Mentally Preparing for the New Year

Think to yourself and be honest, are you mentally ready and prepared for the New Year? These past years have been very rough for a lot of people, including myself. There is no guarantee that 2018 will be any better or worse than any of the previous years. We do not know what is going to happen and we cannot control what will happen in the New Year. We just have to sit back, watch everything unfold, and react accordingly.

However, we can prime ourselves in advance and hope that the preparation will help to ease any conflicts that may continue and/or arise in 2018. We can at least think of ways to better our mental health for the New Year, during the year, and beyond. If you know me personally, I think of the worst case scenario, the actual possibility of it having, and prepare mentally accordingly. I evaluate my current coping mechanisms and methods of self-care to see if there are any that no longer serve me. I explore new options and ideas to add some variety. In case the worst case scenario happens, I saw it coming and I am at least somewhat ready to deal with it.

Kind of like when you save money away in an emergency fund in case of any crisis. The odds of an emergency appearing in your life could be low depending on your circumstances and lifestyle. But it is still always a good idea to have some money saved away in case the most random and catastrophic thing happens, so that you could at least have the money to pay for it. For example, if (God forbid) you get into a random accident and cannot work. In addition to your regular bills, you now have hospital bills to pay. Disability or other coverage options from your job could vary greatly depending on the company you work for and the benefits of your specific job position. If you have some money saved up in advance, you at least have some source of money to rely on while you wait for coverage from your job and/or are cleared to go back to work by your doctor. That is how I view my coping mechanisms. They are preventative measures and back up options. At this moment, I may not need all of them but I have them stored away just in case something random and horrific happens that will throw off my mental and emotional stability. They will not fix the situation(s) but at least I will have options to choose from to help me process and deal with the situation(s). Engaging in self-care is another preventative measure I take and some of my self-care practices overlap with my coping mechanisms. I will talk about my coping mechanisms and self-care in upcoming posts.

Also, I analyze my behaviors and thoughts on a regular basis to figure out if I am holding onto any habits or thoughts that I need to let go. Making sure I am aware of my mindset helps me to recognize my mental and emotional stability states. When I am aware, the coping mechanisms work a whole lot better because I know which would one(s) are the most suitable for the current state.

 

Time to Focus on You:

How are you preparing for the New Year and what it may bring?

 

Disclaimer: I know that saving money can be a challenge for some people because all of their money go straight to bills and other necessities depending on their salary. It was only being used as an example. Coping mechanisms are not solutions to your problems or make them go away. They are ways on how to help yourself to handle the problems and power through them. There is also a difference between unhealthy and healthy coping mechanisms. I will talk more about them in an upcoming post.

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