Making and Keeping your New Year's Resolutions by Jade Caswell, MA

A New Year bring new hopes, goals and dreams for the future. If you are like many people, you

might be considering setting New Year's resolutions. While these may be easy to set, it is often

more difficult to stick with them. Oftentimes, we set goals that are too vague or do not draw up

actionable steps towards realizing our goals. Because of this, we may find ourselves not

knowing where to start or failing to achieve our goals altogether. By following SMART goals, we

have a better chance at setting and attaining our resolutions for the new year. Learn more

about the acronym, and how to set SMART goals below.

Make your goal SPECIFIC

This means that you know what your goals is, and make it as detailed as possible. Instead of

setting a goal to cut down on drinking in 2023, you could instead set a goal to reduce alcohol

consumption by 2-3 drinks per week. Setting specific goals helps us stay on track, visualize our

goals, and increase motivation towards them.

Make your goal Measurable

Try to think about how you will track progress towards your goal. For instance, if you are trying

to cut down on drinking, how will you track how many units of alcohol you have consumed per

week? Consider using a chart, scale, or any other unit of measurement to track your progress.

Make your goal Achievable

Although some of us may be tempted to set resolutions such as to lose 20 pounds by next month,

or to cut down on all sugar consumption by next week, these goals are often unrealistic, and don't

allow for gradual progress in an acceptable timeframe. Setting goals that are unrealistic can

often lead to feelings of failure or frustration when we do not reach them, however, we can

avoid this by asking ourselves if our goals are achievable with appropriate time and effort.

Make your goal Relevant

Ask yourself, "Is this a goal that is meaningful to me?". This is one of the most important steps of

setting SMART goals. If a goal is not meaningful or relevant to an individual's life, it will be

difficult to find the motivation to achieve the goal.

Make your goal Timely

Be sure to set a realistic deadline for your goal. For instance, losing 20 pounds by next month

may not be timely or realistic, but losing 20 pounds within a 6 month timeframe may be. Put

simply, give yourself enough time to reach your goals! In addition, be realistic with how much time,

effort and resources you may be willing to put forth to achieve your goals.

If you have followed all of the SMART goal steps - Congratulations! You are one step closer to

reaching and achieving your goals this year!

By Jade Caswell, MA, Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate

The Importance of Mindfulness by Jade Caswell, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern

If you have had a session with one our therapists, or have read a self-help book recently,

chances are you have heard of the benefits of practicing mindfulness. But what is it? And how

can you practice? These are topics we will be discovering below.

Mindfulness, in simple terms, means connecting with the present moment. Oftentimes, our

minds are busy worrying about the future or ruminating over the past, which can lead us to

experience a variety of painful emotions, including anxiety and depression. Think about how

often we experience feelings of sadness, regret or pain when we are stuck in the past or

worrying about what may happen in the future. When we practice mindfulness, or simply bring

ourselves into the present moment, we can begin to experience a sense of grounding and relief.

The benefits of mindfulness have been well-researched and include slowing brain aging, stress

relief and relaxation, emotional regulation, and improved concentration. Mindfulness is not

only a buzzword or a fad, it's research-backed and included in therapeutic approaches such as

Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive

Psychology.

Starting a mindfulness practice can be easy, quick, requires no cost, and is accessible to anyone.

While only a few mindfulness techniques will be covered in this blog, there are, in fact,

numerous ways of practicing mindfulness. You can even come up with your own practice that

suits your needs. Almost any activity- eating, walking, breathing, etc. can be practiced

mindfully. What is most important is that you are focusing on the existence of the present

moment, and non-critically observing any thoughts, feelings or sensations that come up.

Remember to catch yourself if you are fading into the past or worrying about the future. This

does not serve you in the present moment. Below are two mindfulness practices to try out.

Breathwork

Focusing on the breath is one of the simplest mindfulness techniques. When we are connected

with our breath, our minds and bodies are united, and we can access a sense of peace and

grounding.

1. Start by relaxing your gaze or closing eyes and getting into a comfortable position.

2. Breathe in through your nose and count slowly (1-2-3-4)

3. Hold your breath for a count of 7 (1-2-3-4-5-6-7)

4. Breathe out for a count of 8 (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8)

As you are doing this exercise, pay attention to the present moment. Notice any thoughts or

feelings you are having. Become aware of how your breath enters and exits the body. Do

not worry if your mind wanders, just do your best to try to bring your attention back to your

breath. Remember, there is no ";right" way to do this exercise. Repeat this process for 5-60

minutes.

Walking Meditation

Practicing a walking meditation is similar to the breath exercise, because it is all about paying

attention to our thoughts, feelings and sensations in the moment. This exercise, however, is

more active and can encourage us to get outside and appreciate our natural surroundings.

1. Choose a safe place where you can walk- in nature, in the city, in your own home, etc.

2. Take a few deep breaths to begin your practice. Deep inhales through your nose and exhales

out through your mouth.

3. Take small, slow steps and observe your movement. How is the ground supporting your feet?

Notice the lifting of your feet, shifting of weight, or swaying of your arms.

4. Take a moment to observe any sounds you are hearing. For example, are there sounds of

cars around you or waves crashing on the beach?

5. Notice any thoughts you are having and bring yourself back into the present moment. It is

normal if the mind wanders, just do your best to try to bring your attention back to the present.

Seal your practice by thanking yourself for making time for YOU and express gratitude for the

present moment.

Note: Other mindfulness exercises may be found on previous blog posts. These include "Simple

Mindfulness Exercise: Three Senses" and "A Simple Mindfulness Exercise: Coming back to

yourself".

Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

The topic of health has always been important, but over the last year and a half specifically there has been an increase in interest towards health and immune system building. Many people decided during quarantine to improve their health, and for some that was the only distraction while being stuck at home. An important part of mental health is our physical health. Overall, we need a balance in life between our mental and physical health in order to live happy and healthy lives. Along with the obvious things that increase physical health like exercising, there are other things we can incorporate into our lives to improve our health.

I think COVID-19 has made many of us look for ways to improve our immune system and overall help with our health to hopefully avoid getting sick, or at least help our bodies build a resistance. One great product that can help facilitate healthy habits is green tea.

Green tea is a wonderful way to detox the body, plus it tastes great! This tea is full of antioxidants that can help improve brain function, decrease our risks of cancer, and help improve our metabolism to facilitate weight loss. The antioxidant in green tea is called epigallocatechin-3-gallate, but let's just call it EGCG for short. This can help prevent aging by decreasing cell damage.

It’s important to note that green tea contains caffeine, for all the caffeine lovers out there! Now, no it does not contain as much caffeine as coffee, but it’s a great alternative if you need a break from coffee, don't like the taste of it, or if you want to reduce your coffee intake. Yes, it is less caffeine but it won't leave you feeling jittery and will give you a more consistent boost of energy, plus don't forget the EGCG! If caffeine isn’t your style, you can also buy decaf green tea just like you can with coffee.

Another great benefit of green tea is its ability to aid in increasing metabolism and lowering our risk of heart and brain disease. It does this by increasing our bodies ability to improve blood pressure and prevent production of plague in the brain that can cause alzhiemers. Other than these wonderful physical benefits, it can also help our mental health by incorporating green tea into our self care routines. Taking the time to make tea and enjoy it is a great way to take a few minutes to ourselves. Another bonus is green tea has a chemical called Theanine that is a natural chemical proven to have a calming effect, which can also help reduce stress.

Now that you know a little bit more, go out there and buy some green tea! Add fresh lemons for an added bonus of vitamin C or some peppermint for an added freshness. If you are interested, you can also take a look at the resources listed below with even more information on the benefits of green tea. There is also an article that lists some different brands of tea, in case you are overwhelmed with the store's selection.

Sincerely,

Christina Labazzetta, Graduate Student Class of 2022

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea

​​https://bestproducts-4u.com/best-green-tea-brands/