PADUCAH — As people around the nation set their New Year’s Resolutions, a local mental health expert said that having goals — big or small — along with self-discipline is beneficial not only for physical health but also for mental well-being.
Sarah Trover, the Vice President of Clinical Services at Four Rivers Behavioral Health, said having a set of goals gives people a sense of purpose and direction for how they want to view their future.
“It is a growth mindset, so you really look at progress instead of perfection, and you want to set those goals to where you have those little wins,” Trover said. “It can really help your self-esteem and kind of boost your mind and your mental health in the new year. It gives you a purpose and a sense of direction for things that you want to do in the future.”
“Journaling is a good self-reflection and a place to just have a conversation, even with yourself, and reflect on some situations and things you’ve been through and see it in a different way,” Sarah Trover with Four Rivers Behavioral Health said. “Just like speaking, as we do in therapy, writing is another therapeutic way to do that, without having to immediately respond and having yourself give some more time to think through that.”
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While setting goals, Trover said not to be overly ambitious, as setting too high a standard for oneself can damage self-esteem.
“I think it’s important to look at your goals and make sure that they’re thoughtful and that they’re achievable… You want to make them sensible and really have those small wins,” Trover said. “I think people end up giving up because they set their goals too high or too broad, so make them more specific and achievable. If you miss one day of the gym that you plan, just going back and figuring out what the barrier is and really look at trying to remove that.”
While goals can be personalized to fit each person, common ones include drinking water, cutting out alcohol, or reading more. The most common New Year’s Resolution, according to Statista, is exercising more, which Trover said leads to self-confidence and a good mindset.
“Exercise releases endorphins in your body that make you happy and really kind of gives you that sense of accomplishment,” Trover said. “It boosts your self-esteem as you start seeing some results in the way that you want to look, whether it’s just breathing better or having a better body shape. It makes you typically more social, too. So you’re more apt to want to go out and do things when you feel good about yourself.”
Trover said getting outside and exercising is a great way to build self-esteem.
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Along with exercise and sleep, Trover said hydration also plays a role in overall physical and mental health. She said dehydration can often lead to being unmotivated and not having enough energy.
“If you’re dehydrated or you’ve not had enough rest, then you typically are more lacking that energy you need for the day,” Trover said. “If we don’t have enough hydration, sleep or food in general, then it can cause depression. It can really lead to not wanting to get up in the morning, not wanting to start your day, and just a lack of motivation.”
Trover said alcohol is a dehydrant, and while many people quit drinking for Dry January, doing so can significantly improve one’s mood.
“Alcohol is a depressant too, so it is more likely to make things worse for you; it also causes just days of feeling down afterwards, and just that recovery process, alcohol definitely affects your entire body and your mind,” Trover said. “Whenever people cut [alcohol] out of their life — it tends to go along with diet and exercise and just an overall healthy mindset — so people start seeing that difference right away.”
Trover also highlighted the benefits of reading rather than screen time, journaling for self-reflection, and meditation for stress reduction. She advised starting with one or two achievable goals and breaking them into small, actionable steps.