Emotional Wellness
Growth, change, and new opportunities are vital components of self-improvement we strive to embrace each year. I hope you are becoming familiar with the concept of emotional wellness and will actively integrate it into your life in 2025 and beyond. Emotional wellness involves enhancing your capacity to manage emotions and navigate life’s challenges effectively. One of my favorite phrases in both therapy and everyday life is: “Life be Life-ing.”
When emotional wellness suffers, our relationships, mental health, and ability to be productive in day-to-day life can also decline. We tend to withdraw and shut down emotionally, often normalizing negative self-talk and intrusive thoughts. However, we can learn to manage our emotions. Handling life’s stresses and coping with difficulties in a healthy way is a powerful tool for improvement. Understand that there is no perfect way to navigate life. For my do-gooders, point-keepers, and high-functioning rule followers—perfectionism is never the goal.
Something New
When possible, engage in therapeutic treatment services in 2025. There are numerous options available that make therapy affordable, including EAP services, insurance co-pays, and private pay. Review your Human Resources at your job, follow up on your benefits, and create a plan that works for you. Seeking therapy is not solely about addressing problems; incorporating it into your life is as essential as visiting the dentist or your doctor. Understanding your triggers and symptoms is not merely about stopping negative patterns—it enhances your self-awareness and equips you with techniques to manage your life and environment effectively. Since I began my journey as a licensed therapist, I have consistently engaged with my professional confidant. Our connection is unique and fulfilling. Our growth, healing, recovery, and processing are continual journeys, never a one-time fix. Invest in your wellness.
Set your intentions daily; I know resolutions are always a significant focus at the start of the New Year. Ensure that your resolutions are set as attainable short-term goals instead of long-term ones. Incorporate the use of a planner, a daily task list, and digital devices to effectively organize your day, as well as your upcoming 30-day, 90-day, or 6-month goals. We often prioritize our physical well-being, seeking to alleviate our struggles with weight and illness. Remember that emotional care and mental wellness are essential components of self-development and self-improvement.
Practice mindfulness and anticipate change with honesty and integrity. If you have a wellness routine and it feels as if nothing is working, and things feel routine, try something new. For example, attending the gym may have worked, but now you feel as if you are in a rut; try yoga or possibly walk more than you run. Learning about ourselves helps us to decrease the tension between what we suffer through and what we settle for in our lives, relationships, and future.
Stress Management
Finally, there is good stress and there is unhealthy stress. Learning the difference between the two is pivotal in how we process stress. Find and commit to hobbies that alleviate your stress; statistics prove that engaging in productive activities like art, writing, journaling, painting, and sports can reduce stress hormones, and cortisol, by 75%. Enhance your wellness and increase your mood by taking better care of yourself.
Read more on stress reduction. I am a great supporter of the library; I encourage you to visit your local library and indulge in quiet time by reading books. Our imaginations are an asset.
Self-Care is Caring, Not Just Maintenance
Taking care of yourself does not mean letting others down or overextending yourself to meet a certain quota. It means showing up as your best self. Your work is important, but so is your life outside of work. As a full-time therapist, mother of four, grandmother of one, and sister to six, prioritizing my mental health is essential. I continue to learn that taking care of myself is one of the best examples I can set for my family, my patients, and my colleagues.
In conclusion, strive to implement changes that are most beneficial for you and your well-being. Remember that:● Self-care is imperative.● Seek support when you need it.● Learn something new.
Cultivate your growth through peace, self-knowledge, and improved choices. Happy New Year! How will you approach things differently this year? What does your self-care action plan entail for 2025? We invite you to share your thoughts in the comments.
In joy and wellness,
Michelle Tillman-Cureton, LCMHC
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