I think it’s safe to say that 2020 has made us all look at life in a whole new light. When my boss told us to take our laptops home for two weeks, we had no idea it would be closer to two years!
Living through a global pandemic has brought on feelings of uncertainty, fear and panic (not to mention extreme boredom from being locked up for so long), all of which can have a negative impact on mental health.
Even if we hadn’t thought much about the state of our mental health before, we’re now learning the importance of caring for ourselves on a much deeper level to protect it.
But Where Do We Begin?
Think of all your other life goals for a moment. They may include achieving a successful career, sticking to an exercise routine or obtaining financial freedom.
The best way to achieve these goals is by breaking them up into smaller ones, and it’s no different with mental health goals. This is where the concept of short-term goals comes into play.
Large goals can seem daunting at first glance. Short term goals, on the other hand, can take as little as one-two months to complete, making them more feasible.
For example, when I first decided I wanted to start waking up at 5:00am every morning, to get some exercise in before work, I knew I had to start slow…or it would never stick. I was NOT a morning person.
I started by waking up at 6:30am and just doing some yoga stretching for ten minutes. The next week, I woke up at 6:00am and stretched for fifteen minutes. I now wake up at 5:00am and have time for a 30 minute Youtube workout.
I realized the same short term goals could be applied for strengthening mental health.
Why are Short-Term Mental Health Goals Important for Daily Life?
Think of your daily activities and how they’re affected by the state of your mental health. So many things can come up throughout the day, at work or at home that you may need to confront.
How will you react? Will you react? Are you able to take a step back and handle the situation? Or will you avoid it and hope it goes away?
We often don’t realize the damage ignoring these day to day issues can have on our daily lives. Taking small steps to communicate our everyday worries, can have a huge impact in the long run.
Short-term mental health goals can give you the confidence and discipline needed to achieve long-term goals and live a better life.
Things That Can Get in The Way of Your Mental Health Goals
We know the importance of mental health in our lives, so why do we wait? Why not dive right in and get our mental health on track asap?
Whether we choose to see them or not, there are things that paralyze us or distract us from what’s really important. Some of these can be:
- Not making time for yourself
- Fear of failing at something
- Overuse of Social media
- School/Work Stress
Addressing these issues and concerns is the first step in achieving mental health goals. Allow yourself to let go of them and begin your journey to better mental health!
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Here are 10 Short-Term Mental Health Goals That Will Improve Your Daily Life
1. Making Connections With Others
Try your best to trust others and avoid thinking the worst of them, or that they’re thinking the worst of you.
Build or improve relationships/friendships that can serve as your support circle when you need to vent.
Communicating your thoughts and fears on a regular basis, and saying them out loud to someone else, can have a liberating effect.
2. Don’t Spread Yourself Thin
Take care of yourself. Helping others is great, but if you’re not careful, you could end up mentally and physically exhausting yourself. Learn to set boundaries and when to say no to protect your wellbeing.
3. Get Organized
When things are in disarray it makes it harder to see them clearly. Keeping an organized space helps to declutter your mind and makes accomplishing tasks that much easier.
Sticking to a daily schedule is also a great way to keep the mind organized. In the evenings, try writing down three things you want to accomplish for the next day.
4. Acceptance
Give yourself a break and accept that you’re going to have bad days. Things won’t always go the way you’d like them to and that’s ok, feeling bad is part of being human.
Accept yourself the way you are and others the way they are. Believing in yourself and what you stand for, builds mental strength that will be reflected in your daily life.
5. Engage in an Activity That Brings You Joy
I know so many people who find happiness in baking. If this is you, then get some music going and bring on the cupcakes!
In my case, giving myself a pedicure while I watch my favorite HBO series is one of the things I enjoy doing most.
Find an activity that makes you happy and practice it often. This will keep you mentally lighter and better able to deal with life’s everyday challenges.
6. Five Minute Meditation
Take five minutes a day to breathe and center yourself. Focusing on your breathing, can quiet the noise in your mind that often gets in the way of progress.
You’ll be surprised at how this short term goal can have long term effects on your mental health.
7. Relax
Grab a warm cup of tea (or coffee) and take some much needed me-time. Plan things to look forward to and get out in nature for your daily dose of vitamin D.
Limit social media time, as overuse can have a negative affect on your mental health. Instead, curl up with your favorite book (I’m currently reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert) or adopt some new self-care habits, like treating yourself to a facial or massage.
8. Complete a Small Task
Feeling overwhelmed with large tasks can be paralyzing. Break big tasks up into smaller ones to ease mental stress. Instead of cleaning your entire room, organize your drawers.
The following week, organize your closet. Your reward will be feeling accomplished each day you get closer to completing the task!
9. Track Your Progress
Keep track of your progress by writing down the mental health goals you’ve reached and the effects they’re having on your daily life. This will motivate you to stick to them and move forward with greater force.
10. Positive Affirmations
More often than not, we tend to listen to the negative or judgmental voices in our heads. Get in the habit of reminding yourself of the good qualities you possess and the positive aspects of your life.
Think about your current job and how it’s affecting your life. Is there something else you’d rather be doing? Use the power of positive affirmations to give you the courage to try something new. Face your fear of failure and go for it, it may change your life!
What Short-Term Mental Health Goals Will You Try?
Remember that spending time with friends and family, engaging in healthy activities and taking a break from social media, can all help improve your mental health.
