Written By: Mercedes Braxton, LPC, NCC

Reflections & Evolution
 

Happy New Year! Whew, does anyone else feel as though 2021 flew by? Here we are in 2022 so let’s make the best of it! Take a moment right now to reflect on 2021 – the highs, the lows, the blessings, the challenges – and access how you are feeling in this moment. Often times, we move into a new year, a new season, without ever checking on our wellbeing from the previous season. Accessing our wellbeing, as we move into the next season of our lives, is imperative to know how to evolve in a healthy way!
Now that you have taken the time to reflect, let us talk about evolving! What are your goals for the year? What are your fears? What obstacles do you foresee yourself facing? What skills and tools do you have to cope during life’s challenges? These are all questions you need to answer as you evolve. As you access where you are right now, compared to where you want to be, ponder on the below categories:

• Mental/Emotional health
• Physical health
• Self-care
• Career
• Interpersonal relationships
• Family
• Parenting
• School/Higher learning
• Spirituality
• Finances

Other categories are welcomed. Take time to rate yourself in each category with a rating scale from 1-10 (10 being extremely satisfied) on your satisfaction levels. Where you find high levels of satisfaction, reflect and note how to improve or get close to ten. Where you find low levels, do the same and determine how to increase your rating by two. While doing this, remember not to get discouraged as sometimes we find ourselves far from where we want to be. Instead, use this as motivation to keep striving towards achieving your highest level of self.

Now let’s discuss overcoming barriers of evolving to the next level of self. For every desire we have, there tends to be some sort of barrier or obstacle in the way discouraging and threatening the ability to continue progressing! Once you have accessed where you are in life and where you want to evolve, take a look at at least 1-3 potential barriers, and determine 1-2 ways to overcome these barriers. Barriers may seem intimidating, but they are obstacles which can be resolved.

Once we have identified barriers and ways to overcome them, we are ready to continue evolving! What are the first steps you need to evolve, who do you need help from, what new skills do you need to learn and what affirmations can you identify to help push through? Lastly, determine your why for everything you do. When you determine your why, it helps to remind you of why you started and why you need to keep pushing through even when times are difficult! Evolving can be hard, but it is most certainly not impossible!
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you have enjoyed the mental health notes in this article, and it has been a pleasure to offer ways to improve on your mental health! Always remember, it is okay to not be okay, just make sure you decide to do something about it!
Take care!

Mercedes Braxton, LPC, NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and National Certified Counselor
Owner and Therapist at Peace of Mind Counseling and Therapeutic Services

Call: 470-633-7079
Visit: www.peaceofmindcts.com
IG: @peaceofmindcts
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