Last week on BBC Radio Nottingham’s Morning Show, with Richard Spurr (standing in for Fran), I continued the theme-for-the-week of various New Year’s resolutions, by suggesting five for psychological good health. These have been selected from discussions with colleague psychotherapists, and drawn from positive feedback from clients over many years.

1. Be as real as you can be.  Don’t lie to yourself; make decisions and choices that do not compromise your integrity. (It’s ok to be diplomatic when appropriate, but you need to be aware what you really think!) Say NO when you know it’s right for you, then move on.

2. Treasure the person/people you really love. Make time to spend with these special people, don’t keep putting other things, work/dieting/projects, whatever…first. Live in the NOW

3. Be loving to yourself too!  Treat yourself as you would someone you love. give yourself little indulgences that promote well-being (an extra hour in bed before midnight, a lingering breakfast watching the birds in the garden, a walk in the park at lunchtime to see the bulbs coming through…)

4. Keep a daily diary/blog Take a few minutes before bed to reflect on your day…what didn’t work out, what might you do about that?…someone you need to say sorry to, perhaps? and what was good, really good, about today? Make a particular point of writing that down …and hold that thought!

5. Kim’s Rule-of-Threes Each day, plan and action: Something gratuitous for someone else, not to be thanked, but ‘just because’…..give blood, buy The Big Issue, hold a door open, give someone a hand… Something to improve your personal environment, perhaps a drawer or cupboard needs sorting out, weed a patch of garden, re-pot a plant, or clear the inbox on your PC, or a folder at work. And something for yourself, healthily indulgent (see 3 above)