The new year is just around the corner, and it’s a natural time to reflect and also to look forward and make plans or set goals for ourselves. It’s common to make resolutions such as eating a healthier diet or taking more exercise, but there’s increasing recognition that our mental and emotional health is just as important.
Here’s a look at how to set some achievable goals that can enhance your happiness and resilience in 2025. If you have a more difficult or complex emotional or mental health problem that you would like more help with, then you may benefit from private therapy sessions at our Manchester location.
Take some time to reflect
To help you set the most relevant goals, first take some time to reflect on the past year. What were the most challenging moments, and how did you handle them? When did you feel happiest and most fulfilled? Are there any patterns in your thought processes or behaviours that you would like to change?
If it helps, write down your reflections to clarify them and bring to the surface any issues that you may have been deliberately sweeping under the carpet.
Pinpoint areas for improvement
Next, think about those areas of your emotional life where there is room for improvement. This could be with regard to your relationships, stress levels, self esteem, negative self talk, or your day to day mood. What changes would improve the quality of your wellbeing the most?
Be patient and realistic
It’s unrealistic to expect an overnight transformation: emotional wellbeing is something that you need to build up patiently step by step. Over time, small changes will add up to a solid foundation that will carry you through those inevitable curve balls that life tends to throw at us.
Start with small achievable goals
Be specific about your goals, so instead of saying “I want more time for myself”, think about how you could introduce better time management into your life, such as setting boundaries, time blocking or daily prioritisation of tasks.
Set smaller monthly or weekly targets rather than saying “by the end of the year I want to…”. For example, if one of your goals is to meet more new people, set yourself a goal of trying a new activity or going on a date at least once a month.
Build positive habits into your daily routine
Small changes to your daily routine will soon add up to a cumulative effect on your overall wellbeing. For example, if doom scrolling on social media sends your self-esteem plummeting, set daily limits on your screen time.
If you tend to comfort eat after a stressful episode, stock up on healthy snacks such as fruit and nuts rather than crisps and biscuits, so you have less temptation to binge.
Overall, be kind to yourself and don’t give up at every blip in your efforts towards better emotional wellbeing: life happens and that’s OK. Trying keeping a journal to record those small victories and help you bounce back from any little disappointments.