Welcome to the very first episode of the year on Just Me Podcast! As we step into 2025, we’re diving into the topic of New Year’s resolutions and what they really mean for our mental health and well-being. Joining us today is Mr. David Buchanan, an experienced outpatient therapist from North Carolina, who specializes in helping adults and older teens navigate mental health challenges.

In this episode, we’ll explore how resolutions can shape personal growth, strengthen family dynamics, and promote a healthier community. Mr. Buchanan will share his insights on how to set realistic goals, overcome mental health obstacles, and build support systems within families. Whether you’re looking to improve your own mental health, strengthen family bonds, or simply understand the psychology behind New Year’s resolutions, this episode has something for you!

Tune in for practical tips, advice, and the inspiration you need to start the year off right, with a focus on mental wellness and family harmony.

Happy New Years! We are grateful for so much that has happened this year with our podcast. And we are thankful for everyone who listens and supports it!!

Resetting your intentions involves reflecting on what truly matters to you and creating meaningful goals that align with your core values. This process requires self-reflection and, at times, sitting with uncomfortable emotions like fear, guilt, or frustration. These feelings are part of the journey and can provide valuable insight into what needs to be addressed or prioritized. By embracing these emotions and gaining clarity from them, you can better align your actions with your true values and build goals that are both purposeful and authentic.

In today’s episode, we’ll explore the empowering yet challenging journey of letting go—releasing the limiting beliefs, toxic behaviors, and unresolved emotions that no longer serve us. We’ll discuss how this process of emotional release is essential for personal growth and freedom, and how understanding what truly serves us can transform our lives. By reflecting on past priorities, we’ll uncover how to identify and release what holds us back, creating space for healing and self-care. This episode is all about empowering you to break free from the burdens of the past and step into a future that aligns with your true self.

As we wrap up 2024 and look toward 2025, it's the perfect time to reflect on the past year and think about how we want to move forward. For many of us, the new year brings a mix of old memories and new possibilities, but before jumping into what’s next, it’s important to take a moment for self-reflection. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about learning from the past, letting go of what doesn’t serve us, and making room for personal growth and fresh opportunities. In this episode, we’ll talk about the power of reflection and share practical exercises that can help you think through your experiences, build self-awareness, and set yourself up for success in the year ahead. Explore how you can use these practices to clear the mental clutter and embrace 2025 with intention, gratitude, and a growth mindset. Let’s kick off the new year with clarity and confidence.

Gratitude is a free and powerful tool that can transform your mindset and behavior. It's not a complex concept, but it’s easy to overlook its impact when we're caught in negative thinking. Gratitude is closely linked to positive thoughts, which lead to positive emotions and, ultimately, positive actions. To practice gratitude effectively, one key strategy is to challenge negative thoughts during stressful situations. Instead of focusing on what's going wrong or what's missing, take time to celebrate small wins and acknowledge what is going well. By consciously shifting your focus to the positive, you can begin to create a cycle of gratitude that enhances your emotional well-being and daily actions

Gratitude has long been recognized as a transformative emotion that not only nurtures a sense of appreciation but also profoundly impacts various aspects of life, including mental health, physical health, and relationships. In this discussion, we’ll explore why gratitude has become such an influential and helpful practice in recent years. Research consistently shows that practicing gratitude can lead to improvements in all three of these core areas of life. It promotes a positive mindset, fosters emotional resilience, and enhances physical well-being. By expressing thanks, whether through words, actions, or reflections, individuals experience greater emotional connection, reduced stress, and improved overall health. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have, bringing greater peace and balance into our lives. Today, we’ll examine how gratitude impacts our mental state, strengthens relationships, and even contributes to better physical health, offering tangible examples of how this practice can transform lives for the better.