Break The Mold

From the January Issue of Breads and Threads Homemade Magazine

Written by Tietricha Thomas

It’s January. Time for a fresh start. It’s also the time where we make resolutions. Two-thirds of American adults will make resolutions centered around their physical fitness and appearance. I’m sure many of you have set similar goals.  There is nothing wrong with that, but in all your “self-improvement”, make sure you aren’t solely focused on your outward appearance. Consider setting some mental resolutions as well. Here are 4 tips to “breaking the Mental mold” this year.

M is for Mental health – Mental health is real. As the saying goes, as above so beneath. Fixing your physical health means nothing if you don’t fix your mental health as well. One of the blessings of 2020 is that having access to qualified counselors is now at your fingertips and more affordable than ever. Take advantage of this. If you are willing to see a trainer to help you with your physical health, consider a counselor to help you with your mental health. 

O is for Om – Meditate. Whether you say Om, or you say nothing at all, you owe it to yourself to meditate. Meditation is not exclusive to any religion. It simply means to “think deeply or focus on one’s mind for a period of time”. It’s time for you to focus on you. Not everything you need to get done. You need this time. You deserve it. 

L is for Lifestyle – The reason that many resolutions fail is because they are temporary fixes to long term problems. The only way to make real change is to change your everyday lifestyle. Breaking your mental mold is going to take commitment. Taking care of your mental health has to become a part of your lifestyle in order for you to see real change. 

D is for Daily – Take it one day at a time. You don’t have to reach your resolution goals all in one day, or even one month. We make them at the top of the year to give us (at least) a year to put a dent in those goals. You will have off days, weeks even. And that’s okay, as long as you remember that it’s a daily battle. You get to hit restart every morning. One day at a time.  

Whatever your resolution is this year, don’t give up. You survived 2020, you can do anything you put your mind to.