The New Year: A Kinder, Gentler Resolution

Approaching the end of the calendar year, many people, myself included, look to the new year with hopes and a clean slate to live life afresh and anew.  It is exciting to look to the new year with inspirations for new possibilities and the hopes of being the very best people we can be.  Resolutions generally revolve around health habits: "I've got to lose weight."  "I need to  exercise more." "I must  quit smoking." The list goes on.  I don't deny the importance of healthy habits as these but sometimes the importance of our mental health can be overshadowed by the determination of  fulfilling resolutions exclusively about our physical well-being.  Let's not forget the importance of our mental well-being.  The mental and the physical go hand in hand, but sometimes that is forgotten.  Sometimes we forget to take good care of our psychological self: to be gentle with ourselves.  Frequently we are our own worst critic, when it is beneficial to remember that we can be our own best friend.