As we close the book and turn the page on 2024, many of us find ourselves looking for ways to grow and change in 2025. Traditionally, New Year’s resolutions focus on external goals like losing weight, exercising, eating better, or achieving more professionally. While these goals are important and can certainly lead to personal growth, what if we shift our perspective from doing more to being more in this New Year?
As a mental health therapist, I often get a front-row seat to the pressure people put themselves under to meet societal standards. Some can embrace this pressure and use it to their benefit, but others get buried under it and feel overwhelmed. Improvement and growth are vitally important to our journey, but sometimes, they can lead to stress, dissatisfaction, and burnout. What if instead of focusing on the external, we get more introspective and focus on the internal?
You may be asking yourself what being more looks like. It can look like anything you want it to, but to truly be more, we need to reconnect with who we are. We must embrace our strengths, acknowledge our limitations, and find healthier, more meaningful ways of living. In this article, I will focus on five ways you can be more this year: more present, more authentic, more compassionate, more grateful, and more self-aware.
Being More Present
Our lives are filled with distractions, from social media to smartphones; it’s easy to get lost in the noise and out of the present moment. The trouble with this is that the root of our emotional and mental well-being is centered in our ability to stay grounded in the here and now.
Mindfulness, or the nonjudgmental awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, is one of the most powerful ways of cultivating more presence in our lives. It offers us a way to deepen our sense of self and being. Many studies have proven that regular mindfulness practice can lead to less stress, greater emotional regulation, and overall improvements in mental health.
Try simple grounding techniques such as deep breathing or noticing your surroundings. Allow distraction-free experiences, put your phone away, and stay fully engaged with others. The more present we are, the more we fully experience life and its beauty.
Being More Authentic
So often, we hide parts of ourselves out of fear of judgment. We long to fit in at work, in social situations, or in our relationships. We find ourselves masking to conform to the ideas that others hold about us. But when we conform to others’ ideas, we create internal turmoil, leading to resentment, disconnection, and dissatisfaction.
Being more authentic requires us to embrace all we are, honor our strengths and flaws, and incorporate our values and desires into all we do. It’s about releasing any assumptions others hold about us and allowing ourselves to expose our realness and vulnerability. When we live authentically, we build a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us.
To live more authentically, we must examine what truly matters to us. Think about what you hold dearest to your soul. Explore what makes you truly feel alive and then hone in on it. When you do this, you will feel more authentically you, and you will gain more fulfillment and joy in your life.
Being More Compassionate
No one is harder on us than ourselves. Our inner dialogue is our harshest critic. We often find ourselves critiquing and second-guessing our decisions and actions, which holds us back from feeling truly fulfilled. In order to be more, we must cultivate more compassion, not only for others but also for ourselves.
Self-compassion means treating ourselves as we would a close friend. It means giving ourselves the same grace and understanding that we would give to others. It means releasing shame and guilt and embracing all imperfections that make us human.
To start your journey towards greater self-compassion, begin with regular check-ins with yourself. Notice how you are feeling and reacting in different situations. Give yourself more grace when you notice your negative inner dialogue. Instead of judging yourself, tell yourself that you are doing your best, which is enough at that moment. When you give yourself more compassion, you give yourself more space for growth.
Being More Grateful
Gratitude is the simplest practice you can cultivate that benefits your mental health. Focusing on what you are grateful for shifts your perspective from what you lack to what is abundant in your life. This shift will lead to greater happiness, less stress, and improved physical health.
Beginning a daily gratitude practice will help you cultivate more gratitude in the New Year. Start each day by taking a few moments to reflect on things you appreciate, both big and small: a warm cup of coffee, your family, the roof over your head, and the sunrise. You can write down your gratitude or pause daily to show appreciation.
Staying connected to all the good things you have in your life, especially during difficult times, creates greater mental and emotional well-being. It also builds resilience, one of the major keys to improved mental wellness.
Being More Self-Aware
Self-awareness is the foundation of mental well-being. It’s where personal growth truly begins. It allows you to understand how thoughts, feelings, and actions intertwine. When you practice greater self-awareness, you stay more in tune with your values and beliefs.
To be more self-aware in this New Year, take time for self-reflection. Maybe that’s journaling, meditating, or engaging with a therapist to deep-dive into conversations that will help cultivate this awareness. The more self-aware you become, the more aligned you become with your authentic self.
As you set goals and intentions for 2025, I encourage you to consider the powerful impact this shift in your perspective from doing more to being more can have on your personal growth. This shift can lead to more personal fulfillment and deeper connections with others. Always remember, personal growth is less about accomplishments and more about connecting with your authentic self. It’s about nurturing your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Embracing the journey to be more can be a true gift to yourself in the New Year.
Jill Myers, LMHC, is a licensed counselor with more than 20 years of experience working with children and families in the school setting. She specializes in meeting clients where they are, offering compassionate, individualized support. Jill practices at He(Art) Therapy in Sioux City, Iowa, using a blend of traditional therapy and creative approaches to foster healing.
Contact Information
He(Art) Therapy
Phone: (712) 318-3351
Address: 4700 Gordon Dr., Suite 202, Sioux City, IA 51106
hearttherapyoffice@gmail.com
https://hearttherapy.info/
