With the start of the new year, now is the time to reflect on the previous year while setting goals for the coming year. For many of us, 2020 is a year we hope to forget and move on from, but 2021 is a year we may be afraid, as it brings many unknowns. While we take the time to strategize for what the coming year might bring, we also face the opportunity to take what we learned from the past year and use it to set realistic and fulfilling goals.
At the Arizona Center for Marriage and Family Therapy, this year has shown us that as human beings, we can be incredibly resilient and adaptable in the face of trying and uncertain times. Strength and resilience comes from developing healthy and effective coping strategies, performing necessary mental health care practices, leaning on loved ones while also being a source of comfort and kindness for others, and recognizing that it’s okay to not always be okay.
For individuals who might be feeling that your previous self-care strategies are no longer effective, you are not alone. With the dramatic changes the previous year has brought, it is important to be open to new and creative ways of being kind to yourself. The following are some tips as you prepare for 2021:
Use strategies for coping that work for you, it is not a linear process.
Resist judgmental and stigmatized thoughts about how you are feeling.
Identify your strength, human beings are wired to be resilient.
Continue to build your self care or emotional health toolbox.
Include small and simple ways to deal with your feelings that can be used at any moment.
Don’t be afraid to advocate for your needs to loved ones or colleagues.
Stay in the now, it is easy to get lost in the past and the future.
For more information on the article that inspired this blogpost, click here.
