San Antonio – Many individuals and families are gearing up for the new year by setting resolutions and goals for the upcoming year.
Mental health expert Talli Dolge says it’s possible to achieve those goals. However, we have to ask “why” we have failed at those goals in the past to make the changes necessary for them to stick this time around.
It starts by not putting so much pressure on failure and having a little compassion on yourself when you hit a rough spot.
“Some of the negative self-talk that comes along with not being able to accomplish something that you’re going to set out to do at the beginning of the year can be more detrimental than just saying. I’d like to get to know a little bit more about me,” she said.
“If we don’t have a ‘why’ emotionally, there’s no way our behaviors are going to be able to keep up with that. So if you’re going to say, I want to lose weight. Okay, that’s great. Everybody, you want to lose weight. But why do you want to lose weight?,” she said, and exploring the past challenges can help some more forward.
Self-care looks different for everyone, so timelines can too.
Dolge said to try something out as an experiment to see how long you can do it, and if you need to restart in a few weeks or months, don’t be afraid to do it.
“Don’t make it such long-term goals. Try a week, try three days of doing something, and then seeing if you like it and you stick to it,” and don’t be afraid to start over if you have to.
A good mental health outlook can help you be more determined to achieve anything you set your mind to in 2023.
“What you need to do when you focus on your mental health is to be aware of your feelings, be aware of your negative self-talk, be aware, and try to become your own best friend,” she said.