Happy 2024. Let's make this a year we make self-care intentional. The University of Michigan medical center states “No matter where you are on your mental health journey, working toward specific goals can help you live the life you want while managing your [depression or anxiety]”.
You may start by setting one small goal to accomplish each day (e.g. writing down 3-5 things you’re grateful for in a journal or going to sleep an hour earlier than usual). Let me wish you a happy new year and challenge you to ask yourself, "What's one thing I can do today that helps me get closer to where I want to be?"
We keep hearing about how much people hope 2024 is a better year than 2023. I suggest that we take a different approach. One of the key skills to resiliency is being able to see life through a lens of growth. Rather than look at what was wrong in 2023, try to think of all of the things you learned and all the ways the adversity you experienced made you a better person. Once you reframe your experience of 2023 try using this approach on other difficulties you go through. Ask yourself how they have made you a better, stronger, and wiser person.
Simple daily goal setting is a great way to combat depression and anxiety. To help you figure out what goals to set, think about:
- What’s important to you?
- What are your hopes and dreams?
- What would you like to do more of?
- What does being happy mean to you?
- What is an area of life you would like to improve?”
Start with small daily goals. Once you become more confident, then you can work on accomplishing larger, more long-term goals. When setting goals Keep these two things in mind. First If you have a mess-up-get right back on track. We learn from our setbacks and mistakes. Use them to adapt and keep moving forward. Readjust your plan as you need to get to the finish line. Second, everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. Focus on yourself and your journey.
Learn who you are and set goals that work for your life and personality — not someone else’s. Start with very small steps. Once you have established achievable daily goals you, like all of us, may find you need some encouragement to stay on track. Try to build a team of help and accountability. Find a friend who will be your motivation partner. They can hold you accountable for achieving your goals and you hold them accountable for achieving theirs. Check in with each other frequently. Then celebrate together as you reach milestones in your goals.
-Jerry Strausbaugh, EdD, LPCCS, Executive Director
https://www.depressioncenter.org/toolkit/i-want-stay-mentally-healthy/goal-setting
