Men’s mental health blog – Positive Strategies for a Happier New Year
This men’s mental health blog is part of the Men and Mental Health series. It provides some strategies to help you move forward into 2022. As always, please seek professional help if required.
Positive Strategies for a Happier New Year
If the last twelve months brought excess stress, strained relationships, or upheaval to your life, you may be thinking “Good riddance” as you end this tumultuous year. Rather than allowing the new year to be a reminder of all the things that went wrong this past year, embrace it as a brand-new opportunity to put the past behind you and move forward into 2022 with more confidence and purpose.
In order to close out one year and start another in a positive way, its 8important to let go of any negative thoughts you’ve been harboring about the events of last year. Avoid thinking that nothing will change in the new year, and that things will remain the same. A new year is a clean slate for you.
What happened last year is in the past and before you lies a new future and opportunity.
The key is to set your mind on how things could be better this year. By focusing your mind on what you want, as opposed to what you don’t want, you’ll be able to see last year’s setbacks in a different light. Seeing a setback as a challenge that you can overcome, even if it takes some time, will allow you to continue moving forward, even when things aren’t going your way.
Even the happiest people have challenges.
Everybody struggles. There is not a soul alive that doesn’t. The choice then about what you’re going to do about it. You can wallow in pity about how bad things have been, or you can get back up again and focus on finding solutions so you can move forward. The choice is yours.
Men’s mental health is an important topic and is why I am passionate about helping men to live with more balance, wellbeing, and success. It’s one of the reasons I have written this men’s mental health blog, because I believe that all of us have the capability to live better lives if we choose wisely, something we can all do.
Focus on Letting Go of the Past
When you release what you’re struggling with from the closing year, you free yourself to move forward without its heavy trappings.
Even if something hurt you or made you upset, and even if people were unfair to you or treated you wrongly, today can be a new day for you.
There are several ways to let go of past hurts. Experiment until you find what works for you. The good news is that if you keep trying different approaches, you’ll find something that helps you succeed in this endeavor.
Try the following for a new, fresh perspective and direction:
- Visualize your hurts and worries as balloons and release them to the sky.
- Make a list of the upsetting events from the last year and tear them up.
- If you’re religious, pray and ask for release from the pain or challenges you face.
- Spend time in quiet reflection so you can find more peace in your life.
- Take the time to consciously forgive others for what they did, even if it’s hard to do.
- Be honest about any changes you could make to improve the quality of your life.
- Seek professional help and guidance from a counsellor, mentor, or a mental health life coach such as the author!
Move Forward into the New Year
Once you’ve found the right way for you to let go of the trials and tribulations of the past year, it’s time to get ready for the new one. What better way to leap into the new year by having a fresh perspective and attitude, the promise that everything can be better for you.
Here are some questions for you to consider:
What do you want to do in the New Year? What are your goals, plans, and dreams? What do you want to do more of, and less of? Where do you want to take your business or careers? What about the important people in your life, how do you want to show them how much you care?
I always think it’s best to write down as thinks gets the mind working and helps you find clarity.
Be certain that your list reflects what matters the most to you, and to prioritize it with your most important objectives at the top. Break down your list into manageable steps and strategies that you can accomplish one byone, and then you can move forward. It’s the small steps repeated often that lead to a different and better outcome and helps you to move forward with confidence knowing that 2022 will be a much better year for you.
I hope that this men’s mental health blog helps you with your plans for the new year. And if you need assistance or help reach out, I’m here to help as a mental health life coach.
