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5 Small Steps To Boost Your Mental Well-Being

The New Year is upon us and, of course, we’re all looking for new ways to become the best version of ourselves. Starting a new workout routine, looking for a new job, or starting a new degree are at the top of the list for new years resolutions. But what about our mental health? It’s a lot harder to determine the quality of our mental health and emotional well-being – sometimes to the point where it can results in burnout, depression, and anxiety and a whole host of mental health issues.

1. Be Honest With Yourself

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Honesty is the best policy but it’s also the hardest one. No one wants to admit flaws, express vulnerability, and be open to the idea that they aren’t happy with how their lives are. It can be extremely scary to be willing to bare your soul to a friend, a family member, or a therapist as to why you feel the way that you do. Take stock of where you are in your life right now, the decisions that you’ve made, and the mistakes that have come along. Ask yourself if you’re actually happy or if you’re simply getting by. Being honest with yourself is the first step to making a genuine change that won’t fade away after the first week of 2025.

2. Be Willing to Make A Change

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If honesty is the first step, then being willing to change is the second. Everyone talks a great deal about changing and how amazing their life is going to be once they lose the weight, get that job, or start that degree. They’re the talkers. They can talk your ear off about all the cool things that they’re going to do but you can’t help notice that they don’t actually do anything. They proclaim that they’re going to be doing that 5k for St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s already March 10th and you know for a fact that they don’t have a set of running shoes. All the talk in the world doesn’t mean a damn thing if you’re not invested in yourself to make the change.

And hey, I get it. Change is scary. It’s a departure from what we know to the unknown. It means making mistakes and few people proudly proclaim that they like making mistakes. But it’s worth in the end. Everything gets easier once you get started. Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words.

3. Review Your Relationships

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Relationships are a lot like jewelry pieces. You’ve got your classic pieces: the pearl earrings that give you a lovely polished look, the diamonds that adorn your neck when you’re feeling a little bit dramatic, the family heirloom necklace that you give a small kiss to because you remember your roots and miss your family dearly when you’re feeling a lonely. Then, there are the pieces that you got and you don’t know why you keep them around.

The chunky bib necklace you got back in 2016 because you thought it looked amazing with your jeans and crop top. The Saint Laurent oversized cuff bracelet that you got after some impressive CYAing at work. The sentimental stretchy choker that you kept since your middle school days. The Swarovski tennis bracelet you got as a make-up gift from your boyfriend after you read some scandalous text messages that were definitely not meant for your eyes.

They’re all great pieces, but they don’t carry great memories or enhance your life. The same can be said for your relationships. Does your bestie from college compliment your life or is it a “We were in the same sorority and that’s why we’re friends”? Do you really still talk to your middle school friends or have they been banished to the Facebook Friends Only club? Are you actually friends with your coworkers or do you operate under the “we’re in the same trenches” mentality. Your relationships should sparkle like your jewelry collection. Some may need a little polish and repair, but they are worth it if they make your life a better place. Reviewing your relationships is a great way to start learning who is worth your time, energy, and who really matters.

4. Accept Slow Progress as Progress

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We live in a NOW world. Want that dress you saw Cyndi from Sales wear at the holiday party? You can get it with instant pick-up in the next three hours. Are you craving Thai, Mexican, or some delicious Korean BBQ? With any delivery app, it’ll be at your door within the hour. Hell, even our dating life can come and go at a mere swipe. Everything comes and happens NOW.

Progress does not happen in an instant nor should it. The real good progress, the stuff that matters more than a well-crafted Instagram post to your millions of followers, comes when no one is looking. It’s the gritty, ugly, and hard progress that we get after spending hours of self-reflection, unlearning bad behaviors, and developing coping strategies. It’s not going to be pretty. It’s not going to be noticeable at first. However, slowly, but surely, things will start to fall into place. Life gets a little bit easier, thoughts get a little clearer, and all the hard work that you’ve been putting in will shine like the sun.

5. Learn From Relapses

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You’re doing it. You’re keeping to your resolutions. Despite every hardship that’s been thrown your way, you’ve kept to the straight and narrow. You’ve remained true to your resolution. You are going to become that person that you want to be. Nothing can shake you.

Except maybe yourself.

It happens. Maybe you didn’t stretch before running and now you’re laid up, or hey a financial emergency is a financial emergency and you had to drain your emergency fund. Life happens and it will continue to happen. It doesn’t mean that you failed though. A minor relapse in progress is completely normal. Progress is anything but linear. It’s filled with ups and downs and twists and twirls like the most dizzying roller coaster you’ve ever been on. It doesn’t mean that you’re not making progress. It just means that you’re white-knuckling your way through life at the moment. Things will slow down, you’ll learn to breathe again, and you’ll continue to make progress.

Howdy, I'm Ave, a Texas-based Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate (LPC-A) who is passionate about guiding individuals toward a path of healing, self-discovery, and resilience. I'm under current supervision by Adam Metts (LPC-S)

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