As the new year begins, it offers a fresh opportunity for growth, transformation, and self-care. While many focus on setting resolutions centred around external achievements, to truly thrive in the year ahead, it’s essential we prioritise our general well-being. To take a holistic approach that nurtures our mind, body, emotions, and spirit. After all, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health are all interconnected. Caring for all of these areas helps us to build resilience, foster inner peace, and cultivate growth and lasting change throughout the year. Whether you’re looking to manage stress, improve your mindset or establish healthier habits, these simple yet effective mental health tips will set you on the path to lasting change and thriving in the new year.
It’s important to explore strategies that prioritise every facet of our health so we can build a balanced and resilient life that allows us to thrive in all areas. As a mental health advocate and mentor I’ve asked the inspiring souls featured in my Friday Socials post for their top mental health and well-being tips.
I am so grateful that some of the creatives came back to me to share their essential mental health and well-being tips for new year. And just so I don’t take all the credit for their tips, I have added some of my own too. So, what tips help you nurture your mental health in the new year?
Read also ‘Top Mental Health and Wellbeing Tips This Christmas Holiday‘
Essential mental health tips to thrive in the new year
- Pastor Natalie @letstakeamoment.com
As we began a new year, there are some specific tips I am working on implementing and encourage others to do as well. First, let’s focus on managing our feelings. Emotions can be unpredictable, so it’s important to practice self-control and acknowledge when stress or challenges arise. When you notice these moments, take time to reflect on the source of your stress and work on reframing negative thoughts. Surround yourself with those who sincerely support you and make space for quiet moments in prayer and Bible reading. Most importantly, prioritize activities that bring you joy and help you recharge.
With many of us balancing full schedules, caring for our mental health daily is essential. As you look ahead to 2025, take a few moments to reflect on where you are as you left 2024 behind. Thank God for His mercy and the daily provisions He has already given you, and prepare your heart for the opportunities and blessings of the new year. Learning to appreciate the small things can significantly increase the joy in your life. Wishing each of you a very Happy New Year filled with peace, gratitude, and growth.
The beginning of something new brings excitement and anticipation. We hope that the new thing (new year, new job, new friend, new house, etc.) will bring the desired change. But it is God who brings the change when we yield to Him and follow where He leads.
It’s a new year but same God and hopefully NOT the same us!
How can we best prepare mentally for the things God has for us in the new year? Here are my three tips.
- Making an assessment of what didn’t work in the past year that hindered our progress and robbed our peace. These can be practices, habits, relationships, attitudes, beliefs. Then we intentionally let go of these things and instead focus on the things that worked and that matter most. Focusing on activities that nurture our relationship with God is the best we can do.
- Entering the new year with a clean record. This means that we can ask the Lord to examine and test our hearts. He is faithful to show us if we harbor unforgiveness, bitterness, or envy. Forgiving and accepting forgiveness from God makes our hearts soft and prepares them for the new.
- Releasing the unanswered questions and disappointments we carry with us from the last year to God. We need to leave this burden to the Lord if we want to step unhindered and free into His plans for us.
- Gena Anderson @genawrites.com
I am a goal-oriented woman who enjoys accomplishment, so the new year is always a fun time to dream and plan. The issue with this future-focused, driven mindset is that it neglects the need for restoration, peace, and downtime. What I have learned to do at the end of each year, in preparation for the year and goals to come, is to take a softer approach and a more gradual glidepath that leaves room for my mind to rest and reset.
There are several ways to ensure restoration and mental wellbeing are included in our new year plan. First, reflect on the last year and write down every accomplishment. Since I enjoy crushing goals, this is a motivating activity that helps me remember what I have done, and be grateful for what God has provided. Second, ask what attitude or activity I need to remove. Decluttering a closet is therapeutic, but decluttering a schedule or our mind is liberation on another level. In the new year we are often adding to our schedule, but sometimes subtraction is necessary. Last, plan for rest and relaxation. Before setting those new goals for high achievement in business, finances, or ministry, set some habits for downtime. This might be a weekly sabbath or a biannual getaway, but prioritizing rest is what gives us the resilience to reach those lofty goals.
If you feel like your mind is too exhausted for another new year and another resolution, this is for you. Reflect, remember, remove, and rest your way into mental renewal and wellbeing.
- Evelyn Sherwood @evelynsherwood.com
It was 2021, and our family had just endured eleven months of loss after loss after loss. The thought of crossing the threshold of a new year, with all its goal-setting, resolutions, and word-for-the-year expectations, set my heart pounding, my gut churning, and a large lump in my throat. I knew God was faithfully carrying me, but my body and mind were bone-tired from all the grief.
So, I wrote a manifesto for the coming year to help rebuild hope in my heart and guide my steps along a healthier path. This manifesto fixed my eyes on what is essential while providing margin and rest for my weary soul. It permitted me to enter the New Year with palms up and my heart open to God’s cadence of grace as I continued to grieve.
New Year’s Manifest
Well, hello there, New Year! Let’s clear the air right now. I have no lofty goals, big dreams, or misplaced hope that your arrival will bring the peace my heart desires.
So, you do you, whatever that looks like.
And I will-
*Take each day as it comes, trusting in the grace given for the moment.
* Surrender my plans to the Author of my story, the One who knows me better than I know myself and how my story ends.
*Rest knowing my God fights my battles.
*Sing His praises because He is worthy.
*Cling to hope, understanding that seasons of suffering can’t compete with the comfort of God’s wrap-around presence.
*Cherish the beautiful moments right in front of me.
*Continue to create altars of gratitude to remind me of God’s faithfulness when the heartache tries to block Jesus from view.
And when the weight of life’s trials leaves me in a shattered heap on the floor, I will find comfort in God’s promise that reminds me He remembers my earthly body is frail. He will gently hold me, cradle me, then infuse me with power beyond my natural ability.
So, New Year, let me introduce you to my best Friend, because we are going to be spending a lot of time together.
- Wanda Lopez @herstoryinasmile
My mental health tips for the new year
- As we prepare for a fresh start in 2025, prioritizing your mental health becomes even more essential. Life’s demands can often leave us running on empty, making it vital to pause and honor our limits. One powerful tip is to *SAY NO* when your energy tank is on empty. It’s okay to set boundaries and create space to refuel in ways that best nurture you – whether that’s through rest, creativity, or (fill in the blank_______). Remember, saying “no” to others is often saying ”YES” to yourself, and self-care is not selfish; it’s necessary for your overall well-being.
- Another important practice is intentional breathing. It’s astonishing how often we overlook something as simple as taking a deep breath. Yet, just one minute of deep, intentional breaths can bring profound tranquility and recenter you amidst life’s chaos. In our on-the-go lives, pausing even for 60 seconds to breathe deeply can rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.
- And as you began a new year, carry your inner light with you wherever you go. That light – the resilience, hope, and unique brilliance within you – is your guiding force. Don’t let the shadows of last year dim your light. Instead, let it illuminate your path forward, helping you embrace new beginnings with courage and grace.
- Sarah Frazer @sarahefrazer.com
As we enter this new year I hope you will prepare your heart for the trials. We do not know what 2025 will bring, but we can be prepared in our hearts and minds. How do we do this? We think about two things: God’s Character and God’s Work. What has God done for us in 2024? Make a list of all of the blessings, journal through what God has opened up and led you through in the past year. Who is God? What characteristics of God did you see in 2024? Reflect back on who God was to you in the past year.
Both of these things are done alongside Bible reading. Developing a habit of reading the Bible and reflecting on God’s character and His works gets us prepared for anything that 2025 might bring. If you need help in starting, send me a message and I would be happy to help you get started on a new Bible reading plan for 2025!
Read also ‘What Grievers Find Helpful: How to Get Through Christmas Grief‘
- Susanne Kooijman @susannekooijman.com
My mental health tips for the new year
Starting a new year can be both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. A fresh surge of energy to start anew or dream new dreams and create lists of things you want to do, see or be in the year ahead. But with this also comes a pressure, a certain anxiety to do and be better than the year before. It can make your nervous or overthink things or even make you doubt yourself. Resolutions can be a great motivator, but also bring a lot of confusion. What if you don’t have anything to put on that BIG LIST?!
I think it is so important to be compassionate as we begin the new year. It is ok to not have big goals or big dreams or a massive bucket list with exotic travel locations. You can create a list of small joys to focus on, like taking time for a long breakfast in bed. Or make a gratitude list of things/people/places you want to do or see more of that make you happy, like spending more time with a certain friend. And of course you can make a self-love list with special days or hours you want to block in your schedule just for you.
Do that spa-day, book that massage or go to that bakery for pastries, you deserve it! To me, these actually are the big things! Focus on you, what makes you happy, what gives you energy, what light you up and especially: what honours you and your uniqueness. Embrace that this coming year: choose you and your joy… the rest will fall into place.
And don’t be bothered by other peoples’ opinion, they always have one, so you may as well live your life the way you want to. Don’t let outside forces (others) or inside forces (your ego/fears) get in the way. Know you are worthy of spending time on the only person who will be in your life for all of your life: YOU!
- Dawne McKay @crashsupportnetwork.com
With the start of the new year, focus on setting intentions rather than pressure-filled resolutions. Acknowledge the strength it took to make it this far in your recovery journey and carry that resilience forward. Reflect on what has helped you heal – physically and emotionally – and prioritize those practices. It’s also important to celebrate the progress you’ve made and remind yourself that healing is a journey. Try your best to approach the new year with patience and a commitment to nurturing your mind as much as your body.
- Racheal Adams @rachaelkadams.com
The new year can be a challenging time for mental health. The excitement of the holidays fades, the winter months bring shorter days and colder weather, and the pressures of resolutions or unmet expectations can feel overwhelming. Many of us wrestle with feelings of loneliness, sadness, or anxiety as we reflect on the past or worry about the future. Yet as Christian women, we can find peace and renewal by turning to God’s Word, worship, faith, and gratitude to anchor our hearts and minds in this season.
God’s Word offers a steady source of truth in uncertain times. When the world feels heavy, Scripture reminds us that God is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Meditating on these promises shifts our perspective from despair to hope, reminding us that God’s plans for us are good. Worship is another powerful way to combat mental health struggles. Singing songs of praise, praying, or simply sitting in God’s presence lifts our focus off our problems and onto His greatness. Worship reminds us that God is sovereign, loving, and in control – even when life feels out of control.
Faith is the foundation that steadies us through the storms of life. Trusting God with our struggles allows us to rest in His peace, knowing He is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Finally, gratitude transforms our mindset. By intentionally counting our blessings, we shift from dwelling on what’s wrong to recognizing God’s goodness. A grateful heart opens our eyes to the countless ways God is providing, even in the midst of hardship. This new year, instead of striving for perfection, let’s focus on faith, worship, gratitude, and truth, knowing they offer the lasting peace and joy our hearts truly need.
- Kate Hudson-Hall @katehudson-hall.com
My simple mental health tips for the new year
One of the best ways to support our mental health in the new year is by prioritising small, consistent positive habits that create calm and balance in our daily lives. Start your mornings with 5 minutes of deep breathing or mindfulness to set a positive tone for the day. Regular movement – whether it’s a short walk, yoga, or stretching – can work wonders to reduce stress and boost your mood. If this wouldn’t work for you, then create your own. Remember if you don’t make some positive changes for yourself, then who will?
Also, remember to set boundaries around technology as we all know how easy it is to get swept into mindless scrolling. Schedule screen-free time in your day to recharge and connect with yourself or loved ones. Mental health is about progress, not perfection, so take it one small step at a time.
- Deana Tsiapalis @pain2possibilities.com
My mental health tips for the new year
Mental health is deeply influenced by how we perceive safety and danger within ourselves and our surroundings. In the framework of chronic pain recovery, “safeties” are experiences, thoughts, or actions that create a sense of calm, connection, and well-being in our nervous system. This is true whether you live with pain or not. For example, reaching out to a friend who listens without judgment can evoke a powerful feeling of safety – your shoulders relax, your breath deepens, and you feel a sense of ease. On the other hand, “dangers” are cues that signal threat or discomfort, like rushing through a stressful to-do list or replaying negative self-talk. These cues can ramp up tension, shallow breathing, increased heart rate and feelings of unease. By identifying these safeties and dangers and then bringing awareness to them, we can guide our mental and physical health toward balance and resilience.
Building awareness of these cues is a game-changer for both mind and body. Safeties remind your nervous system, “You’re okay; you’re supported,” which can soothe anxiety and foster calm. Dangers, once identified, offer an opportunity to make a shift – whether that’s pausing to breathe, rephrasing a critical thought, or stepping back from an overwhelming situation. This awareness is like a compass, steering you away from mental and physical overwhelm and toward groundedness and self-compassion.
Try This: Finding Your Safeties Exercise
Take a moment to identify one thing in your life that brings you a sense of safety. It could be connecting with a loved one, sitting in your favorite chair, or simply noticing the warmth of sunlight on your skin. Once you’ve identified it, pause and focus on how it feels in your body. For example, if it’s connecting with a friend, recall a time when they made you feel supported. Notice how your body responds – maybe your chest feels warm, your shoulders drop, or your breath feels slower. Write down or mentally note this experience as a “safety” and keep it in mind for moments when you need to recalibrate. The more examples of safety you can create and then experience within yourself the less anxiety and fear you will feel.
By practicing this exercise regularly, you’ll build a personal “toolbox” of safeties, giving you resources to draw on when life feels overwhelming.
- Julie Lefebure @julielefebure.com
My tips to improve our mental health in the new year
To stay mentally healthy in this new year, I continue to find it vital to ask God to align my thoughts with His because on my own, my thoughts aren’t always so healthy. This world is filled with numerous distractions that affect our mental health: our phones, social media, news headlines, and the influence of others, just to name a few. If we aren’t willing to align what we think with God’s thoughts and ways, then our mental health will naturally suffer as we succumb to the influence of various other sources.
The more distracted we are, the more our mental health declines. Centering ourselves on God through prayer and reading His Word helps us stay focused on what’s most important: Jesus and God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Doing this will help us “take every thought captive,” as 2 Corinthians 10:5 NRSV states, and will help us not only keep our mental health strong, but will also glorify God in the process.
- Amber J. Parker @choosejoyinthemidst.com
Some ways I find helpful to improve my mental health are straightforward – going for a run when stress and tension rise, fueling my body with healthier, balanced food, or scheduling psychotherapy sessions to help work through and process memories, trauma, or other issues. Choosing to be brave and face our pain, our wounds, our traumas, through therapy is a step toward healing.
Other approaches to improved mental health require practicing new skills: using box breathing when I feel anxious and tense in a specific moment or using self attunement to acknowledge how I am feeling in a present moment. Both of these were learned practices for me and help me to approach life in a healthier way. There are many additional positive ways to improve our mental health. Could you share some of your favorite positive mental health strategies?
Read also ‘Powerful Self Care Tips for PTSD From Trauma Survivors‘
Reboot your well-being and thrive in the new year
What an impressive collection of tips for our mental health and well-being for the new year. I am really grateful to all those who contributed and shared their tips. Each of us is unique and so are our experiences, so adapting these tips to fit your own circumstances and requirements is key. There isn’t too much I can add, but perhaps just a few gentle reminders that can come in handy any time.
With the beginning of the new year, it’s important to remember that transformation is within our reach, and it starts with us. The journey begins with a commitment to nurture every aspect of our well-being – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. Small, intentional steps in each area can lead to profound transformations that go beyond fleeting resolutions. Prioritizing mental clarity, physical vitality, emotional balance, and spiritual fulfilment ensures that we are not only surviving but truly thriving in the new year.
Thriving isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress—about embracing each day as an opportunity to take small, mindful steps toward lasting change. So, as you begin the new year, give yourself the grace to grow, the space to heal, and the power to thrive in every aspect of your life. With every effort you make to care for yourself, you create a solid foundation for growth, resilience, peace and joy. Here’s to a year of living authentically, growing intentionally, and thriving fully.
Did you find the tips helpful? What are your tips for supporting our mental health and well-being this new year? Share your tips in a comment below and inspire others. I look forward to hearing from you.
Happy and Healthy New Year!
Thank you so much for reading and until the next blog post,
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These are such helpful tips! Thanks for compiling these nudgets of wisdom! I am looking forward to thriving more with God’s hellp this year.
I love all the different perspectives and tips! Thanks for sharing!
I loved everyone’s tips! The reminders to trust God and think of His blessings are so true. I also think taking some of the internal pressure off of us is really good. I struggle with adding way too much to my plate, but I feel seen here! Thank you, Katy, and all of the writers for their contributions!
I really enjoyed reading this! It’s such a great reminder to care for our mind, body, emotions, and spirit as we step into the new year. I love how it focuses on lasting change and balance rather than just resolutions. Simple, inspiring, and so uplifting!
I agree with most of the tips you listed especially practicing gratitude and starting a New Year’ with a Clean slate. Thank you for sharing these helpful tips
Thriving in the new year is super important. Thanks for these valuable tips!