5 Goals For The New Year That Can Help Boost Your Mood

Did you know that studies show approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail, and most fail by February?

Even if the optimism (and willpower) of your New Year Resolution fizzles out, there are still ways you can find joy and satisfaction in life. It all starts by prioritizing your mental health.

Refining your outlook by setting realistic goals can be a great way to increase positivity in daily life. To help improve your mood this year and beyond, our team at Pacific Mind Health put together these tips that can support wellness and boost your mood.

Exercise of any kind is beneficial for mental well-being, whether it’s something low-intensity like walking or something more active like weight lifting. The key is finding activities you enjoy that will keep you motivated to stay active. To keep up with a goal of regular exercise, start by setting small targets that can be achieved within a reasonable timeframe, such as going out for a walk every day or going to the gym once a week. It also helps to keep track of your progress by writing down specific goals and celebrating each milestone.

Practicing thankfulness can be an immensely beneficial way to develop a healthier mental wellness routine. Being thankful can often change our perspectives on challenges, beautify ordinary moments and sharpen our orientation toward joy.

However, practicing gratitude takes practice. It may be helpful to keep a small journal on hand, noting anything that heightens your appreciation for life, even for simple moments and experiences.

Another strategy is to meditate daily and bring gratitude into your thoughts. Reflect on the difficulties you’ve overcome, meaningful relationships, and those who enrich your life while practicing thankfulness for all these elements in your life.

Establishing and maintaining a mindfulness practice is an effective way to stay present. A key tip for starting is to pick a distraction-free space and time to practice daily. Once you’re settled, find your breath and follow its rhythm as it rises and falls. Gently bring the mind back to the breath every time you notice the mind wandering.

Regular mindfulness practice can help you cultivate more positive emotions, higher levels of resilience, better focus, and improved relationships with others. So permit yourself to commit to being present for a few moments every day – even if it’s just five minutes!

Tracking your mood can be a powerful way to boost your well-being and mental health in the long run. To start keeping tabs on your mood, take time to identify how you feel each day – happy, sad, or somewhere in between – and log it in a diary or even as an occasional note on your phone calendar. Making sure to track for two or three weeks will give you an idea of which life events correspond to specific emotional states and help you spot patterns and trends. Then customize self-care habits based on these discoveries so that you already have a plan when those challenging feelings wash over you.

Staying connected to a friend, support group, or mental health professional is an excellent mental health goal that can positively shape your state of mind!

Connecting with others helps us stay motivated and inspired by others ‘stories, new perspectives, and different ideas. To maintain this connection on an ongoing basis, it is best to be consistent in setting goals and scheduling time to talk with others throughout the week.

Creating regular reminders on your phone or digital calendar can also keep you accountable for staying connected and focused on your mental health goals.

When life throws us obstacles, they can sometimes stand in the way of our goals. Mental health goals, however, often present unique challenges that make them difficult for a person to tackle on their own. Defeat is a powerful emotion that can amplify those negative feelings, blocking our ability to see brighter days ahead.

If it feels like you’ve tried everything from self-care strategies to medication with no results, maybe it’s time to explore additional options that could work for you.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy has helped many people battle mental disorder symptoms like depression and anxiety. Why not give it a try to take back control over your mental health destiny? Contact us today at Pacific Mind Health to schedule a consultation and see if TMS Therapy is right for you!