Many people will spend the last day of 2022 thinking about who they want to be in 2023 and what kind of resolutions they must make to get there.

However, many popular resolutions, such as extreme exercising and dietary changes, can be destructive.

Mental health charity Turn2Me is urging those choosing New Year's resolutions to be realistic to avoid setting themselves up for disappointment.

It is advising you to aim for 'progress and not perfection' in 2023.

The charity's CEO, Fiona O'Malley, says setting goals for the new year should start small.

"A lot of them can include losing an extreme amount of weight, restricting your diet, not watching TV in the evenings or exercising every single day", she explained.

"Instead of setting lots of unrealistic New Year's resolutions, which often lead to disappointment if they can't be maintained or achieved, setting a smaller number of realistic goals can be more achievable."

Trying something new

Ms O'Malley suggests implementing something new into your life instead of just giving things up.

"You could start a new part-time course, you could sign up for a walking or hiking group, join a book club or drama society", she said.

"New Year's is a great time for new beginnings and starting a new project."

"It doesn't always have to mean extreme detoxes and rigid diets."

Turn2Me is running free support groups on anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues for anyone struggling with their mental health in 2023.

It also offers free one-to-one counselling sessions.

To sign up for any of these free mental health services, go to Turn2Me.ie

Main image shows a woman standing on scale. Picture by: Tero Vesalainen / Alamy