(BPT) - Like every year, many of us make New Year's resolutions and try to stick to them, but broad, all-or-nothing changes often set us up for failure and can make mental health struggles even worse.
Dr. Robin Miller, an integrative medicine physician and founder of Triune Integrative Medicine in Medford, Oregon, puts it plainly:
"I don't know about you, but every year I make New Year's resolutions only to abandon them a month or two later. So instead of resolutions, how about solutions?"
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and Learning to Achieve Wellness owner Lillian Ingram agrees.
"In 2026, take a new approach to goal setting, and embark on a solution-based focus toward your goals," she says. "You're still going to set your goals. You're still going to take steps. But let's build out those steps."
Solutions are simple, achievable and measurable rather than big and intimidating resolutions. For example, rather than making a resolution to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain date, set a simpler solution to reduce calorie or sugar intake each day, or eat more whole grains. Instead of joining a gym and burning out by February, choose to walk every day. Each step we take - both literal and figurative - can then be followed by the next to add up to something realistic and achievable.
For people diagnosed with mental health conditions like major depressive disorder, a solutions approach may be more effective for them particularly given that setting and attaining goals can be overwhelming and could even worsen mental health. For those who are considering medication therapy or are unhappy with their current treatment, a solution-oriented step could be having a conversation with a healthcare provider about the GeneSight® Test. "It's a way for you and your provider to choose a medication that may be more compatible to your unique genetic makeup," said Dr. Miller.
"It's a simple genetic test done with a cheek swab," continues Dr. Miller. "It analyzes, in part, how your genes may affect your outcomes with medications commonly prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. The test helps inform you about how your genetics may impact your outcomes with the included mental health medications. This information can be used as a part of a comprehensive medical assessment to help inform treatment decisions. What better way to start the new year than with the possibility of feeling well again?"
In the new year, for any goal-setting exercise, Ingram suggests deciding what steps are needed rather than thinking about what we need to do to "fix ourselves." She recommends asking: "What resources do you have? What connections do you have? What community support do you already have?"
"You're going to build upon those foundations, those which already exist, to reach your goals," she explains. "And that's what's going to change 2026 and make it the most positive, best, solution-based year ever."