2020 presented heartbreak and challenges hard to imagine before the pandemic and COVID-19.Nearly 2 million deaths worldwide from the virus, hospitals overwhelmed and restaurants and other businesses, struggling to make it.Not to mention, feelings of isolation and loneliness as life as we knew it dramatically changed.According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, demand for mental health and addiction treatment services increased significantly last year."The various national and global tragedies, it makes sense that many people are going into 2021 feeling very anxious and even pessimistic," licensed professional counselor Stacey Smith said.Smith works at Restoring Hope Counseling and Coaching.She's encouraging her clients to begin this new year by not anticipating the worst, something easier said than done."Because your brain is designed to protect you from threats, it's constantly trying to perceive or predict the future, and how it does that is by constantly sorting through information from your past," Smith explained. She said there are things that help though.They include setting realistic and achievable goals, lots of exercise and engagement in hobbies, taking breaks from social media and staying connected to your inner circle as much as possible."And for some, the goal could be just to survive the day and to meet as many of their basic needs as possible, whatever it is that helps you feel that you're making progress," Smith said.
2020 presented heartbreak and challenges hard to imagine before the pandemic and COVID-19.
Nearly 2 million deaths worldwide from the virus, hospitals overwhelmed and restaurants and other businesses, struggling to make it.
Not to mention, feelings of isolation and loneliness as life as we knew it dramatically changed.
According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, demand for mental health and addiction treatment services increased significantly last year.
"The various national and global tragedies, it makes sense that many people are going into 2021 feeling very anxious and even pessimistic," licensed professional counselor Stacey Smith said.
Smith works at Restoring Hope Counseling and Coaching.
She's encouraging her clients to begin this new year by not anticipating the worst, something easier said than done.
"Because your brain is designed to protect you from threats, it's constantly trying to perceive or predict the future, and how it does that is by constantly sorting through information from your past," Smith explained.
She said there are things that help though.
They include setting realistic and achievable goals, lots of exercise and engagement in hobbies, taking breaks from social media and staying connected to your inner circle as much as possible.
"And for some, the goal could be just to survive the day and to meet as many of their basic needs as possible, whatever it is that helps you feel that you're making progress," Smith said.
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