If you are struggling with feelings of anxiety about the new year, you are not alone. ‘New year, new you,’ has become the motif of the new year discourse all around us. We are encouraged to become improved versions of our last year’s selves—albeit, at the risk of harming the mental well-being of the ‘new us.’ No wonder, levels of anxiety and depression surge higher than usual for a lot of people in January.
Emerging from the busy holiday season and tight time commitments, you do not want to add an extra burden of planning the year ahead or obliging to the happy aura of new year’s resolutions when you might be feeling differently. This time of year, it might be hard to slow down or find someone to talk to about personal feelings if most of the people around you are in great mental states and coping well with long-term plans.
If you are struggling with anxiety and need to talk to someone, support is available. The Leduc Beaumont Devon PCN’s family doctors work with an interdisciplinary team of professionals to coordinate your mental and physical care in one place we call a medical home. Research shows that people who have a continuous relationship with a family doctor and see them regularly are healthier, live longer, and are hospitalized less. If you do not have one, find a family doctor a www.AlbertaFindADoctor.ca.
If needed, your family doctor will refer you to one of our mental health services, such as the Youth Mental Health Clinic—including a walk-in option, Behavioural Health Consultants for Adult Mental Health, Community Connectors, Community Health Navigator, and more. Explore all the programs our PCN has for you and talk to your doctor about referral options.
We encourage you to also try one of our engaging, free, health classes. Our professional team offer online and in-person classes to support your fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, and put you on the right path toward positive change. Workshop topics include managing anxiety, smoking cessation, happiness basics, obesity nutrition, beginner and drop-in exercise, menopause, healthy hearts, and more. Search the workshops and signup to start as early as this week.
While there is nothing essentially wrong with setting a new year resolution, one should not do it out of pressure to join a trend. Make 2023 the year you accept that you do not need to fundamentally and immediately recreate who you are. Be kind to yourself, acknowledge your feelings, and prioritize your mental and physical well-being.