After the Times Square ball dropped and the confetti fell, many students felt the need to generate a new year’s resolution. 

As the new year rolls around, creating resolutions and goals that are achievable is important to one’s physical and mental health. Mental health influences the way people deal with stress and impacts the way people think and feel, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

“Personally, I do think it is important to get a fresh start to the new year,” freshman Peyton Spaht said. “New Year’s resolutions keep me motivated during the year to stay true to myself and continue healthy habits” 

Out of 1,500 Americans, 50% want to improve their fitness, 39% want to eat healthier, and 13% want to spend less time on social media, according to a study from Statista. These resolutions may be hard to keep up but, it’s the effort that matters, according to school counselor Caitlin Walsh. 

“I like to look at it as focusing on progress over perfection,” Walsh said. “You may slip up a day or two but you’re still working towards the goals so that doesn’t mean you have to stop and quit.”

Finding a balance between one’s well-being and self-improvement is something students strive for. Given the importance of mental health and a rigorous curriculum, it is crucial that you set resolutions that won’t raise your stress or anxiety levels, according to junior Story Golkin. 

“My goals for the new year are usually based around my family instead of academics because that makes it feel less stressful and it’s easier to do and more fun,” Golkin said. “I also aim to get more rest. I find that when I sleep more, my mental health always improves and I become less stressed.”

Different students will have different things that are beneficial to their mental health and should prioritize it in different ways and not overextend themselves with to many hard goals, according to Walsh. 

“To me, mental health means taking care of your mind and body and making sure you are happy and stable,” Spaht said. “I think mental health is extremely important, especially since us teenagers always have a lot on our plates.”