Merseyside residents are being encouraged to prioritise self-care over new year’s resolutions.
Every January millions of Brits set themselves new year’s resolutions, ranging from quitting alcohol for Dry January, cutting out junk food or becoming more active.
However, some experts believe new year’s resolutions increase stress levels and contribute to poor mental health.
Senior mental health lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, Dean McShane, said: “The term ‘January blues’ isn’t very helpful because in reality people can be depressed or feeling low at any time of the year.
“However it is understandable after the build-up of Christmas returning to stereotypical normality can have an effect on your mood.”
Personal trainer at MoveYourMindset Jenny Jones also believes terms such as January blues and ‘new year, new me’ aren’t helpful.
She said: “You don’t need to add the pressure and anxiety of new year’s resolutions, we don’t have to have everything together and organised and we certainly don’t need to set big goals just because the calendar has flipped from December to January.”
McShane also spoke about how to get easy wins – such as going to greenspaces, staying connected with people and the power of talking – to boost good mental health and help lift overall mood.
Jenny also encouraged people to invest in self-care once a week through January.
She said: “This can include going for a walk, a spa treatment, a rest day, organising a social day with friends – anything you need to fill your cup up to help you increase your good mental health.”
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Featured image: Luke Jones Unsplash
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