Five Ways to Nurture Your New Year’s Intentions For Sustainable Change

Thrive • Jan 17, 2022

By Thrive Sacramento’s Registered Dietitian Supervisor Kailey Cunningham, MS, RDN, CD

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS AND NEW YEAR’S INTENTIONS

Many set resolutions to create change in the new year. However, due to their restrictive, all-or-nothing nature, resolutions are typically unattainable and can be detrimental to one’s mental health. Intentions, on the other hand, can be a healthier way to nurture lasting change, as they allow for an intuitive, flexible, and non-linear approach.

Learn more about the benefits of setting intentions.

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR NEW YEAR’S INTENTIONS

Many people struggle with the gentle nature of intentions, as they are accustomed to creating rigid expectations for themselves. Simple shifts in perspective can make sustaining intentions more natural — no matter what time of year. Here’s how:

1. Honor your intention with supporting plans.

Oftentimes, a person identifies their intention but doesn’t create a plan to follow through. The cultivation of change does require supporting actions, however, so decide how you want to honor your intention and incorporate these efforts into your agenda. For example, if you intend to nourish yourself with adequate food, make plans to grocery shop, prepare meals, and pack lunches.

2. Set small and adjustable goals.

Commonly, people set broad and unrealistic goals when attempting to adhere to their intention. These goals can blind individuals to their initial purpose, cause them to focus solely on their objective, and forget the actions necessary to actually achieve their desired growth. Instead of making overwhelming goals, take small, slow steps toward progress. View your goals as experiments so that if they stop making sense to you, you can adjust them accordingly.

3. View challenges as opportunities for self-exploration.

Overcoming challenges is an inevitable element of fostering growth. Use obstacles, struggles, and mistakes as ways to obtain information about what does and doesn’t serve you. In other words, instead of viewing speed bumps as blockades and unexpected outcomes as failures, reframe them as lessons that provide valuable insight into how to progress.

4. Embrace self-compassion.

Human behaviors are influenced by an array of complex thoughts, feelings, and circumstances. While practicing your intentions, acknowledge the nuances of the human experience. Be kind and patient with yourself as you set out on the courageous journey of cultivating change.

5. Prioritize your own path.

By staying focused on your intention rather than comparing yourself to others, you are more likely to celebrate your own successes, however incremental. As a result, you’ll remain encouraged and motivated to continue implementing your desired change.

GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

Thrive wants to help you grow into your most balanced, confident, and joyful self. If you’d prefer to have professional guidance as you aspire to implement self-betterment changes in the new year, our team of mental and physical health experts would be honored to walk with you on your journey. Reach out to us to learn more about our therapeutic services.

About the Author

Thrive Sacramento’s Registered Dietitian Supervisor Kailey Cunningham, MS, RDN, CD

Kailey Cunningham, MS, RDN, CD, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who obtained a Master’s of Dietetics degree from the University of Kentucky after completing both her undergraduate studies in dietetics and accredited dietetic internship at the same university.

She has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since February of 2013 and has been working in the eating disorder field since 2015. Kailey has experience treating clients at many levels of care, from partial hospitalization programming to outpatient, with a variety of diagnoses including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID and OSFED.

She began working at The Emily Program in Lacey, Washington for three years where she acted as the full-time programming dietitian. While in this position, she worked directly with a lead therapist to develop an adolescent treatment track implementing elements of Family-Based Treatment and gaining invaluable experience working with adolescents and their parents. She then worked at Center for Discovery in Tacoma, Washington while building her nutrition counseling private practice. She began her successful practice in April of 2018 and moved it with her from Olympia, Washington to Rocklin, California in October 2020. Kailey is excited to now be a part of the Sacramento Thrive Wellness team providing support for adult and adolescent clients in intensive outpatient and outpatient levels of care.

Kailey’s primary motivator and true passion is supporting others on their journey to a more peaceful and balanced relationship with food and their bodies. Through individualized nutrition counseling and education, she helps those struggling with eating disorder behaviors, body image issues, food aversion and health anxieties find what is right for them while leaving diet culture behind.

The post Five Ways to Nurture Your New Year’s Intentions For Sustainable Change first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.