@doctorshepard_md [1] @gma
♬ original sound - Dr. Melissa Shepard [2]
Is improving mental health on your 2021 to do list? It's one of those resolutions that sounds about 50 times easier than it really is. If you want to address your mental health but aren't sure where to start, psychiatrist Melissa Shepard [3], MD, shared five actionable tips on TikTok to help.
Number one, according to Dr. Shepard, calls for some self-reflection: determining your values. "We all have [values]," she explained, "but becoming more intentional about them can help you make choices based on your values, rather than the way you may be feeling at any given moment." This can keep you on track to reach your goals and, bit by bit, create a life that's centreed on the things you truly care about.
Dr. Shepard also recommended practicing mindfulness [5] to stay in the present moment, building self-compassion [6] to accept your flaws and faults, and adopting a "growth mindset" to embrace challenges and failures. Last but not least: reach out for help when you need it, whether that's to the people close to you or a mental health professional [7].
Watch Dr. Shepard's informative TikTok above and remember that, even if improving your mental health seems easier said than done, working on it a little bit every day will help you get to where you want to be, in 2021 and beyond.