Personal Growth, Renewal and the Gift of Therapy in the New Year
January is often a time of reflection and renewal, making plans and setting goals for the New Year ahead. Some resolutions are easily turned into SMART Goals (i.e. improve job performance to get promoted). However, others require a bit more thought and effort, including our desire to be happier and less stressed – who wouldn’t want to be?!
Our thoughts can drift from: What is my definition of happiness? When was I last truly happy? Or, how can I stop the thousands of things going through my mind each day and at night when I can’t sleep? To: How do I find the time and money to figure this out? And the underlying question to that: Am I worth it? Where do I start?
When we are unhappy or stressed, changing the environment that is creating our stress will often help. Leave a toxic relationship. Get a new job if you dread going to yours every morning. Take a vacation to decompress and see if a couple of days of R & R is all you need to rejuvenate your energy and spirit. Get an outside perspective on things.
However, what happens when you feel you can’t leave your job, relationship, or responsibilities that are contributing to your stress? What happens if you return from your vacation and the stress quickly returns? What happens when you are the person who everyone turns to when in trouble or you don’t have anyone or want to share your thoughts or concerns with others?
Therapy with a qualified professional, whether a couple of sessions or longer term, can provide space, time and strategy, in a confidential and supportive setting, for you to learn what makes you happy and how you can incorporate that into your daily life. Therapy can help you live without being weighted down by thousands of worries going through your mind each day and keeping you up at night. Therapy can help you move past trauma and cope with grief. Therapy can help you learn how to live your best life now.
As you continue on your journey in the New Year, may you find new ways to manage your difficulties and strength to overcome your problems and achieve your goals. May you find peace and contentment in each day as you continue to learn and grow. You are worth the effort!
