After the Christmas excess, it’s easy to assume that January has to be about denying ourselves something, limiting or even punishing ourselves in some way. But I’d encourage you not to start the year on such a negative note.
Don’t give something up for New Year: commit to doing something, instead. There’s a great deal to be said for reframing the way we view resolutions and indeed all changes we want to make in our lives.
As a psychiatrist, I often encourage patients to rethink the way they view their lifestyle changes — choosing to do something rather than not to. So it’s better to choose to eat healthily than it is to say you’re going to deny yourself chocolate.
I think this is important, because, let’s be honest, 2021 didn’t turn out quite how most of us hoped. The past year was stressful, unpredictable, and strange due to restrictions as well as the introduction of Covid. Let’s give ourselves a break this New Year.
Dr Max Pemberton recommends not giving something up for New Year, as he reveals three things to try that could revitalise your mental health in 2022 (file image)
Of course, I wouldn’t discourage someone from giving up smoking, or from dieting if they are overweight, but why not ensure that your new year starts by embracing the positive rather than the negative; that it focuses on giving us something that might bring us joy rather than depriving us. Three things that can help you improve your mental well-being in 2022 are:
Learn Spanish
Or Mandarin. Russian . . I’m a fan of this because the evidence is startling. Learning a language stimulates specific parts of the brain, encourages synapse growth and there’s some evidence it can even slow cognitive decline. Research suggests it even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. Language learning engages the brain’s vast neural network which boosts brain flexibility, creativity and enhances thinking. There’s also evidence it helps those suffering depression and anxiety. I often recommend this to patients because it’s a very social thing to do — in language classes people of all ages, social groups, backgrounds and so on come together with one shared interest. Being able to speak a language other than English can broaden your worldview and give you a sense of belonging.
Offer friendship
It’s heartbreaking to think there are an estimated 1.2 million older people who report feeling chronically lonely. This is a terrible reflection on society.
There is no better resolution than being a friend to an older, lonely person in the new year. Age UK branches in Britain provide befriending services. These can even be done over the phone.
This was something I enjoyed doing for many years during medical school. It was extremely rewarding. A colleague and me signed up for a befriending organization in our first year. Mrs Richards was the woman we were given. The widow was single, had no children, and lived alone after her sister’s death many years prior. Soon, it became clear that she had also been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now, looking back, it is difficult to believe what she thought of the two young 18-year-olds who came into her little apartment every week. As we groaned about our exams, it must have been difficult for her to hear us sometimes.
Dr Max Pemberton (pictured) claims novels have the power to transform the way we think, feel and experience the world, enriching us and giving us a deeper understand of ourselves and others
However, she listened to us and offered sage guidance. She also made us tea, and would then give us goodies bags at the end. She was convinced we didn’t eat enough and would try to feed us up. While we had started befriending with the intention of helping someone else, Mrs Richards taught us so much about life — and indeed death. Her calm and stoic approach to her death was remarkable. She was my first friend who died. She had such an effect on me that my friend vowed to one day become a senior specialist. He is now a community geriatrics consultant 20 years later. And of course that’s the magic of befriending — it’s a two-way street.
Sometimes, what may seem like an act in altruism can end up being a gift of friendship. A gift of friendship has the wonderful advantage that it is shared between the recipient and the giver.
Learn more about D. H. Lawrence
I’m a great believer in the therapeutic power of novels. They transport us to other worlds, give us insight into other people’s minds and ways of thinking and, if well-written, expand our vocabulary and language skills. These books can change the way you think, feel, and experience the world. They enrich your life and help you to understand yourself and the people around. You can also use them to take a step back from the stresses of your daily life.
Huw Edwards is a journalist who shared how boxing has helped him to overcome his depression. I have mixed feelings about the sport: while the aim is to induce neurological damage by knocking someone out, I’ve seen how it can combat mental health problems, particularly among young men.
There’s evidence that people who read novels regularly experience a wealth of physical and mental benefits.
Studies show that even reading just six pages a day of a book can reduce stress levels by 60%. This is due to a reduction in heart rate and muscle tension.
I’m a particular fan of embracing one novelist and reading all their works, one after another. D. H. Lawrence was the only book I had read in one year. This year I’m going to tackle Charles Dickens. The great novelists explore universal truths — things that speak to fundamental aspects of being human, irrespective of where someone lives or their circumstances, which can help when you yourself are confronted with adversity. Not that we’re going to have any of that in 2022!
Other than that, smoking, Nicole
Dr Max said Nicole Kidman (pictured) is playing a dangerous game by taking up smoking in a bid to get the deep voice needed to portray actress Lucille Ball in new film Being The Ricardos
Nicole Kidman, actress has spoken out about her decision to quit smoking to be able to have the powerful voice she needed to play Lucille Ball’s character in Being The Ricardos. There’s part of me that wants to commend her for going to such lengths for the sake of her art. But as a former smoker myself, she’s playing a dangerous game. Nicotine is incredibly addictive and it’s all too easy to slip into its vice-like grip. But she is right about the effects it has on someone’s voice. Smoking can also have a number of effects on your voice, including affecting the quality, pitch, and tone. This is because the vocal cords are the ‘gateway’ to the lungs and therefore as you inhale smoke, it passes the vocal cords causing damage and swelling to the delicate tissue that they are composed of. You might be tempted to do the same!
- Was your Christmas a disaster? If so, don’t worry. While I understand parents are often desperate to make sure their children have magical memories, a recent study found one in five find their festive stress levels negatively affect their child’s enjoyment of the holiday season. Another one-fourth of mothers admitted that they have unrealistic expectations about Christmas. Fathers are twice as stressed out by preparations.
They should just relax. One elderly patient said that he doesn’t remember Christmases when everything went well.
The Christmas when the turkey gets burned and you all have to decamp to a Little Chef on junction 16 off the M6, they’re the ones that we look back and laugh about. If your Christmas went horribly wrong don’t panic.
Dr Max recommends…
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Dr Max revealed he recently finished watching the latest series of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
I’ve just finished watching the latest series of this Netflix show. The premise doesn’t sound promising for a comedy — fictional Kimmy was held hostage in an underground bunker along with three other women for 15 years. As she tries to rebuild her life, her story is finally released. Written by comedian Tina Fey, it’s hilarious but also explores complex subjects relating to psychology, such as the idea that you can’t change what’s happened to you, only how you react to it. It’s just what the doctor ordered.