With the endless pressure of being an adult, keeping your mental bearings and getting out of bed every morning can sometimes be as difficult as dead-lifting a car. Simply improving your mental health can make for an effective New Year’s resolution.

Donna Lamison, executive director of NAMI Butler County, believes the best way to start is slowly and methodically.

“Think about setting realistic goals that you can attain little by little over the next year,” Lamison said. “Maybe it's a tiny step: attending a support group, or taking a class, or finding a peer.”

Jennifer Dearth, a mental health supervisor for Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services, is still recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by a serious car accident years ago. Along the way, she has found some coping skills which have helped her.

These include simple, but effective actions such as exercising and spending time outdoors, as well as taking slow, deep breaths.

“Just moving your body helps you to clear your mind of clutter. It also helps your body to release endorphins,” Dearth said. “Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air can help give you a mental break.”

Dearth also finds that “gratitude exercises” can be an effective way of refocusing the brain from negative to positive thinking.

“When you first wake up in the morning, write about or state out loud something for which you are grateful,” Dearth said. “The human brain can’t be anxious and grateful at the same time.”

For those days when everything isn’t OK, NAMI has a mental health helpline at 1-800-950-6264, available Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“Remember that it's OK to have days when you don't feel OK,” Lamison said. “Maybe you need that time for rest and relaxation, or to be in nature, or to be with someone who makes you feel re-energized.”