New Year New Me: Mental Health & Resolutions
“Do you have any new year’s resolutions?” is a question that some of us may be excited for, but for some produces dread, prompting a catch-all answer like cutting out sugar or making more time for the gym. The idea of new years resolutions dates back almost 4,000 years ago, but what remains unchanged is that the new year brings us an opportunity to reflect and think about how to ‘be better’ this year.
Our resolutions can extend far beyond just the physical, and even beyond just the new year. Every day is an opportunity to make small, realistic changes that will lead to you reaching your goals.
In fact, research shows that about 80% of people abandon their resolutions within the month (PsychologyToday, 2024). Us therapists have lots of experience with goal structuring (shoutout SMART goals!) and in my own personal experience and as a therapist, I can say that a big contributor to goal failure is creating goals that are too vague, unrealistic, untimely and sometimes even too big.
The most achievable goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timebound
I’ll give you some examples:
Instead of “Lose weight”, shift to something like “I will engage in intentional movement (walk, yoga, stretching) for at least 20 minutes, 3 times per week, for the next 10 weeks”.
Instead of “Be less anxious”, try “By March 31, I will practice a 10-minute grounding or mindfulness exercise at least 4 days per week to help manage stress and anxiety”.
Finally, for goals to be truly achievable, it must come from you. Not solely the external pressures that tend to come up around the holiday; family conversations, social media, workplace chatter, and the whole “New Year, New Me” mindset can all influence what we think we should want. The ability to make small changes that will improve your life is something you have unwavering access to ALL the time, not just on January 1st.
If you’re feeling the push of motivation this new year, go with it! But if you’re not, that’s okay too. Change doesn’t need a countdown timer or fresh page on the calendar. Every day is a chance for a fresh start 😊
I hope everyone is having a safe and warm holiday season. See you in February!
