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8 Mental Health New Year’s Resolutions — and Silver Hill Experts’ Strategies for Achieving Them

Silver Hill Hospital

The start of a new year is the perfect time to reset and refocus — and for millions of Americans, 2025 is about prioritizing mental health.

According to a recent survey by the American Psychiatric Association, one in three U.S. adults plans to set mental health resolutions this year — a 5% increase from last year and a record high.

The survey underscores the broader state of mental wellness across the United States. Despite two-thirds of Americans rating their mental health as excellent or good in 2024, a troubling one-third reported grappling with significant psychological challenges. The message is clear: The mental health crisis persists, but so does the determination to tackle it.

If you’re ready to make 2025 the year you take control of your mental health, our team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and specialists have crafted a practical guide to empower you to build resilience, foster growth, and create lasting change.

1. Understand what drives you to drink alcohol

Ryan Wade, MD, Director of Addiction Services, Clinical Team Lead – DBT-S Residential Program

Alcohol is ubiquitous within our society and is difficult to avoid. Start by making your living space alcohol-free. The easier the access, the harder it is to resist. Beyond your home, be mindful of your social surroundings. While it’s important to maintain a social life, choose events or gatherings that don’t revolve around alcohol. Meet for a coffee, a walk, or a movie. You can also rediscover hobbies or activities that you have enjoyed in the past — or adopt new ones. Filling your time in active, enjoyable ways — sports, friends, books — will keep you engaged and will help shift your focus from the thought of drinking. Strategically timing your arrival and departure times at social events can also serve as a protective barrier by reducing the temptation and potential triggers associated with alcohol consumption.

2. Maintain consistent eating patterns

Alex Pereira, CDN, RDN, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor

The pressure to lose weight or get fit in January could entice some people to cut calories by skipping meals, but doing so could have a negative impact on mental health. Skipping meals can impact your energy levels, metabolism, and general nutrition, leading to various health issues. While our culture attaches emotions to food, we tend to forget that fundamentally, it’s a source of fuel for our bodies. Being consistent and following a regular eating schedule can be certainly difficult, especially when balancing a busy life or battling low appetite, anxiety, depression, or forgetfulness, so try creating a simple, foolproof routine. We tend to want to see big changes all at once, but when it comes to food, slow and steady is the best course of action. Just remember that building a habit takes time and effort.

3. Address the causes of your sleep anxiety

Elizabeth Ortiz-Schwartz, MD, DFAPA, Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, Team Lead, Adolescent Inpatient Unit

Sleep anxiety involves trouble falling asleep, not getting enough sleep, or not being able to stay asleep. Establish a good bedtime routine that includes getting up at nearly the same time each day. Partake in some degree of physical activity throughout the day, then find a way to wind down in a comfortable environment with few distractions. Limit artificial and screen lights, avoid caffeine and stimulants later in the day, and eliminate sedatives or excess alcohol, which can have rebound anxiety effects. Journaling about the things that make you anxious can help you worry less at night, and progressive muscle relaxation, breathing techniques, or meditation may also be helpful.

4. Limit social media use

Ryan Flanagan, MD, Director of the Resilience Program at River House

The average American dedicates roughly four and a half hours to phone screen time daily, with social media applications consuming most of this time. Studies have shown that high social media consumption correlates with increased rates of poor self-image, depression, insomnia, and psychological distress among people of all age groups, including teens and college students. Limiting social media reaps innumerable positive rewards for your mental health, including not feeling left out, a better understanding of who you are, and more time to pursue other productive skills or hobbies.

Set clear boundaries to break this cycle: Establish daily time limits, create phone-free zones in the home, and schedule regular digital detox periods.

5. Practice mindfulness and meditate daily

Tanvi Gandhi, naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist

While practicing mindfulness or meditating, the brain generates deeper brain waves, promoting self-healing and nervous system regulation, reducing the effects of stress, anxiety, depression, pain, trauma, and inflammation, among other things.

Some other helpful daily mindfulness practices include walking, breathing, body sensing, and using affirmations and acupressure to strengthen the mind-body connection and experience well-being. Focus on your breathing by welcoming each inhalation as fresh oxygen and nourishment and fully let go of each exhalation to release pain and inflammation. Body sensing can include bringing awareness to your toes as you take each step and feeling the connection between your feet and the ground. Even while sitting and working at your desk, feel the connection between your body and chair. Include mindful movement practice during work breaks, like stretching your arms above your head one at a time and engaging your eye muscles to look at your fingertips or the ceiling.

6. Practice dialectical behavioral therapy skills each day

Bradley Bloom, LCSW, CGP, Director of Social Work

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy that focuses on incorporating core skills that help you create a good life. Three good skills to consider are willingness, radical acceptance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Willingness opens doors to new possibilities by replacing resistance with receptivity. Radical acceptance reduces emotional strain by acknowledging present circumstances. Interpersonal effectiveness strengthens relationships through structured communication approaches.

Recognize how well you are doing and that you can do even better in 2025. Resolve to be more open with supportive people and to practice a coping skill each day that helps you face yourself and your life with renewed courage.

7. Play

Benjamin Bernstein, Ph.D., Psychologist, Adolescent Residential Program

Playing is a fundamental component of psychological health at every age, and it’s one of the keyways we learn, communicate, and connect with others — not to mention that it’s typically an immersive, stress-reducing, fun way to spend time. Playing can include board or card games or make-believe with your kids.

The absence of play can lead to feelings of emptiness and despair. Find time to play or be playful every day.

8. Walk, connect, and just do that thing that you’ve always wanted to do

Jeff Katzman, MD, Director of the Silver Hill Academy for Research and Education (SHARE)

Add walks into your schedule in any way that makes sense to break up your day (especially if you spend it at a desk) and try to get a dose of nature at the same time. Movement has a major impact on our mental and physical health and should be prioritized.

A recent study of 53,000 mid-life individuals in the U.S. and 13 European nations indicated that the U.S. has consistently higher rates of loneliness than its European counterparts. Assess yourself and those you know and consider what you can do to make even a small difference.

Pick something you’ve always wanted to do and plan to make it happen in 2025.

Helping you achieve a better tomorrow

The journey toward improved mental health begins with implementing these small, consistent steps. While these strategies provide valuable starting points, you may benefit from additional clinical support to address deeper mental health challenges. Contact Silver Hill Hospital to learn about programs that match your needs.