Positive Mental Health and New Year’s Resolutions
During the first days of 2024, a crucial aspect of positive mental health is not to beat yourself up. Yes, almost everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions that we fail to keep. However, when you stumble or give in to temptation, it is essential to be gentle with yourself. If you act in a manner you promised to avoid, you can do better today. Indeed, New Year’s Resolutions are not about punishing yourself for being human. Instead, they are intentions pointing to change. Properly employed, New Year’s Resolutions are a sign of positive mental health (MH).
As a Mental Health Treatment Services provider, Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) respects the making of New Year’s Resolutions. In most cases, these resolutions are steps in the right direction. They point towards proactive change, highlighting behaviors that promote positive mental health. At the same time, people often make overly ambitious resolutions that are hard to keep. Therefore, it is unsurprising that most New Year’s Resolutions are unfulfilled.
The Significance of Positive Mental Health
In a recent article, Anita Everett, M.D. DFAPA, Director of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) at SAMHSA, examines New Year’s Resolutions. As one of the leaders of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, she is a true expert on MH issues. Dr. Everett does not want feelings of failure about New Year’s Resolutions to affect people’s self-esteem.
In the article, Dr. Everett writes, “Taking it one day at a time forces us to be intentional and think about the “now” and not the long-term, which can be overwhelming. This approach can help us achieve our desired goals. New Year’s resolutions are a tool for personal growth, but the most important thing to remember is to prioritize your mental health throughout the process.”
Hence, prioritizing your mental health means focusing on positive mental health. Such a perspective protects your self-esteem by emphasizing a glass is half-full perspective. However, sometimes people need external help and professional support to address MH issues and move forward in a healthy manner.
Positive Mental Health and Professional Support
At TTC, our mental health professionals help patients by offering a safe space to address MH issues. With a variety of MH services, including levels of care that range from Inpatient Psychiatric Stabilization to Outpatient Services, TTC offers the kind of support that helps a wide range of MH challenges.
Therefore, if you need help finding a healthy path, please contact us and speak with a TTC MH professional. Sometimes a failed New Year’s Resolution is a sign of a greater issue that needs to be addressed. Most importantly, in 2024, Tarzana Treatment Centers is here to help and support you and your loved ones. After all, everyone deserves to experience and thrive in a state of positive mental health.