12/31/2025
🎉 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫
Happy New Year! 🎆 As January begins, you might feel like you have to make big changes or set lots of goals. But here’s an important reminder: you are already enough just the way you are 😊. You don’t need to change anything unless you want to.
Growing and learning are great, but they don’t have to start on January 1st. Some people love the idea of “new year, new me,” and others don’t—and both are totally okay 👍. If you do want to set goals (any time of the year!), it’s best to do it in a way that feels kind, realistic, and supportive.
🌱 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥-𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥
If you want to try something new—maybe for your mental health, friendships, school, or hobbies—remember: slow and steady is just fine 🐢. A helpful way to set goals is by using SMART goals:
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜: What is the exact goal you want to work on?
𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: How will you know you are making progress or reaching your goal?
𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: Is this something you can realistically do with your time, energy, and resources right now?
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭: Why does this goal matter to you personally?
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞-𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝: When will you work on this goal, and when will you check in to see how it’s going or if it still feels right?
Examples:
● Instead of “I want to feel less stressed,” 😰
Try: “I’ll practice a 5-minute breathing or grounding exercise 🧘♀️ three days a week for the next month and notice how it affects my stress.”
● Instead of “I want to be healthier,” 💪
Try: “I’ll go for a 15-minute walk 🚶♂️ after dinner four days a week for the next three weeks.”
● Instead of “I want to be more organized,” 🗂️
Try: “I’ll spend 10 minutes ⏱️ each Sunday planning my week for the next month.”
● Instead of “I want to improve my mental health,” 🧠💛
Try: “I’ll write down one thing I’m grateful for ✨ each night before bed for the next two weeks.”
● Instead of “I want to read more,” 📚
Try: “I’ll read 10 pages of a book three nights a week 🌙 for the next month.”
● Instead of “I want to move my body more,” 🤸♀️
Try: “I’ll stretch for 5 minutes ⏳ each morning on weekdays and check in after two weeks to see how my body feels.”
● Instead of “I want to sleep better,” 😴
Try: “I’ll put my phone down 📵 20 minutes before bedtime at least four nights a week for the next two weeks.”
🔄𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧?
That’s okay—actually, that’s great! 🌟 Goals aren’t promises you can’t break. They’re more like experiments 🧪.
If something isn’t working, ask yourself:
What’s making this hard?
Do I still want this goal?
Can I change it to make it feel better or easier?
Changing your plan is not failing. It’s listening to yourself—and that’s a really smart thing to do 💡.
🧠 𝐓hree 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟
● Better emotional balance ⚖️
When you treat yourself with kindness, big emotions like anger, guilt, or frustration feel more manageable, helping you stay calmer and more grounded.
● Stronger self-confidence 🌟
Self-kindness helps you believe in yourself, even when you make mistakes, which builds healthier self-esteem and self-trust over time.
● Healthier relationships 🤝
When you’re gentle with yourself, you’re often more patient, understanding, and compassionate with others too, which can improve connections with family, friends, and coworkers.
And if learning to be kinder to yourself feels awkward or hard, that’s completely okay ❤️ Therapy can help you practice this skill in a supportive way—you don’t have to do it alone.
Here’s to a year of being a little gentler with yourself—you deserve it! 🎉✨
