While there’s never a bad time to feel good about oneself, the start of a new year can be the perfect opportunity to abandon bad habits, commit to self-improvement and develop a healthy self-image. So, if there are any areas of your life that leave something to be desired, now is the time to start laying the groundwork for the change you wish to see. Anyone aiming to feel good about themselves in the new year – and beyond – can benefit from the following pointers.
Contribute to Public Health
With COVID-19 and its growing number of variants continuing to pose a major threat, public health has never been more important. So, for the sake of your continued health and the well-being of everyone with whom you interact, make a point of getting vaccinated against the novel coronavirus and keeping up with your boosters. For good measure, you should also encourage vaccine-hesitant friends and family members to follow your lead.
In addition to combating the immediate threat presented by the novel coronavirus, you can contribute to public health by donating both time and resources to charitable causes. Giving a blood donation, volunteering at a soup kitchen and assisting immunocompromised individuals are just a few of the ways you can strengthen public health in your community.
Seek Mental Health Assistance
It isn’t hard to see why so many of us treat mental health as an afterthought. Between work, maintaining personal relationships and tending to family obligations, finding the time to focus on one’s psychological well-being is liable to seem impossible. However, the longer you allow your mental health to fall by the wayside, the greater your odds of developing mental health issues are liable to become. Ignoring your mental health is also practically guaranteed to exacerbate any existing psychological issues.
As such, you should make this the year in which you provide your mental health with the care and attention it deserves. A skilled therapist, psychologist or counselor can provide you with the tools you need to get a handle on stress, trauma and a host of other deep-rooted issues. If your schedule is too packed to allow room for traditional in-person treatment, take advantage of the remote treatment options many mental health professionals have begun offering in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Financial constraints are another common reason people abstain from seeking professional mental health services. While this can be a tricky obstacle to overcome, doing so is by no means impossible. For example, if your current insurance plan lacks sufficient mental health coverage – or you lack insurance altogether – seek out affordable plans that offer the coverage you need or look for people who charge on a sliding scale.
Commit to a Manageable Workout Regimen
If you’ve never committed to a regular workout regimen or have had bad experiences with exercise in the past, now is the time to pull yourself up and get back on the horse. Keep in mind that staying fit needn’t entail regularly working out to the point of absolute exhaustion or straining yourself physically. For most people, just half an hour of moderate physical activity each day is enough to satisfy their respective exercise quotas.
While the temptation to completely throw yourself into a new exercise routine is understandable, overcommitting early on is liable to result in you throwing in the towel prematurely. To nip this in the bud, make sure your new workout regimen is perfectly suited to someone of your age, weight and lifestyle. As you become more acclimated to daily exercise and increase your stamina levels, you’ll be able to change things up accordingly.
If you’re having trouble deciding on the right exercise regimen, consult your physician. Odds are they’ll be able to recommend suitable workout routines and help you set realistic fitness goals.
It’s easy to see why the start of a new year is such a popular time for personal change. Although self-improvement journeys can be undertaken at any time, a new year represents a brand-new beginning on a number of fronts. So, if you’ve been itching to improve certain areas of your life, there’s no time like the present to get the ball rolling. In the interest of feeling your best all year long, take care to put the previously discussed tips into practice.
