As the New Year approaches, many begin contemplating resolutions - losing weight, earning more money, or eating healthier are some of the most common ones. Suddenly, it’s February, and life is catching up with you. You've ditched your resolutions, and now you feel like a failure. Research shows that over 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by mid-February. Rather than setting yourself up for disappointment, here are three reasons why you might be better off skipping resolutions this year.

You may be familiar with the term “holiday blues” - this saying describes feelings of sadness and anxiety that might crop up around the seasonal holidays. The holidays can bring up many different emotions—happiness and cheer—but also anxiety and dread. According to the National Alliance of Mental Health, 64% of people with an already existing mental illness note that holidays exacerbate their symptoms. We may find ourselves feeling more anxious around these times for a variety of different reasons.

Thanksgiving is a time of celebration and gratitude, but for many people, especially for people recovering from an eating disorder, the holidays can be daunting and create real anxiety. Food-centered holidays, like Thanksgiving, can be especially difficult. It is completely understandable that this time of year might bring up feelings of uneasiness, fear, or even sadness. Although these moments might feel especially challenging, you can still celebrate and have a wonderful holiday season, even in recovery.

In the United States, around 30 million people are struggling with an eating disorder. This is a massive number that includes people of any age, ethnicity, socioeconomic level and gender. When it comes to eating disorders, there are many misconceptions and assumptions that have harmful impacts on the way we see ourselves in society.

My favorite definition of mindfulness is "mindfulness is paying attention to your life, here and now, with kindness and curiosity." (Amy Saltzman) Mindfulness can be accessed through journaling that is non-judgmental. A journal is a safe space to practice paying attention to your life and emotions, here and now. Journaling can be a mindfulness experience that people find more comfortable than meditation. It is an active form of mindfulness which for some is more accessible. Journaling and mindfulness both reduce stress and anxiety as well as help a person gain a sense of self reliance and confidence. Being able to support yourself through challenging emotions or issues in your journaling is really helpful in building a strong relationship with yourself and adding to your feelings or positive self esteem.

Have you ever felt a sense of renewed energy and elatedness after a long run or bike ride? This is because physical activity releases endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, physical exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced brain health and cognitive function, providing a better night’s sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Increased physical activity also promotes higher self-esteem and self-confidence and can distract from negative, intrusive thoughts and boost moods.

Have you ever felt a sense of renewed energy and elatedness after a long run or bike ride? This is because physical activity releases endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, physical exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced brain health and cognitive function, providing a better night’s sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Increased physical activity also promotes higher self-esteem and self-confidence and can distract from negative, intrusive thoughts and boost moods.

Have you ever felt a sense of renewed energy and elatedness after a long run or bike ride? This is because physical activity releases endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, physical exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced brain health and cognitive function, providing a better night’s sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Increased physical activity also promotes higher self-esteem and self-confidence and can distract from negative, intrusive thoughts and boost moods.

The way we view and think about ourselves can be defined as self-esteem. Our self-esteem can be high, low or in the middle. It can ebb and flow depending on the context of one’s life. Having low self-esteem can resonate as a lack of self-confidence or seeing yourself as unlovable, unworthy, unacceptable, and a plethora of other lowly traits.

Having anxieties about a new school year is normal, and you are not alone. Many people face uneasiness with the transition from summer back to school. What’s most important are the steps you take to process these emotions. Getting back into the groove doesn’t have to be difficult, and there are things you can do to help ease the transition back to school.

Getting a good night’s sleep is an important aspect of managing our mental well-being. A poor night’s rest can negatively impact both physical and mental health. When struggling with depression and anxiety, it is critical to get the proper amount of sleep - especially good sleep! Sleep helps reset the body and allows us to function better in our day-to-day lives. The truth is we spend almost one third of our lives asleep, so it’s important to take it seriously. See below for some quick tips for better rest. These are all tips I practice myself - and I wouldn’t recommend them unless I thought they really help!

The way we view and think about ourselves can be defined as self-esteem. Our self-esteem can be high, low or in the middle. It can ebb and flow depending on the context of one’s life. Having low self-esteem can resonate as a lack of self-confidence or seeing yourself as unlovable, unworthy, unacceptable, and a plethora of other lowly traits.

Learn effective coping strategies for dealing with anxiety attacks in this blog post. Discover tips for managing symptoms such as mindful breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, talk therapy with Thrope Therapy, exercise, and self-care. Don't let anxiety attacks control your life - find the support and tools you need to manage your symptoms and improve your overall well-being.

At Thrope Therapy, we believe in supporting our clients in every way possible. That's why we've put together this comprehensive list of mental health and personal growth resources to help you on your journey.

Learn how intuitive eating can improve your relationship with food and your body, and reduce stress and anxiety. Discover the benefits of this empowering approach to food, and consider reaching out to Thrope Therapy, a New York-based therapy practice, for support and guidance.

Learn how to support a loved one with depression using these helpful strategies, including encouraging therapy, being patient, and practicing self-care. Discover the benefits of Thrope Therapy and how to recognize signs of suicide risk.

The new year can be a time full of many emotions.Hope for what is to come; relief that the holiday season is over; sadness and grief as the holidays serve to remind us of those we have lost; joy to have made it another year around the sun. For most of us, we have been taught to think of the new year as a time to set resolutions. While these resolutions can often indicate the change we are looking to make in our lives, most New Year’s resolutions will not make it past mid-January. Why is that? 

Holidays can often be a challenging time for individuals in recovery from eating disorders. Many holidays in the upcoming months revolve around food, which can be triggering for people in all stages of the recovery process