memiliki efek keluarga yang negatif, tetapi juga
dapat berkontribusi pada penyakit mental . Krisis opioid di AS menjadi perhatian
khusus, karena menjadi masalah yang sedang meningkat, dan itu adalah salah satu
yang mempengaruhi lebih banyak orang daripada hanya pelakunya.

Pentingnya Kesehatan Mental yang Baik dalam Keluarga

Seperti yang telah disebutkan, penyakit mental memiliki cara untuk mempengaruhi
seluruh keluarga dan berkontribusi pada insiden yang lebih besar dari masalah
kesehatan mental dalam keluarga itu. Inilah sebabnya mengapa tindakan terbaik
adalah pencegahan.

Kesehatan mental anak dimulai dari orang tua . Kesehatan mental, tidak seperti
kesehatan fisik, bisa menjadi hal yang sulit untuk didiagnosis atau bahkan
diperhatikan, oleh karena itu orang tua harus lebih fokus pada kesadaran mereka
sendiri. Kesehatan mental adalah kategori luas yang mencakup kecemasan
dan depresi , tetapi juga gangguan bipolar dan skizofrenia . Untuk anak-anak, yang
sudah mengalami banyak perubahan, masalah ini mungkin sulit dikenali.

Pikirkan masalah kesehatan mental anak seperti rumput liar yang mencoba
berakar. Semakin dini Anda mengatasinya, semakin kecil kemungkinannya menjadi
masalah. Ini sangat penting karena penyebab utama kematian orang-orang dalam
kelompok usia 15 hingga 24 tahun adalah bunuh diri.

Bullying adalah salah satu area yang harus diwaspadai dan dikhawatirkan oleh
orang tua, terutama karena sekarang ini termasuk cyberbullying. Bagaimana orang
tua menanggapi anak mereka adalah area lain yang memerlukan lebih banyak
kesadaran.
Anak kecil ingin menyenangkan orang tua mereka dan selalu mencari petunjuk
untuk menentukan apakah itu yang terjadi. Memastikan anak Anda merasa diterima
dan dicintai dapat berdampak besar dalam hal kesehatan mentalnya.

Menurut Mental Health America , anak-anak membutuhkan hal-hal berikut dalam hal

kesehatan mental:

 Cinta tanpa syarat dari keluarga

 Percaya diri dan harga diri yang tinggi
 Kesempatan bermain dengan anak-anak lain
 Mendorong guru dan pengasuh yang mendukung
 Lingkungan aman dan terlindungi
 Bimbingan dan disiplin yang tepat
The World Health Organization mendefinisikan kesehatan mental sebagai, “suatu
keadaan kesejahteraan di mana setiap individu menyadari atau potensi dirinya
sendiri, dapat mengatasi tekanan yang normal dalam kehidupan, dapat bekerja
secara produktif dan baik, dan mampu memberikan kontribusi untuk dia atau
komunitasnya.”

Itu definisi yang luas dan mencakup banyak bidang. Itu juga definisi yang membuat
kesehatan mental yang baik terdengar penting untuk kebahagiaan.

Cara Meningkatkan Kesehatan Mental

Langkah pertama akan selalu menjadi kesadaran. Lihatlah definisi kesehatan mental
dalam artikel ini dan tanyakan pada diri Anda apakah Anda atau anak Anda memiliki
respons emosional yang mengkhawatirkan atau dapat mengatasi tekanan hidup
yang normal dengan cara yang lebih sehat.

Kesehatan Mental Amerika memiliki 31 tips tentang cara meningkatkan kesehatan

mental Anda , dari secangkir kopi yang enak di pagi hari hingga menyisihkan waktu
untuk mewarnai. Kemungkinan tidak ada satu hal pun yang akan berkontribusi pada
kesehatan mental yang lebih baik. Itu sebabnya pendekatan yang komprehensif
mungkin akan menghasilkan hasil yang lebih baik.

Namun, jika masalah Anda lebih parah, mungkin sudah waktunya untuk
mempertimbangkan pilihan pengobatan. Ini akan tergantung pada kondisi setiap
orang dan pada kepribadian setiap orang. Di mana beberapa orang mungkin
mendapat manfaat dari pengaturan kelompok, yang lain mungkin merasa
terintimidasi atau gugup dalam pengaturan itu. Untungnya ada banyak pilihan
pengobatan, termasuk:

 Psikoterapi
 Pengobatan
  Grup pendukung
 Pendekatan alternatif
 Terapi seni
 Pengobatan komplementer
Yang penting adalah menemukan yang nyaman bagi Anda atau anak Anda dan
yang cocok untuk Anda sebagai individu, karena satu ukuran jarang cocok untuk
semua.

Sebelum membuat resolusi Tahun Baru, ada baiknya untuk bertanya pada diri
sendiri beberapa pertanyaan terlebih dahulu — yaitu, “apa yang paling penting bagi
saya?” Ketika diutarakan seperti itu, sulit untuk mengatakan bahwa kesehatan
mental yang baik tidak berhasil.

https://www-rtor-org.translate.goog/2019/01/17/new-years-resolutions-for-mental-
health/?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=id&_x_tr_hl=id&_x_tr_pto=sc
Setting Life Goals: How To Set Goals For Your Mental Health Recovery
 OCTOBER 31, 2019

For some, goals are guides. Others, however, take goals as their way to
monitor progress.

In the case of mental health recovery, setting life goals has become a crucial task.
This is because, while it’s effective, it’s quite challenging and difficult.

Setting Life Goals

It may be difficult at first, but, with the right ways and mindset, you will be able to set
your ultimate life goals. Here are some tips on how to do it:

 Write a 'To-Do' List

Writing a ‘to-do’ list is one of the most effective ways to set your goals. In fact, the
chances of achieving each of your goals are very high given that you have a guide to
follow. In a way, this makes it much easier on your end to monitor your progress and
your activities.

It need not be grand or huge. Even the simplest of all tasks can be written down in
your to-do list, as long as they will help you achieve your goal. So, if you are having
a hard time setting and following your big and end goals, start with a simple to-do list
on a daily basis.

You can write your to-do list in a notebook or a journal. You can even jot it down or
pin it on your gadgets - there are several apps now that can help you with this
activity.

 Focus on Short-Term Goals on Tough Days

Everyone experiences tough and bad days. And normally, these are the times when
you would feel down, challenged, or even unproductive to set your goals and follow
them. When this happens, the best way to resolve such concerns is to focus first on
short-term goals.

For instance, you want to set a goal for the week in terms of completing your chores.
Say, by the end of the week, you must finish all chores so you can rest during the
weekends. Keep in mind that being neat and organised at home is very beneficial to
mental health. Now, if by the third day of the week, you already feel lost and
disorganised, try to focus on much specific short-term goals like washing dishes
straight after lunch or decluttering countertops after use.

As simple and as specific as these short-term goals for the day, you can definitely
set and follow the more general goals on your list.

 Stay Positive

It is worth noting that setting goals is not very easy. While some may find it a usual
thing to do on a daily basis, some others find it as tedious task. If you are inclining
more on the latter, then you have to change that kind of mentality. Besides, this will
not help you with your mental health if you always resort to thinking negatively.

Before setting life goals toward your mental health recovery, think positively. Think of
things that will help you with your current concern. From there, you will surely know
what goals you will want and need for the betterment of yourself as a whole.

Mental Health Recovery Goals

There are a lot of different goals that you can set for your mental health. The truth is
– when setting life goals, goals are dependent on the person writing them. So, your
goals may appear differently from others. Even so, here are some of the best mental
health recoveries goals that you may want to check as per Dr. Kojian. And if they
are applicable on your end, then try to follow them regularly. If not, then try to tweak
them a little depending on your situation.

1. Get to a Healthy Weight

Mental health has been found to have links to physical health. When one does not
observe a healthy lifestyle, the risks of obtaining various mental conditions are high.
Hence, it is a must that you get to a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle.

You can set this goal up on your end for faster mental health recovery. You may try
being more mindful of the foods and meals that you consume. You may also list
specific diet plans that you may follow to reach the ideal weight for you.

2. Developing Healthy Habits

Along with being mindful of your diet, you may want also to develop newer and
healthier habits. If you are, for instance, drinking alcoholic drinks regularly or
smoking on a daily basis, you may want to quit them today and develop new habits
to replace them.
You may also try to develop healthy habits like reading more books or getting into
exercise routines. It’s up to you what these habits will be. But, keep in mind that you
must choose habits that will definitely help you for the better.

3. Get Involved in the Community

Another great goal that you may want to include in your list is getting more involved
in the community. As it happens, engaging yourself more often in the outside world
will allow you to improve your mental health. The more people you get to know and
engage with, the more experience and knowledge you will obtain. As a result, your
mind will be busier with things that will matter most to you.

In the process of setting life goals, it has been also found that socialising is one of
the most effective ways to improve mental health. People who are suffering from
anxiety and depression are normally recommended to spend time with others as this
helps them to be more grounded.

4. Improve or Build a Relationship with a Friend or Family Member

In relation to getting involved and socialising, it’s also best if you establish this more
effectively with your significant ones like friends and family members. Establishing
close ties with your loved ones can do wonderful things for your mind and body.

You may want to include this as well in your list of goals for your mental health
recovery as this has been found to be a very effective practice.

Final Thoughts

All in all, setting life goals is quite challenging, especially if you are trying to improve
yourself in all aspects. Even so, these points and examples will help you get started.
Hence, you may want to try them out at first and see where these things will lead
you.

https://anzmh.asn.au/blog/mental-health/setting-life-goals-mental-health-recovery
A step-by-step guide for making, achieving, and tracking better goals, plus 50
examples to get you going.
BY ANDREW SNAVELY / ADDITIONAL WRITING BY STILLMAN BROWN
This post may contain affiliate links, read about our editorial promise
Have you ever set a personal goal for yourself like “I want to lose weight,” or “I want
to get a better job,” and then woke up 6 months later still in the exact same situation
you were in?

Man, you must just be terrible at accomplishing things.

Or maybe it was something far simpler: Your goals were terrible. Why?

Because things like “lose weight” and “get a better job” aren’t good goals,
they’re outcomes. 
They’re desirable … but as goals, they’re useless. In fact, vague, overly-broad goals
like that will actually prevent you from getting what you want in life and will just make
you feel defeated.

I Used To Be Bad At Personal Goals … Here’s How I Got Better

For years I struggled with meeting my goals. I’ve always made lots of goals, like
“Eating healthier,” “Getting in shape,” and “Doing more things with friends.” After I
made a big, important life goal I always felt good – life transformation, here I come!

The problem was, I never achieved the goals I set.

Obviously, my goal-making process was broken and it was getting in the way of
achieving the things I wanted in life.  Instead of using goals to move toward a larger
aspiration, they had become impediments. My goals were using me.

The Difference Between Goals and Aspirations

Think about the last few goals you made. Were they something like…

“Control my spending”

“Write a screenplay”

“Read more books”

“Call my mom like ever”

“Improve my communication skills”

Those aren’t goals. Those are aspirations masquerading as goals. When you say
something like “control my spending” what you really mean is “Be financially secure.”
Financial security is an excellent thing to want – and it’s a great aspiration. But it’s
not a goal.

As you’re about to discover – to be actionable, achievable, and USEFUL any goal
you make must be short term.

Witness: The Gospel Of Short-Term Goals

Here’s the secret to, well, everything: you need to start setting short-term goals.
Maybe just one. Maybe a whole bunch that build on each other towards something
larger.
Whatever the case, your personal goals need to stop being big, ambitious, ill-defined
desired outcomes and start being simple, measurable, attainable, relevant, and
timely (more on that later).

If you’re already overwhelmed, don’t be. I’m going to walk you through the whole
process.

In fact, let’s make a goal right now: by the end of this post, you want to be 100%
better at making small, short-term goals that you know you can achieve.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

What is a Short-term Goal?

Short-term goals bridge the divide from where you are to where you want to be in a
way you can actually achieve.

Short term goals are “short” for a reason. They are things to be accomplished
within a quick time frame, not more than a month or two. They may be explicitly
part of a larger mid-term or long-term goal, but not necessarily.

Sometimes it’s the short-term actions that help you discover what you want your
long-term goals to be. Nifty, huh?

Why Short-term Goals are Essential to Improving Your Life

Living life without goals is like banking your retirement on winning the lottery.

Without goals you’re just oozing through daily life hoping for improvement … without
actually working toward it. Hope is important but it’s not a strategy. Hope is a feeling
– not a plan.

Goals are how you operationalize your aspirations, desires, and dreams.
Short-term goals are how you make day-to-day progress on the big, life-
enhancing changes you want. 

So, in summary: You need goals, and you need them to be good.
What Makes A Good Goal?

I used to frustratingly believe goals were kind of like genius – you either have this
magical ability to make and achieve great goals or you don’t. People who are good
at accomplishing personal goals are born that way.
Thankfully, I was wrong.

In fact, psychologists have studied good goal-making. A lot. To immediately start

making better goals, try the S.M.A.R.T. goal technique.

SMART goals will be:

Simple.

Distill it into a few words and make it straightforward. More than that will begin to feel
overwhelming, or worse, loose and scattered.

Measurable.

Your goal should be easily quantifiable. Find a way to tell whether you’re doing it or
not and track that.

Attainable. 

Deciding to run every day when you haven’t run since high school is a high bar to
set. Be reasonable with yourself: It’s great to be ambitious in the long term, but short-
term goals should be achievable steps toward growth.

Relevant.

Why is this goal important? Does it enhance or conflict with larger goals? Does it
align with your current physical, mental, or financial reality?

Time-based.

Goals should have a time frame assigned to them so you can adjust or improve as
you go.

Losing weight is not a goal. How will you know if you are on track or not? Eating
healthier is not a goal. How will you know at any given moment if you are doing it?

Here’s the key:

Do not aspire to be someone who benches 200 lbs. Aspire to be the person
who lives a lifestyle that allows them to bench 200 lbs.

They work out 3 times per week. They increase weight progressively based on a
specific plan.

They consume a specific amount of protein each day to allow their body to grow into
something that can press 200 lbs.
Each of those can easily be turned into a S.M.A.R.T. goal for you to reach the
outcome of being a person who can bench 200 lbs.

50 Short-term Goal Examples

Let’s take a look at some examples of short-term goals to get your gears turning.

Bad goal: Start running. (Too vague, no achievable outcome).

Good goal: Jog for 20 minutes twice per week for six weeks. (Specific, personal,
realistic).

Short-Term Personal Goals

1. Do a nightly gratitude journal for 1 week

2. Get off screens by 9:00 p.m. everyday for 2 weeks

3. Do 1 lesson on Justin Guitar per week

4. Finish one Coursera course within a month

5. Try one new home cooked meal per week until the end of the year

6. Give 2% of your monthly income to charity each pay period for two months

7. Read for 10 hours each month

8. Water your houseplants every 12 days (not too much!)

9. Teach yourself one new home repair skill every month

10. Journal for 15 minutes every morning for 2 weeks

Short-Term Health & Fitness Goals

11. Go to the gym Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday with no required minimum
workout

11. Only consume 1 alcoholic drink per session for 2 weeks

11. Meditate for 10 minutes before bed 4 times per week

11. Wake up 15 minutes earlier to make a real breakfast every workday for 2
weeks

11. Cut off caffeine at noon every workday for one month
 11. Eat vegetarian on Mondays and Thursdays for 6 weeks

11. Set a timer to get up and stretch for 2 minutes every hour

11. Bike to work one day per week for a month

11. Do a Sunday morning hike every week for a month

11. Drink only water every Wednesday for 1 month

Short-Term Career Goals

21. Complete one continued education online course per month

21. Research and commit to attending an industry conference within 90 days

21. Invite one coworker or boss to coffee outside of the workplace per week for 6
weeks

21. Schedule one informational interview with a grad school counselor by the 1st
of next month

21. Research how to advance your career with more education or training for 5
minutes every day for a week

21. Get to work 1 minute early every day for a week. Then make it 2 minutes,
then 3 – all the way up to the optimal time you want to be at your desk

21. Reach out to one friend, family member, or acquaintance you admire
tomorrow and set a date to discuss how they achieved success

21. Read 1 amazing book on leadership each month for the next 5 months

21. Seek out and attend a public speaking or leadership meetup in your town by
next week

21. Visit TED.com and watch one talk by an industry leader per day on your lunch
break

Short-Term Goals for Your Relationships

31. Call your high school best friend once per month

31. Plan a true date night for your partner on the first and third Saturdays of the
month
 31. Join a kickball team for a season

31. Host a game night with friends within the next 20 days

31. Simply start an interaction with someone you find attractive with zero
expectations once per week

31. Make a meal for someone in the next week

31. Research 3 options for a couples therapist by the end of the week and have
an appointment by the end of the month

31. Join a spiritual community of some kind for 1 month

31. Commit to being a better listener for 1 week

31. Ask someone out on a date, in person, in the next week

Short-Term Financial Goals

41. Drink only homemade coffee for 10 days

41. Bring your lunch to work 3 times per week

41. Any recreational purchase must be added to a Should I Buy This

jar/folder/account that can only be acted on after it’s been on the list for 7
days.

41. Move 5% of your paycheck to a savings account per pay period and assess if
you noticed it missing from your wallet at the end of the month

41. Sign up for a budgeting app like Mint or YNAB, and use it everyday for two
weeks. At the end of that time, see if you noticed any changes in your
spending habits.

41. Save on groceries and make a double portion of one of these recipes every
week

41. Open some type of retirement account like  an IRA in the next 14 days.

41. Create a list of monthly expenses and attempt to reduce it by 10% within the
next 10 days

41. Schedule an appointment with a financial counselor within two weeks

 41. Make a date with yourself and a bottle of wine to honestly look at any credit
card debt that’s been lingering for more than six months. Just this could be a
huge win for many.

How To Track Your Goals

A great goal must be Measurable, so you must track it in some way. There are a few
different ways to do this.

Bullet Journal

My personal method for tracking goals is in my journal. I’ve been doing this for about
three years. At the end of each day, I’ll do an audit checking off the boxes for the
things I did that day. They can be things that are positive goals like working out or
meditating, or they can be things I’m trying to do less of, like checking off a box if I
ate out.

At the end of the week, I review how I did – and here’s the critical part:

I assess the need to make changes or alterations based on my performance. If

I’m trying to drink a gallon of water a day but am averaging 16 ounces, I need to
come up with some serious adjustments to my routine.
Or – I need to adjust my goal.

Recognizing that a goal was too ambitious or not attainable in the time frame you’ve
allotted is not failure. It simply means that after testing, it’s become clear the
expectations need to be revised to be more relevant.

And in 6 months, I’ll be in a far better place with daily water intake if I recognize it
fast and reduce my goal to 32 ounces a day to start than if I force myself into thinking
I can just power through such a wide discrepancy.

Remember: Great goals are about creating the lifestyle that allows your desired
outcome to exist.  – Click to tweet
Goal Setting & Tracking Apps

An alternative to using pen and paper is using one of the great goal-tracking apps
out there. What’s most important is finding one that is easy to use and convenient.

One of the more popular apps is Fabulous, developed in Duke's Behavioral

Economics Lab, which boasts 18,000 reviews with a 4.6 star average. A fun one to
consider is Habitica, which turns your goals into a retro-slick 8-bit style game.

For more specific goals you may need to use an app created for that purpose. For
diet and weight goals and tracking, I have been tracking my calories for over 900
days with MyFitnessPal. It makes it super easy to find and enter food, and as you
can tell by how long I’ve been doing it, is not a chore to do.

For tracking gym goals I use the Strong app. It has a clean and fast UI and a lot of
practical features like a set timer and it will remind you what weight you did last time
so can determine if it’s time to increase resistance.

You'll likely be able to find an app that is very specific, for example I've used the app
Waterlogged to help track water intake in a fast, graphical way.

→ Now read this: Why People Don't Have What They Want: 12 Common Traps to
Help Diagnose Stagnation

Buddy System

Being accountable to someone else for your goals can be extremely motivating. If
you know someone who is willing to pair up with you to support each other’s goals,
definitely take advantage of that.

What this looks like in practice can vary depending on your relationship and your
individual goals. It could simply be texting each other each time you go to the gym.
Or you could do a 20 minute weekly Facetime meeting where you identify challenges
you’re facing in accomplishing your goals and help each other. If you and another
creative friend have writing goals, you could set up a dedicated Slack channel that
you both post your pages to as a way of tracking progress.

There are also thousands of online communities built for exactly this kind of thing. If
you’re willing to put yourself out there, I highly recommend recruiting someone to be
accountable to.

Embracing Setbacks Helps Motivation

Let’s talk about what happens when you don’t meet your goal.

First of all, goals are targets, and you don’t have to have 100% success with them.

I would argue that setbacks are at least as important as gains. Setbacks teach you
how to fail quickly and efficiently. The more times you fall off and get back on, the
greater your chances of turning your short-term goal into a long-term achievement.

How many times have you gotten into a good exercise routine only to stop
completely for several months because the routine got tripped up with a vacation,
holidays, or stressful work week?

In fact, the moment you realize you’re off course is proof your goals are working.
If you’re able to quickly realize that you haven’t been doing your goal, it means  it’s a
measurable goal and you can make the necessary adjustments to get back on track
right then and there.

This could be as simple as: Take a deep breath once you realize you’ve fallen off.
Feel good about being self-aware enough to realize it. Let it go. Then–

Immediately take a step toward meeting your goal, like setting an extra alarm to
wake up for your morning work out, or calling your goal-buddy to let them know what
happened. Or didn’t happen.

Short-term goals are the building blocks of long-term goals because they create the
critical momentum you need to get started and keep moving:

The creation of momentum is what proves to yourself that you are capable of
establishing a goal and working toward it.

And once you've proven to yourself that you can accomplish goals, you realize you
can accomplish anything with the right strategy.

Get moving toward the things you want. It’s just one week at a time.

What helps motivate you to make good goals? Let us know in the comments!
https://www.primermagazine.com/2019/live/short-term-goals