I know you've heard it "New Year. New You!" As if it were that simple. Alright so we are officially 3 weeks into the new year and typically this is when those "new year resolutions" start to turn into failures, it's almost inevitable. But let's rewind a few weeks. Around the holidays is when people start to ask the age old question "What are your New Year's Resolutions?" So much so that many of us just make up resolutions just to field the query, even if we have no intention of actually following through! We make promises to our friends, family and most importantly; ourselves that next year will be the year in which we: finally get fit, stick to a diet, mend friendships, heal relationships, take big steps towards our dreams and generally become the person we would only dream of being.
But hold on just a minute, I am not by any means down playing New Year's Resolutions. In fact, achievable goals can actually be a valuable aspect of a steady and healthy self improvement plan. But sometimes (most of the time), pressure to actually reach these New Year's Resolutions lead to a negative reflection on who you actually are and the direction your life is taking at the moment. And as we all know, this kind of gloomy outlook can make any mental health issue way, way worse.
Did you know that resolutions made at New Year are actually MORE likely to FAIL than resolutions made at any other time of the year? What's more is that these inevitable failures also lead to a huge blow to our self-esteem and mental health because when our resolutions fail we tend to think that our entire year has failed.
NEW YEAR, NEW STRESS.
I challenge you to look back at those resolutions you made three weeks ago and see where you're at. Are you still aligned with them? Do they seem maybe a little too extreme? It's okay to reassess those goals and change them if need be.
If you’re feeling the pressure, or worried that your resolutions could be triggering for you, here are a few tips which might help you to cope.
Tip #1: Think Small: While it's great to have big hopes and dreams, when it comes to setting resolutions, try to chop up these big goals into bite-sized feasible chunks. Go for small and manageable over big and overwhelming.
Tip #2: Be Rational: Just because the calendar now says 2022, we don't magically become a completely new person. This may sound obvious but many people tend to get caught up in the excitement of a new year that they forget about the hard work that keeping to resolutions actually takes.
Tip #3: Go Easy On Yourself: Remember that most New Years Resolutions fail and it's hard to maintain focus on a single goal for an entire year. If your resolutions have already fallen by the wayside, that's okay. Tell yourself it's a normal and natural thing because it is. Don’t beat yourself up!
Now, I know what you may be thinking... Okay Jen, this is great but now you've made me want to completely change my original resolutions to something a bit more manageable. But where the heck do I begin? Don't you worry! To help spark some ideas, I've complied a list of some small but epic resolutions to help you celebrate what's to come for the rest of 2022.
Epic yet manageable Resolution's for the rest of 2022:
1. Schedule more girl or friend time
2. Get outside more
3. Make your bed daily
4. Compliment yourself every morning
5. Keep your car clean
6. Grow a plant
7. Don't hit the snooze button every morning
8. Redecorate a room in your house
9. Read more
10. Drink more water
11. Support local restaurants
12. Learn a new skill or hobby
13. Take more road trips
14. Try a new food or drink
15. Make healthier lunches
Finally, my wish for you this year is to become the best and most realistic version of yourself. However that looks for you! Really take the pressure off yourself regarding New Years Resolutions, because wherever you are in your life currently and wherever 2022 takes you, you've got this.
All my love, Jen.
