10 Tips For Emotional Wellness To Help Bring On The New Year

10 Tips For Emotional Wellness To Help Bring On The New Year

This is the time of year when we reflect on what we achieved over the last 365 days. We consider where we started, who we loved, who we lost, what we learned, as well as what we did well and what we could have done differently. It’s also when we think about the big picture and where we are heading in our lives, personally, professionally, and spiritually. We ask ourselves what we want to accomplish in the coming year and how we’ll make that happen. Such reflecting can certainly bring up a series of feelings: happiness, pride, regret, joy, sadness, fear, confidence, insecurity, and excitement.

While we’d love for everyone to be able to start the year off with clarity, hope, and gratitude, for many of us, this will be unlike any other year in that we are going to wake up in a pandemic, with a political system and society that is greatly divided, growing unemployment and poverty, unresolved systemic racism – and specifically for Nashvillians, still recovering from a devastating tornado and a bombing. Of course, we can think positively about the future, but a deeper level of calm and ease may not be realistic after experiencing multiple collective traumas.

That being said, we are optimistic that this year can be an opportunity to start healing – not just physically, thanks to the advent of the vaccine – but also spiritually and emotionally. To help you along, here are 10 insights that can help support your emotional health this year.

  1. Try not to judge yourself if you wake up on the 1st of the year without a crystal-clear vision of what you’d like to achieve, a positive attitude of gratitude, and inner peace about the future. We’ve been through a lot and it takes time to heal.
  2. Aim for progress, not perfection – and when it’s really bad, congratulate yourself for making it through the day.
  3. You are stronger than you may think. Surviving this pandemic is a reminder that no matter how difficult life is, you’ve got this.
  4. Everything is temporary. Emotions, experiences, circumstances, all of it. If you are struggling in this moment, remember that it won’t last forever, even if it feels never-ending.
  5. Emotions can be overwhelming but they have real value. They are signals intended to communicate information with us. Instead of trying to block them or feel frustrated about them, try to be curious about them and the meaning behind them.
  6. Tolerate negative emotions. They can be uncomfortable, but can be well managed by acknowledging them, naming them directly, and accepting – not fighting – them. Be kind to yourself while experiencing them.
  7. It’s normal to have conflicting feelings. You can be grateful for surviving the pandemic, having a job, and having food on the table and also fearful about the future and overwhelmed by having to keep your children at home while you are trying to work.
  8. Healing happens in community – we need each other. Stay as connected as possible to loved ones.
  9. Grounding exercises are an incredible tool to use when experiencing severe anxiety or panic attacks. Here are some suggestions.
  10. You deserve self-compassion. It’s been really hard, you’ve been through a lot, and you deserve the support. Here are some guided meditations that we highly recommend.

If you need additional support, seek therapy. Feel free to reach out to us and if we can’t help you, we’ll be very happy to connect you with someone who can.

We wish you and your family a peaceful new year – and a healthy and meaningful new year.