Ready for resolutions? This is what a psychologist recommends you prioritise

In terms of setting goals and helping create better mental wellbeing next year, there are several ways to go about this.

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The first step is recognising that working on mental health is a daily task and committing to some key, simple actions. These steps need be no more complex than eating a healthy diet, moving our bodies and getting enough sleep.

You don’t need to aim for perfection, either. In fact, in the early stages, just aiming to prioritise these things and be consciously trying is enough.

Breaking habits down into simple and small steps (walking an additional 10 minutes a day, adding fruit to our breakfast) is all we need. You’ll also need commitment and self-discipline, and to keep reminding yourself that these small steps come with incremental value, and are not a quick fix. Doing them for one day, or even one month, won’t help.

Other regular mental health maintenance habits might include not over-scheduling yourself, reducing social media use, learning to say no, planning time off ahead of time, finding at least one way to feel more connected to people (a book club or community garden, for example), no longer avoiding things which make us anxious, and committing to practising therapy tasks set for you between sessions.

But it’s important to commit to one new goal at a time. Don’t try to change everything at once.

It’s easy to ignore the value of simple activities and to focus our search on a pill, a new book or a magic answer from a therapist. But enduring mental health lies in modest habits exercised regularly, and in regularly and honestly reviewing how we are progressing without placing too much pressure on ourselves.

Dr Ahona Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist, trauma expert and author based in Melbourne.

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