February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month

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International Boost Self-Esteem Month | Help avoid clinical depression

The International Boost Self-Esteem Month is annually observed in February. It is a period set aside in the year to help us believe in and appreciate ourselves more, despite whatever we may be facing. Self-esteem is generally defined as “an individual’s subjective evaluation of their worth.” It is a psychological construct that predicts certain outcomes, such as happiness, satisfaction, and achievement.

For those with existing mental health struggles, such as severe depression and anxiety, boosting self-esteem can increase feelings of worth and help you manage feelings of sadness, emptiness, etc. If you suffer from clinical depression, or simply feel your self-esteem could use a boost, there are ways you can help yourself. Some methods may fit better for you than others. Yet, they are all worth a try.

Throughout the month of February we will be posting methods that will help contribute to your self-esteem and boost your feelings of worth - follow us on Instagram and Facebook to watch. If you are struggling with depression and anxiety and would like to request an appointment with someone on our team, please contact us online or call our office 603-238-3149

A New Growing Roots...

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At the core of Growing Roots, our primary mission has always been to promote optimal mental wellness across central New Hampshire. Today we are extremely proud to announce the rebrand of our clinic, Growing Roots Integrative Health & Wellness. This rebrand is the culmination of years of focus, commitment, and hard work from many of our extremely talented staff and community partners. This hard work has driven our mission forward to be able to offer a diversity of integrative mental and physical health services, of the highest quality, that are desperately needed throughout central New Hampshire.  

The opportunity for Growing Roots Integrative Health & Wellness to become synonymous with high-quality healthcare is a responsibility we hold and take very seriously. Typically the services we offer in central New Hampshire can only be found in large metropolitan areas and, we are very proud to offer specialized and innovative mental health and integrative medicine services to our rural community.

The Growing Roots Integrative Health & Wellness name is rooted in the clinic’s commitment to delivering outstanding, all-encompassing care. For our logo, the tree has been used since ancient times to represent life, growth, wisdom, prosperity – all significant components we believe contribute to a life worth living.  The logo also subtly captures the notion of wholeness through its circular design, core to our mission and a reflection of priorities that our entire team demonstrates through their dedication to bettering their clients’ lives. 

We welcome you to explore our website and new branding, and learn more about the clinic and our team's experience, capabilities, and broad set of specialties along with our integrative health & wellness services. 

Creating a habit

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Creating a habit…and why it’s so hard to keep!

• Only 9% of people successfully keep their New Year’s resolutions.

• 23% of people quit by the end of the first week, 64% after the first month, and 81% before the end of the second year.

• Most people quit on the second Friday of the month, according to Strava, a Running and Cycling tracking app. They named this day “Quitters Day”.

• 43% of people expect to give up on their goals by February, which explains the relatively high quitting rate in January.

So why does this happen?

It turns out that most people making resolutions do not know the science behind behavior change and habit formation, so they end up trying to build the new habit on very shaky ground. Below we have outlined a strategy to build a solid foundation to start a new habit.

How to build a habit…

1. Commit to Thirty Days

Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. A month is a good block of time to commit to a change since it easily fits in your calendar.

2. Start Simple

Don’t try to completely change your life in one day. It is easy to get over-motivated and take on too much. If you wanted to study two hours a day, first make the habit to go for thirty minutes and build on that.

3. Remind Yourself

Around two weeks into your commitment it can be easy to forget. Place reminders to execute your habit each day or you might miss a few days. If you miss time it defeats the purpose of setting a habit to begin with.

4. Stay Consistent

The more consistent your habit the easier it will be to stick. If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your thirty days. When cues like time of day, place and circumstances are the same in each case it is easier to stick.

5. Replace Lost Needs

If you are giving up something in your habit, make sure you are adequately replacing any needs you’ve lost. If watching television gave you a way to relax, you could take up meditation or reading as a way to replace that same need.

6. Be Imperfect

Don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately. It took me four independent tries before I started exercising regularly. Now I love it. Try your best, but expect a few bumps along the way.

7. Do it For Yourself

Don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits. Instead tool your habits towards your goals and the things that motivate you. Weak guilt and empty resolutions aren’t enough.