New Year’s resolutions are often about physical health — eat right, join a gym — but a 2023 Forbes poll of January goal-setters revealed that 36% of respondents aimed to improve mental health, too. The same poll showed that, regardless of the type of resolutions, only 6% stuck with their plans.
If you want your mental health resolutions to last, focus on self-care and get specific. Experts have identified eight dimensions of wellness, which provide a great framework for creating achievable resolutions:
Emotional: Start journaling daily, for example, or start a journey with therapy. You can call the UFT’s Member Assistance Program for support.
Physical: Sign up for a dance class, add a walk to your commute or, yes, join a gym (and actually go!).
Occupational: Set realistic work boundaries.
Social: Establish a monthly coffee date with a friend or colleague, or set up a group chat with faraway friends.
Spiritual: Choose a meditative practice to identify your core values and connect with them. Use the Calm app for free with your NYSUT ID.
Intellectual: Learn a new skill or find a new podcast on an edifying subject (may we suggest MAP’s Brewing Wellness podcast?).
Environmental: Plan regular escapes to nature, or walk by the water.
Financial: Meet with a planner to help manage your finances.
To define your wellness resolutions, start with an “audit” of which of these eight dimensions feel solid versus which you’d like to strengthen. Some practices can satisfy multiple needs: Your regular walk in the park may also help your physical and environmental wellness; invite a friend along to enhance social self-care, too. And let that friend know your resolution — another key to success is accountability.
For more ideas, check out the January 2024 Brewing Wellness podcast episode on the connection between physical health and lifestyle habits. For more support, consider joining MAP’s Building Better Habits group or the eight-week Seasonal Self-Care group — each week focuses on one of the dimensions of wellness. Both groups start in January.
Call the UFT Helpline 24/7 at 1-866-UFT-FOR-U, or contact the Member Assistance Program Monday through Friday at 212-701-9620 or MAPinfo [at] uft [dot] org (MAPinfo[at]uft[dot]org) to speak with a licensed clinician.