Goals & Vision Boards January means the start of a new year. For many that can mean the start of new year’s resolutions and goals. Whether you have specific goals for the new year or in general would like to improve yourself, creating smart goals can be a great start. Typical wellness goals are centered around topics such as the spiritual, mental, or physical. When creating goals, it is important to make them realistic. The following format can help with creating realistic goals! S – Specific (make it detailed for more tangible results)
M – Measurable (how will you measure your progress)
A – Achievable (what steps will you take to achieve this goal)
R – Relevant (is it realistic and understandable to your current position)
T – Timely (specify a deadline) Another form of creating goals is to explore ideas and visions. Practicing mental exercises such as brainstorming and visualization have been found to increase motivation, confidence, self-efficacy, motor performance, and overall balance in life (Abrams, 2009). This process is affecting the cognitive process which includes improving motor control, attention, perception, planning, and memory (Abrams, 2009). Meditation can help to acknowledge thoughts and visualize feelings. You can do this by closing your eyes and imagining a situation which is a goal of yours or even a place you’d like to be. Explore your senses such as touch, sight, hearing, and taste. Utilize positive affirmations to encourage your experience and highlight your thoughts, feelings, and preferences. Another great way to do this is to create a vision board. This involves a piece of paper and any type of creative additions you’d like. For example, you can use old magazines, pictures, scrap papers, etc. Reflect on significant words, colors, symbols, or ideas that are encouraging and motivating to you. Gather all of the pieces and place them on a paper. This vision board can springboard goals and allow for further brainstorming. Adding to the vision board and making adjustments is ok. Put your vision board somewhere that you will see it and be able to reflect on it. Goals can be helpful to take you to your next phase in life. However, remember to be patient and compassionate with yourself. Small steps can still lead you to where you want to be. Whether you start to incorporate these suggestions or any that are similar, know that you are working towards self-improvement and wellness. If you or someone you know is experiencing further challenge, reach out to a mental health professional for further guidance and support! Quote of the Month: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible in to the visible.” – Tony Robbins International Mind Body Wellness Day (1/3/2023) January 3rd is International Mind Body Wellness Day. This is a time to increase our understanding and practice of being healthier. A healthy mind can help with having a stronger immune system, increased vitality and energy, a healthy microbiome (different parts of the body’s connection with each other), reduced stress and cortisol levels, and overall balancing hormones. Obviously, when we feel better physically it helps us to feel better mentally. Nobody likes to be sick or not feel their best. This is where mind-body connection comes in. There have been numerous studies about the benefits of mind-body connection. For example, research has shown that exercise helps in the reduction of depression. The following are some examples of practicing good mind-body connection: - Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a technique that goes back hundreds of years ago. It is rooted in exercises that help our mind and our body to stay in the present moment. A great way to do this is to engage the body. Utilizing yoga or even meditation are great ways to try it out. Mindfulness involves refocusing our thoughts to the present moment by using our body to stay grounded in the present. A simple example can be to focus on breathing to calm ourselves down when we are stressed. It is helping our body and our mind to relax. There are plenty of examples of mindfulness so try one that works best for you.
- Good Sleep: Getting a good night’s sleep each night is very important to overall health. Sleep is our body’s way of recharging from the day both mentally and physically. The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is 7-8 hours each night. Talk to your healthcare providers about what is best for you.
- Create Daily Routines: Creating healthy routines can help to reframe negative thinking patterns that lead to many mental health symptoms including anxiety and depression. For example, healthy routines can include a sleep routine, diet, utilizing time to journal about your feelings, and making time to exercise. It can be gratifying to reach these goals each day and know that they are contributing to a healthier you. Routines also involve physical behaviors and mental processing so the mind-body connection is in full use.
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