Tips to achieve your 2021 wellness goals

With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the plans that were made for 2020 were cancelled. This, plus the drastic change in our daily routines, not only affected the world outside, the economy and an entire society, but also affected each one individually .

The concerns that the pandemic and quarantine brought with it had an impact on the mental health of the most emotionally vulnerable people, and even those who may not be so.

Regardless of the case, from the beginning, organizations like the WHO highlighted to the importance of staying mentally stable in this critic moment that we are living. In fact, in October the international organization published a statement in which it released data on the "devastating effects of COVID-19 on access to mental health services."

Taking this into account and a few days after the end of 2020, here are some tips that can help you start 2021 well , always bearing in mind that, if required, professional help is essential.

Celebrate small achievements

Perhaps with 2020 the dreams and goals that were had were truncated, so it was difficult to celebrate the achievements. However, it is very important to keep in mind that small achievements also count and should be celebrated.

One way to keep your perspective clear in 2021 can go hand in hand with allowing yourself to see how important these achievements can be, no matter size . This not only helps increase self-esteem, but also motivates you to keep working on your more ambitious long-term goals.

Also, when taking stock, it is important to keep in mind that the circumstances during the pandemic have not been the easiest, so something that may seem minimal really requires a great effort.

This not only applies to yourself, but also to the people around you. Celebrating the small achievements of the people around us will be encouraging for them and will have benefits for their well-being .

Also read: Mental health at work: The importance of brain-friendly companies

Identify the things you want to work on

When a new year begins there is a clear motivation to grow in all areas of life, however the plans we make can be vague and it is not fully understood what and how to work.

A good way to start 2021 is to divide the achievements you want to achieve or the growth you want to have by categories. That is, not only mentioning individual achievements, but identifying where in life they belong. For example, does it is spiritual, professional, social, etc?

This will help you to focus when working on it that there is something specific and something general, and working on the specific will allow the general objective to be easier to achieve.

However, it is important to keep in mind that, when dealing with several categories, you have to be aware of how much you can do. In other words, having identified what you want to do does not mean that everything can be done . That is why the identification process is so important, because not only does it give us a clearer perspective, but it also helps us put everything on a realistic plane.

This does not mean that you weigh negatively, but rather that you will be more aware of what can or cannot be done.

Develop habits little by little

Another thought that is recurrent at this time is to create healthy habits. However, these are usually left after a couple of weeks. This is because, again, before identifying, it is decided, and the purposes end up being unrealistic.

Keep in mind that everything is a process, and you will not be able to change your negative habits into healthy habits from one day to the next.

That is why it is usually recommended to start small. For example, if one of the healthy habits you want to have is exercising daily and eating better, do not change your diet and your daily routine suddenly. Start with small changes like eating fewer calories once a week and doing exercise routines that are progressive .

Also, it is not recommended to start several routines suddenly. It is better to go little by little adding one to your list. If you want to get up early, exercise, meditate, read more, have more social life and dedicate certain hours to your personal projects, do not start everything from day one. This will only generate stress, as you will not be able to comply and maintain these habits. It is best to start with the simplest things, like getting up early. Once you feel familiar with that habit, add one by one to your list . Thus, you will see progress throughout the year.

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These tips can help you have a start to the year in wellness, but again, we recommend that if you see it necessary, you access a mental health service.