Mental health and mental wellness are topics that many hesitate to discuss. Despite this, up to 6.7% of adults will experience a depressive episode in a single year, and 18% of the US population will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. We know that anxiety and depression often occur together, and that depressive episodes are often experienced multiple times throughout the life. One of the most beneficial yet difficult steps to take is to acknowledge when there is a problem. This acknowledgment can occur anytime and to anyone; preferably someone within your immediate support network. Regardless, sometimes the verbalization of acknowledgement can be a powerful experience. When you’ve acknowledged there is a problem, there are a variety of steps you can take, including, but not limited to:

1. Seek an outpatient therapist

2. Explore the things that make you feel good (and do more of them!)

3. Explore the things that make you feel bad (and do less of them!)

4. Continue to seek social support

5. Consider whether psychotropics (mental health medications) could be beneficial as a tool for temporary re-stabilization

6. Develop a mindfulness practice, which could include:

Yoga

Meditation

Diaphragmatic breathing

Practicing a non-judgmental stance

7. Consider what lifestyle modifications could be made to reduce symptoms, such as:

Reducing caffeine intake

Reducing alcohol intake

Developing a sleep schedule

Examining dietary matters

The list goes on. Everyone’s journey to wellness will be slightly different, and what works for you may not work for others. The important part is to identify the problem, explore possible solutions, continually seek support from those you care about, and to remember, you are not alone.

It is common practice for people to set multiple goals for themselves as a New Year arrives. Anyone who regularly works out can attest to the “New Years Resolutioners” that flood the gyms in January and February, and then slowly taper off as Spring arrives. This begs the question, how realistic are New Years Resolutions, and what can we do to make the goals we set for ourselves attainable?

Everyone’s journey of change is different. However, there are several things in goal-setting research that have been found to be helpful.

First, set small, sequenced, and objective goals. Objective means that anyone can tell whether you’ve met the goal, not just you. For example, if you set the 2019 goal to “Be happier” what does that really mean? Objective goals allow you to overtly measure whether you have met your goal. If your overall goal is to lose fifty pounds, a more ideal goal to focus on may be to lose one pound a week. This allows continued opportunities to maintain your motivation (e.g., “Yay, I lost four pounds this month!” vs. “Ugh, I’m still 46 pounds away from my goal”) and to celebrate your success.

Second, word your goals as positive statements, vs. negative statements. “Eat three servings of vegetables a day” is much more positive and motivational (and realistic) than “Never eat chocolate again.” Goals that emphasize restriction are less motivational, and therefore less likely to be met.

Third, practice kindness towards yourself, and forgive transgressions. Perhaps your goal was to spend less than an hour watching TV per day. Then one lazy Sunday you binge watched HGTV. So what? Life happens. Just get back on track the next day.

Fourth, reward yourself. You managed to only log into Facebook once a day for the last month?! Good for you! Go get a pedicure, buy those Sporting KC tickets, or do something else to celebrate your success.

Fifth, don’t hesitate to modify your goals later on. Just because you wanted something in January 2019 doesn’t mean that has to be the same thing you continue to want and work towards throughout the year.

Finally, practice gratitude and appreciation for YOU. Navigating life often means finding the delicate balance between acceptance and change. As Sophia Bush so eloquently phrased it, “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and work in progress, simultaneously.”

Mindfulness is a word that has become ever present in our day-to-day lingo. But, many are left asking, what exactly is mindfulness? And how do I engage in a mindful manner or maintain a regular mindfulness practice? Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as the practice of being present in the moment, with active attention, and without judgement. While this sounds easy, the practice of being present and mindful can be quite difficult. For instance, consider the following questions:

Have you ever walked into a room, and been unable to recall why you were entering the room?

Have you ever read something, and been unable to recall what you read, because your mind was elsewhere?

Have you ever been unable to recall what a loved one said, because your mind was preoccupied preparing your response?

Do you spend large amounts of time on social media? Or watching TV?

These are all common experiences of not being mindful! It’s important to recognize that almost no one is mindful for 100% of their waking hours. Similarly, it’s important to understand that 100% perfection in the area if mindfulness is not likely to be achieved. That being said, there are many things that can be helpful to improve our mindfulness on a day-to-day basis. Some suggestions include:

Consider starting a regular meditation routine. I personally love the app Insight Timer. It offers meditations of varying types and lengths. You do NOT have to spend 45 minutes a day to reap the benefits of meditation. If you can only afford ten minutes per day, do it! When it comes to meditation, anything is better than nothing.

Put your phone away! Technology and social media are some of the biggest distractors away from being mindful and present in the moment. Consider taking technology/social media “breaks” regularly.

When you start to feel your mind wandering, connect yourself with something tangible, either within yourself (such as your breath) or in your environment (such as an appealing piece of art). Connecting ourselves to the tangible allows us to refocus our attention on the here-and-now.

And of course, practice gratitude and appreciation for YOU. Mindfulness is a journey that often doesn’t have a definitive destination point. Enjoy the experience!