For someone who has any sort of mental illness, each day is a struggle. Someone with depression, they may struggle with not feeling good enough or feeling as if the days drag on forever. Sometimes it’s hard to go on during the day because they feel like it just never ends. They are constantly feeling the pain of feeling like they just don't belong here or that they are a burden to everyone they meet. Someone with anxiety may struggle with the fear of getting up or walking out their front door in the morning because they might not know that will happen. The littlest things may set off their anxiety or they might worry about the stupidest things. Someone with anxiety may constantly apologize or ask if they did something wrong because they are in constant fear that they are just not good enough. Or someone with PTSD might even struggle to sleep at night because they cannot stop having nightmares about what happened to them. Everyone struggles with something different each and every day… but as each day goes on, we must not look at it in the way that we have to struggle through another day, but that we have survived the day before.

“New year, New me”. A new year can mean a lot of things for a lot of people, but for someone with a mental illness, it is the beginning of a new start. The new year can be tough because they are afraid of going through the same things that they went through the year before. They survived the year and they hope to get through the next year, too. The new year can bring they hope and allows them to look forward to better things to come. They struggled with ups and downs in the previous year and they are hoping that this new year will mean that they will not let the little things get to them. Yes, they may have their bad days but they plan to make the best of it and let the good outweigh the bad. The scars from years before will fade and will no longer affect who you are today. Those toxic people will no longer be in your life to bring you down. You are free from those previous endeavors. This new year means hope, success, happiness, love and survival. Take the time to enjoy the little things. Take a trip to the city, go to a museum, dace around your room at 4am, enjoy the company of your friends and family… but most importantly, let the people who love you help you get through whatever you are going through because they only want what is best for you. Everyone deserves to be happy and enjoy life.

To me, this new year means accomplishing everything I had hoped to do last year but couldn't do because I held myself back. This year I hope to be the happiest I can be and to be happy for no reason because when you have a reason to be happy, someone or something has the ability to take that away from you. I will not let anyone impede on my happiness this year. I have become stronger because of what I have gone through and survived some pretty tough times… but this year I will not let the things that used to affect me, bother me anymore. This is my year… make it yours too. Take the time to make your new years resolution to help someone who you may know who might be struggling with a mental illness. Let them know that they are not alone. Take the time to smile people as you walk down the street because you never know the impact that smile might have on someone. A smile could save a life. A new year means a new you. A new year means the start of something great. To anyone struggling with any kind off illness, you are not alone. Make this your year. Restart yourself and find a new you. Make this year a one to remember.