Recognizing Mental Health

Every year since 8th grade, I've made new year resolutions. But year after year I only picked up the habits of my resolutions for a week, if that. I never really thought much of my failures though. I always told myself it was because I didn't have the schedule, the financials, or the resources to carry the responsibility of my short lived decisions. I guess those reasons always seemed valid to me. They allowed me to keep living my life without making the changes that I truly needed to make. However, it wasn't until I started seeing my therapist, Lindsey, that I realized those weren't the real reasons I quit striving to continue my commitments so early in the year, but rather excuses to keep me from acknowledging the truth about my mental health. The more me and Lindsey talked, the more I recognized that I never kept up with my resolutions because I was always overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and pessimistic about how I saw myself. Being 18, it was hard to accept all of that information and all of those observations into my mind. One year later, I finally took to heart and mind the fact that something needed to change. Now that I finally understand the detrimental effects that my state of mind influenced my actions, I am now able to start writing my next year's resolutions with an optimistic attitude about the results that I will have. The new year will bring in goals of focusing on myself, using more coping mechanisms, and asking for help more often when I truly need it. While my resolutions are still a work in progress with the new year being over several months away, I know that with the right mindset and the help of my highly qualified therapist that I will uphold my commitments to the new year with a shining smile, a good attitude, and an open heart. For now though, I will continue to prep and get an early head start on bettering myself and my mind. It isn't going to be the easiest thing to accomplish, but it most definitely will be worth both my time and my effort to achieve the state in which I feel comfortable, confident, and secure in the place I'm at and in the state that I am in.