The Elk City News
Jan
25
2020
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Six simple mental health
resolutions for 2020
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by James Bost
As the new year dawns,
so does the hope for a better
and more prosperous year.
Resolutions are a popular
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goals and make paths toward
success come into focus.
Here are six simple resolu-
tions to make for better men-
tal health.
Resolution: Take control
of your life - There are many
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tires, taxes, and bad hair-
cuts, that cannot be avoided.
However, much more of life
is in our control. Take an in-
ventory of your life. Think
through your relationships,
your career, your commit-
ments, etc. What is life giv-
ing and what is detrimental
to your mental well-being?
Once you determine what
changes you want to make
create small sustainable
goals down a path that will
take you to a brighter future.
Resolution: Find a routine
that works for you - Every-
one is different and therefore
the things that work for one
person won’t work for an-
other. Stop trying to do what
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additional jobs over the next
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does work for you. A healthy
diet, exercise and a normal
sleep schedule are essential
for good mental health. Talk
with your doctor about de-
veloping healthy habits. Be
honest, if you hate running,
then quit trying to be a run-
ner and take up biking or
rowing. Find a routine that
you look forward to and it
will be easy to keep.
Resolution: Build your
support network - Keeping
in touch with friends and
family is a fundamental part
of maintaining good men-
tal health. Build a commu-
nity of support that includes
family, friends, neighbors,
co-workers, a faith commu-
nity and people you meet
through activities and hob-
bies. Having a large number
of people that you can count
on and who count on you
is part of cultivating good
mental health. These sup-
portive relationships allow
you to be heard and provide
an opportunity for your per-
sonal needs to be met.
Resolution: Avoid drugs
and alcohol - Try to avoid
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drugs and alcohol. While
using drugs or alcohol may
seem appealing in the mo-
ment, they are harmful
to your long-term mental
health. Avoiding alcohol in
particular can be challeng-
ing when socializing and at-
tending networking events,
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for you. If you do use alco-
hol or drugs, be honest and
tell your therapist or doctor
because it affects your care
plan.
Resolution: Unplug from
social media - Social media
is a great way to stay con-
nected but can also create
a disconnection. For some,
social media feeds only cre-
ate more anxiety or depres-
sion. Comparing your life
to someone else is simply
unrealistic. Taking a break
for a few hours a day might
give you the time to connect
with others and even focus
on your own self-care.
Resolution: Stay positive
- Surrounding yourself with
positive people and mes-
sages makes you feel bet-
ter. Think about what makes
you optimistic and hopeful
Raleigh.
and create an environment
that supports that feeling.
Do you love to travel? Al-
ways be planning your next
trip. Even if it’ll be several
years away looking ahead
will bring you happiness
long before you head to the
airport. Love animals? Find
a local shelter to volunteer
at. Find those things that
make your day brighter and
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your daily life.
NAMI Oklahoma pro-
vides plenty of opportunities
to help you meet your mental
health resolutions from lead-
ing a NAMI class or attend-
ing one of our many support
groups offered across the
state. Give us a call, we’d
love to help. For more in-
formation on NAMI Okla-
homa, visit https://www.na-
mioklahoma.org/.
James is the Executive
Director of the National Al-
liance on Mental Illness of
Oklahoma (NAMI Oklaho-
ma).