According to a recent poll of the American Psychiatric Association, nearly a third of Americans who set new year's resolutions mentioned mental health as one of their top goals alongside things like fitness, diet, and relationships. Among those making resolutions focused on mental health this year:

• 49% plan to meditate.
• 35% plan to see a therapist.
• 31% plan to take a break from social media
• 26% plan to journal

What this tells us is that the stigma attached to mental health is reducing. The pandemic and all the uncertainty in the world have taught us that life is short and helped many to see the need to focus on the urgent and important, rather than the trivial and mundane.

People are prioritizing this in their life. Self-care is mental health and it’s a vital part of your overall wellbeing. The start of the new year is a natural time to reflect on your life, but taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to be tied to a holiday or particular time of year. Whether a resolution or not, there are many things we can do in this new year to help improve our lives.

Here are some possible mental health goals we can strive to accomplish in 2024:

Disconnect or set boundaries from tech/social media

How often are we glued to our phones or react every time a social media notification goes off? Being constantly connected to work and those in our lives can be stressful and addictive. Set clear boundaries around disconnecting. This could be turning off notifications on your phone at dinner, turning off your device on Sundays, or even not accessing work emails on vacation. You’re not a 24/7 receptionist. Give yourself and your mind a much-needed break.

Get outside / walk in nature

Taking mental health breaks in our daily hustle and bustle is important to relieving stress, anxiety, and being more present. Connecting with nature and breathing in fresh air has been proven lower stress and it’s good for you!

Schedule some ‘you’ time

We tend to over schedule and overbook our lives, so let’s at least make room for self-care. Block off your calendar for yourself, for reading, meditation, journaling, quiet time. You’re worth it.

Reconnect with a friend

Quality relationships lead to having a quality life. Close friendships in particular improve our mental and overall wellbeing, but it requires intentionality to maintain as we age. Send that text message, make the phone call, set a date to get together. Make it happen. You won’t be disappointed.

Seek professional help to process feelings, emotions, and challenges

It’s okay to ask for help both when you need it and regularly to handle all life throws at us. If you need to access mental health services you can call the PromiseLine during normal business hours at 1-800-434-3000. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112.

Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you are required to come up with a 10-point plan for a better you. It’s just another date on a calendar. It’s important to be grateful for the life, body, mind, and self we have. The unrealistic or high expectations we sometimes put on ourselves can lead to stress, anxiety, and feeling defeated when you don’t mean certain goals.

Celebrate your small wins. If there are certain areas you want to focus more on, the key is to start small, make things more attainable. When you start racking up small wins, it will fuel your motivation for continued progress throughout your life. Start small and give yourself grace.

Justin Chenette is the Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement at Sweetser, which provides evidence-based treatment, support and hope through a statewide network of community-based mental health, recovery, and educational services. Learn more at www.Sweetser.org.