Healthy habits for the new year

You can use the following tips and exercises as a framework to help you look after yourself in 2025. Rather than resolutions, see these as strategies which you can dip into and use in a way that works for you.

1. Prioritise your mental health and reach out for support if you need it.  Remember that you’re not alone and there are lots of great online resources and organisations who can support you when things get tough.
   
   
2. If making goals and resolutions isn’t helpful for you, don’t do it! Focus on where you are right now and be kind to yourself.
   
   
3. Look after your body. Make time for regular exercise (even a small amount is better than nothing, and can help if you’re having trouble falling asleep), practice good sleep hygiene and try to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
   
   
4. Practice gratitude by actively noticing things in your life that you appreciate. For example, ‘I am grateful for the birds outside’ or ‘I am grateful for the phone call I had with my friend.’ According to mental health experts, practicing gratitude can improve psychological health, wellbeing and resilience.
   
   
5. Think about what brings you joy and what makes you feel fulfilled. Strive for a work-life balance and make time to do more of those ‘life-giving’ activities, where possible while still staying safe.
   
   
6. Connect with loved ones and community. During difficult times, connecting with others can bring great comfort. If you don’t know many people or aren’t close to your family, consider ways to meet new people, such as through online communities.
   
   
7. Actively set boundaries and respectfully communicate your needs. It can be helpful to ‘check in’ with yourself regularly about how different situations make you feel. It’s okay to say ‘no’ to social engagements, tell people if you don’t have capacity to help with a task, and to set expectations about how you want to be treated. Check out our 'Setting healthy boundaries' blog.
   
   
8. If setting goals and resolutions, keep things in perspective. The challenges we face today are not the same as those we faced a few years ago. Perhaps your values or the things you measure ‘success’ by have shifted in recent years. Reflecting on what’s important to you, what makes you happy and how you might achieve these things may help you to feel more grounded as you move forward.

Crisis support

If you or someone you know is in danger right now, call 000 (triple zero).

For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

Counselling

Our counselling service offers a safe and supportive space for you to develop insights, consider your options, make choices and make positive changes to manage your situation.