Here's To Another Monday

(best friend aka Bilbo the doggo)

Oh yes, it's that time of year again! The time of year when people frantically pick apart the last 12 months and add up all the things they didn't do, or did wrong, or wished they'd done. Then quickly compile a list of 'New Year, New Me' resolutions of things they'll change about themselves, false promises that will be forgotten about until December 2018 and then the whole process will be repeated.

Do I sound a tad pessimistic? Well, that's not my intention but I have to be honest, I'm really not a fan of the collective 'it's going to be my year next year'. Whilst I absolutely appreciate goals and organisation, I don't really appreciate the pressure of change that comes at the end of each year. To me, every day is an opportunity to do something for yourself, to evolve naturally and to take each day as it comes. I don't really understand what's so special about the end of a year, what difference it makes and why the stroke of midnight will suddenly will us to change our lives.

For a lot of people, this time of year brings a sort of sadness, with society preaching about what we must be doing and how we should be living our lives. Consumerism makes us feel inadequate if we aren't wearing the latest trends or buying the right things and the diet industry takes advantage of us with 'allowing' us to indulge over Christmas and then punishing us soon after with it's talks of fad diets and clean eating. All in all, this time of year can be incredibly confusing and as someone with long-term mental health issues to tackle, it can be downright overwhelming and miserable.

So for me, tomorrow is simply just another day and whatever happens, happens. I will continue to take my medication each morning and walk my dog (aka best friend Bilbo). I will try to practice mindfulness when I can and won't beat myself up if I don't succeed at it. I will be starting the first week of the year back in the MH services for a relapse. I will try to engage in therapy as best I can. I will take each day as it comes and if I am merely surviving, I am still here and accept that as an achievement. I will continue to do what's best for me and what's best for my health.

And so here's to you, to anyone not partying the night away, to the ones who change and grow little by little, day by day, it's ok to be you, you're doing just fine.