CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In this first week of the new year, for many folks those resolutions may be in high gear!
Keeping them can be tricky. It's a new year, but in many ways, it's still the same you, even if there are a few changes and goals you've outlined for yourself for 2023 in an effort to be a *better you.
Some shared they wanted to travel more. For others, it was about being more present in 2023, seeing a goal through, living better and healthier, as well as being better to others.
Angela Bradshaw was shopping at La Palmera Mall with her little one and family. She shared she wants to make her mental health more of a priority in this new year.
"Making sure that as a mom, that my mental health is all good," Bradshaw said. "Making sure I just don't overload myself."
For Cameron Salinas, that meant keeping himself in check:
"To be the best man I can be for everybody out there, for my friends and for loved ones, for my mom and my family," Salinas said. "I wanna be a man of God and just give people stuff, just be nice, be kind, just be like a good soul out there."
Crystal Kitchen, a Corpus Christi resident and local therapist/mental health counselor shared she too wants to invest more in her self-care.
"As a therapist, a mental health counselor, I - whatever I'm saying out there, I practice what I preach, and so that really includes meditation if need be, prayer, of course."
Maricela Perez, an Alice resident, shared she lost her mother to COVID-19 two years ago, something that has changed her outlook on life.
"So to live everyday as if it’s your last day," said Perez. "Go to the gym, also work on myself. It’s been really hard without my mom, so that’s what I'm looking forward to and spending more time with family."
For Dr. Kathryn Soward, a locally licensed clinical psychologist with the Living Wellness Center, says this is one of her favorite times of year: getting to hear all the exciting goals people outline for their new year, and helping them achieve them in a mindful, and healthy way.
She says far too often, people will put too much pressure on themselves to suddenly become a new, perfected version of themselves. Thus becoming exhausted and overwhelmed faster.
"When you look at the research, everybody sets resolutions, but by January 15th, about 80 percent have already quit, and by February 1st it’s down to only five percent of people are even keeping up with it."
Dr. Soward's mission is to help improve the lives of others, and she said a lot can happen, when you "keep it simple":
"If you over-complicate it, you’re not going to do it," Soward said.
"The brain absolutely responds best when you start with the positive because your brain loves to be a problem-solver in a more positive way! So first: look and see, okay what worked? And then shift into, okay - what didn’t work? And then the third question is: what will I do differently? And so it’s a very simple way to evaluate last year and then make a plan for this year."
Dr. Soward advises writing your goals and reflections down can also be an easy, yet powerful way to remain accountable. She provided the following examples:
- "I'm not as healthy as I want to be, but I’m getting healthier everyday."
- "I made some gains last year, but this year I'm gonna do even better."
"You're never going to hit a target unless you know exactly what it is and so it’s best if you write it out and then you know exactly what you’re trying to do," Soward said.
"So it may be your goal, but it’s also your positive self-talk. You should write those statements out and really go so far as to review them everyday until they become a natural part of your routine where you feel more confident about the efforts you’re making instead of just beating yourself up.”
Dr. Soward says that as you go, reflect on your process. You may just surprise yourself at the strides you're making over time!
"One of the things I have my clients do is February 1st, you do a little bit of a refresh and you kinda see, 'OK how did January go? What's working? Do I need to do a little reset button?' And you can do that each month," Soward said. "Kind of adjust your goals or reset, and then especially in June, you do a midway reset."
The Living Wellness Center sees children, teens, and adults. They can meet with individuals, couples and family groups as well. Aside from counseling, Dr. Soward said guests can also visit her and her team for life-coaching, healthier ways of cooking and learning how to better promote family-wellness.
If you would like to learn more about booking an appointment, click here or call (361) 814-1900.