I HAVE some bitter sweet news for my devoted readers, whom I have deeply cherished for so long. After seven wonderful years of writing this weekly column, I have to take a step back and change it to a monthly piece. I truly enjoy writing it and the responses I receive, but the plan is to take my writing a little further by creating self-help books to benefit Guyanese.

I am so happy this column aligns with the first day of the year as I can appropriately wish you all an amazing year ahead and leave some tips on how to master your mental health.

To all those celebrating a good year past, I wish you continued happiness and success in 2023. To those recovering from a bad year, I hope you’re optimistic for a change in the upcoming year; as they say, there is no rainbow without rain.

By tomorrow, most of us will have resumed our ‘normal’ life- back to work, school, gym, healthy eating, limited drinking etc. It is difficult to adjust to our regular routines after holidays, especially Christmas. It was a long break with so much going on in between.

There are a few things that we have to deal with now that the holidays have come to an end. I would like to speak about them in the hopes of making the transition easier for as many as possible as even I struggle with this. The first is loneliness. Many of us do an unusual amount of socialising during the Christmas season, making us feel noticed and loved, whether we realise it at the time or not. Some people find this adjustment hard as others are back to their busy, personal and private life.

Another thing is going back to or starting a healthier lifestyle. Many do overindulge during the season and this takes quite some time to stabilise again. These are important facts to focus on as they can severely impact our mental health.

Now, in 2023, there will still be many things that are not within our control but our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and behaviour towards ourselves and others will be.

It is obvious why we celebrate the New Year; much like birthdays, we celebrate surviving another year because sadly, many others do not. New Year’s is particularly special as it brings a natural desire to reflect on the past, our mistakes, appreciate achievements and create a plan for the future, with a clear aim to overcome any sort of challenges along the way. It is a time that focuses on self-reflection and self-improvement. New Year, New You is a common saying but a more practical one is New Year, New View as we are constantly evolving.

My favourite thing about the New Year has always been resolutions and the hope and determination that accompany them. I’m aware (based on my own actions as well as those around me) that most resolutions only last until the end of January. We tend to give up on them for various reasons- they may have been unrealistic, unimportant or pressured. To solve this, the answer seems pretty obvious – choose resolutions that you are actually able to do, ones that you truly want to do and most importantly, ones that improve your quality of life. Resolutions are not about conforming to what you believe society wants, it’s not an obligation or task but rather a new, anticipated lifestyle.

A little tip – I researched some scientific studies in order to determine what makes someone more likely to adhere to their resolution. Evidently, those who planned in detail were 22% more likely to succeed in maintaining their resolution throughout the year. For example, aiming to lose 10 pounds in three months rather than just having the general resolution of ‘losing weight.’ Additionally, those who told their friends and families about these resolutions were 10 percent more likely to succeed than those who did not.

Considering the importance and benefits of resolutions, I would like to give further tips on practising and, more importantly, maintaining them.

I have many resolutions this year- all of which focus on self-development with an aim to improve mental health. These include positive thinking, adopting only healthy coping skills, and practising gratitude and forgiveness – all things I genuinely want for myself, making it possible with hard work. If you haven’t been able to decide on a resolution, I’d like to make a suggestion that I think is much needed for many- to live in the moment. Most people don’t realise that the what ifs, should haves, could haves are responsible for a great deal of stress and anxiety. If you spend your moments regretting the past or awaiting something else- when you have more money, lose the weight, get into a relationship, you’ll finally do this and that – you let your life slip by.
Self-improvement is an overall goal, not a day-to-day interruption or hindrance. The wait is an important part of the journey as nothing worth having comes from instant gratification.
Occupational psychologists who specialise in obtaining life goals recommend abiding by the SMART method- Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Thanking you for reading. Please look out for my next column next month and please continue to send any suggested topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com