Many people make New Year’s resolutions to take better care of their mental health as a way to be more mindful of their state of mind and life. Typically, 24% of people in the U.S. make this resolution. I actually decided to make this New Year’s resolution myself, as I have a lot of stress I would like to get rid of. According to Business Insider, however, about 80% of people fail to stick to their New Year’s resolutions for longer than six weeks. The question is though, why do people make this resolution?

Usually, people make this resolution because they feel like they don’t really have control over their lives, or that they have too much stress to deal with and they are tired of not doing anything about it. I made this resolution because I want to try and have a grasp at any mental health issues I may have and I want to try and deal with my stress in healthier ways. People also want to learn to say no to people and stop being a people-pleaser, and they want to build their self-acceptance, as these things can become harmful if left unchecked.

So far, no one has succeeded in keeping this resolution, but many have made attempts. From what can be observed, taking care of your mental health can often be dismissed by terrible excuses; mainly by saying that you don’t have enough time, or that the task can be taken care of later. As of right now, so far I have been trying to limit my time on social media, and I’ve been keeping positive quotes saved on my phone in order to calm myself down when I’m stressed.

Smaller resolutions in order to strive towards a better mental state include practicing self-acceptance, being present and at the moment, practicing more self-care, and resolving to be kinder to yourself, among other goals. Sticking to these resolutions can be a struggle, but if you’re having trouble, talk about it with a friend and see if they can help hold you accountable for your goals. Doing these things alone often means failure on your part, but as long as you have people supporting you along the way, you are sure to make improvements and maybe even succeed at keeping your resolutions.