How to Mentally Prepare for 2022

There are a lot of things that pull at your attention on a daily basis (work, children, hobbies, family, etc) and it’s important to take intentional moments that are yours to cherish. Take a deep breath, engage in a hobby, meditate, or listen to music. Whatever you choose, let it be enjoyable! It seems simple but why complicate the process?

If you can't decide what to do during your time alone, make a list of things you enjoy doing, or google a list of “me time” activities and try one or two every week. When I first started deciding on activities it was useful to write a list and refer to the list whenever I felt bored, or if I felt like I’d rather be doing something other than scrolling social media.

Yea, I know. You hear this one every year. But do it this time! Write your goals on a piece of paper so they feel a little more real. If it's a tangible goal, write a checklist of things you need to do to achieve that goal. If it's a personal goal, write down the habits you need to develop to attain that personal goal. Track your progress with a habit tracker that allows you to check off or rate your days.

While your goals may remain consistent over time, you will progress, remember to journal the process. Celebrate the moments that even you may feel are small. They aren't. Growth is a big thing (no pun intended) but celebrate often! You deserve to.

Checklists are my saving grace but CALENDARS?!?! Calendars are that girl. If you’re a frequent phone user. Utilize those calendar notifications to keep your “to-dos” in order and to get things done in a timely fashion. If you’re prepared, you won't be playing catch up, and if you’re not constantly playing catch up, you're less likely to experience burnout.

I’d like to argue that people are not very resilient. We can be tolerant, we can bear the weight of things for extended periods of time. But we need support. Humans are social beings, it's a fact of life and when I finally accepted that — I found so many people who were excited to see who I was, and so many elders who supported me in my goals. But it started with my therapist telling me to text in my family group chat a few times a week, and go to more than 6 family gatherings a year. I maxed out 6 outings a few months later and conquered a form of social anxiety. How did I do this?

I wrote my goals down (one of which was connecting with my community), then I listened out for whatever my family had going on. I happened to have a few family members with birthdays that were coming up, so I added it to my calendar and made time to hang out and prepared myself for the event, sometimes a few days before. I would meditate to ground myself until one day I realized I meditate frequently just because, AND I can hang out without feeling anxious. It was freeing.

Let's say your goal is to make more friends in 2022. There's a lot that goes into a good friendship: personalities have to click, respect has to be present, and communication has to be there –to name a few. If you are someone who doesn't like to communicate every day, setting a boundary and communicating looks like letting friends know when you aren't available and respecting when they're busy as well.

I'm a big advocate for mental health services. I went through a lot of years trying to figure out how to cope on my own and trying to figure out why I didn't feel as motivated as my peers seemed to feel. Even as a psychology student I couldn't find a therapist or counselor that was a good fit for me until mid-2021. You don't have to go on your mental health journey alone, there are resources available that can help you get your mental health in a better place.

If you are seeking mental health services you can book an appointment here. I also offer a free service to help you find affordable care in your area if you are having trouble please schedule an appointment here. I'd like to help you find a good affordable practitioner.

This tip is the last and most important! Check-in with yourself as often as you feel is necessary to keep your head on straight. This can look like journaling, conversations with yourself in the car on the way home, booking a mental health coach to help get you back on track, or revisiting your checklist and picking your next priority. 

If you're not where you thought you were going to be, give yourself grace. What that means is remember the reasons why you are where you are and know that you are at the start of a new year so the possibilities are endless! Don't beat yourself up at what you didn't do, get excited about the journey, and start doing!