Mental health resolutions for the new year

New Year’s is a great time to take stock. It may be an arbitrary time to do so, but why not use the turning of the calendar as inspiration to reflect and see what’s working in your life and what could use some change.

There’s a lot to consider: career, family, relationships, health. One thing we don’t typically consider as much is mental health. But nurturing our mental health and doing our best to identify when help is needed and taking the steps to access supports are critical to being well-armed to navigate through life.

There are some effective online mental health resources available in Ontario, like Big White Wall. This service is available, at no charge, to all Ontarians ages 16 and over through the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN), thanks to government funding.

An anonymous online peer community, Big White Wall is available without a referral to help with anxiety and depression. You can register yourself and start using it immediately, as often as you want, whenever you want.

Particularly useful when it comes to personal resolutions are the interactive group courses offered through the site on a variety of topics to help you feel more in control of your emotional health. Lasting two to eight weeks, each structured course is based on self-help and self-management techniques, and, where possible, draws on evidence-based content.

Courses are guided by a team of health professionals and offer new activities to do each week. They also run regularly, so if you miss one you can join the next time it starts. You can take as many as you like – here are some of the options:

• Coping with grief and loss
• Cut down your drinking
• Eat healthy and lose weight
• Manage negative thinking
• Quit smoking

Big White Wall also provides an opportunity to express yourself verbally or through images on “bricks” and to connect anonymously with others sympathetic and familiar with the issues you may be struggling with. The site is monitored by trained mental health professionals 24/7 who ensure that the community is safe.