52 Simple Goals You Can Start Today for Better Mental Health
Use these suggestions to have your best year ever.
Raise your hand if you like success.
Achieving a goal or finishing a task makes you feel good. It gives you a sense of value and increases your confidence. When you decide to take an action and then complete it successfully, everything in your world looks a little brighter.
Too often, we get stuck on long-term goals.
Long-term goals are great, but each one can take weeks, months, or years to achieve. When success happens so rarely, it’s easy to believe the feelings of worthlessness bipolar throws at you. But when you reach goals more often, you can believe further success is possible.
To help you set both short-term and long-term goals, here are 52 ideas to inspire you. Bookmark this page and come back whenever you’re looking to start your next goal.
After the list, you’ll find some tips to make reaching your goals easier.
Start Today!
52 Goals for Better Mental Health
- Drink more water (32-48 ounces)
- Eat breakfast every day
- Eat fruits and vegetables every day
- Get up at the same time each day
- Go to bed at a consistent time each night
- Exercise 2-3 times per week (10-30 minutes)
- Schedule more breaks throughout the day
- Set aside time for self-care
- Write one positive thing about the day every night before bed
- Write 1-3 reasons for gratitude each day
- Journal every day to express thoughts and emotions
- Start learning a new skill or hobby
- Set healthy boundaries with people in your life
- Limit screen time
- Find ways to connect with others safely
- Take up yoga or meditation
- Explore nature and the outdoors
- Challenge negative thoughts and make them positive
- Find a healthy outlet for your emotions
- Enjoy music, art, or another creative activity
- Break old habits that no longer serve you
- Allow yourself time to relax and unwind at the end of each day
- Set realistic goals for this next year, 5 years, and 10 years
- Make time for leisure activities like reading or gardening
- Schedule time for friends and family
- Find a supportive community or group
- Seek professional help or start therapy
- Learn to say “no” and set boundaries
- Make healthy lifestyle changes (or stop a bad habit)
- Take up mindfulness practices like mindful eating or walking
- Try new things, even if they seem scary
- Start a gratitude and/or mood journal
- Give back and volunteer
- Make a list of your strengths
- Explore different types of therapy (talk, CBT, art, sound, etc.)
- Learn to accept mistakes and forgive yourself
- Surround yourself with positive people
- Recognize triggers that lead to negative emotions
- Prioritize mental health over other activities
- Celebrate every victory
- Learn new stress management techniques
- Create a list of calming activities for when you’re feeling overwhelmed
- Allow yourself to make mistakes
- Focus on the present moment rather than worrying about the future
- Develop healthy coping strategies for tough times
- Listen to podcasts or audio books that motivate and inspire you
- Find a hobby that brings joy and fulfillment
- Focus on what you can control instead of dreading the things you can’t
- Create a list of affirmations to tell yourself when you’re feeling down
- Learn relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing or progressive muscle relaxation
- Make space in your day for spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, or yoga
- Set a bedtime routine that will help you destress
Tips To Help You Achieve Your Goals
Intentions are great, but setting goals is only part of the process.
To achieve your goals, you have to make progress, pursuing the target every day.
How can you best reach your goals? Here are a few tips.
Break down goals into smaller, achievable steps
Baby steps are easier than giant strides, but both are progress. Taking one small step towards a goal can be far more beneficial than sitting and wishing for it to happen.
Take action every day
Make an effort to do something related to your goal every day—even if it’s only a tiny step. When you take action, the momentum builds and achieving your goals becomes more likely.
Set deadlines and reward yourself for progress
When you set a deadline, you give yourself a target to aim for. When you meet the deadline, reward yourself. This helps to keep motivation levels high and keeps you focused on your objective.
Be flexible and adjust goals as necessary
Don’t be afraid to adjust your goal if it’s too difficult or not realistic. Give yourself room to change and don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a deadline or make mistakes.
Find someone to keep you accountable
Accountability can be a great motivator for achieving goals. Find an accountability partner who is willing to motivate and encourage you along the way. This will help keep your progress on track.
Focus on progress and not perfection
No one is perfect, so don’t expect yourself to be. Focus on the progress you make each day and appreciate how far you have come rather than how much farther you need to go.
Celebrate your successes
Achieving an objective can be an amazing accomplishment. Celebrate each success and treat yourself for your hard work. This positive reinforcement will help keep you motivated, making it easier to stay focused on the next goal.
Be kind to yourself
It’s important to be gentle with yourself throughout the process of achieving your goals. Remind yourself that you are capable, strong, and worthy of happiness. Never doubt that you can do anything you put your mind to.
No matter what goals you have, know that there is power in taking small steps each day towards achieving those goals. With the right strategies, focus, and determination, anything is possible.
Now, let’s get to work!
Until next time, keep fighting.
FAQ Section
Q: What are some tips for managing my mental health?
A: There are many ways to manage your mental health, including learning to admit mistakes and forgive yourself, recognizing triggers that bring on negative emotions, prioritizing mental health over other activities, celebrating every victory, learning new stress-management strategies, and creating a healthy sleep schedule.
Q: How do I set realistic goals?
A: Setting realistic goals involves breaking bigger objectives into smaller, achievable steps, taking action every day towards reaching those steps, setting deadlines and rewards for progress made, being flexible in adjusting the goal if needed, finding a friend to keep you accountable, focusing on progress rather than perfection, celebrating your successes and being kind to yourself.
Q: What are some methods to stay motivated?
A: Staying motivated requires focus, determination, and consistent effort. Some methods of staying motivated include setting specific but achievable goals, writing down your goals so you can track your progress, surrounding yourself with positive individuals who support you, rewarding yourself for progress made, and taking regular breaks to stay refreshed. Reminding yourself of the big picture and why you set your goals in the first place can help keep interest levels high.
Q: How do I overcome distractions?
A: Overcoming distractions requires discipline and self-control. Identify what is causing distraction and remove it if possible. Prioritize tasks based on importance and create a plan of attack with specific deadlines. Turn off notifications from social media or other apps that may be distracting you. Finally, take breaks throughout the day to give yourself time to rest and refocus.
