Resolutions or Nah?
By guest writer, Tori Andrews
Hi Friends!
Happy New Year! I hope the new year has been treating everyone well so far. Here’s a mini challenge before we get to our topic... wherever you are right now, simply say to yourself, “2022 is different”. That’s it! Different how? I can’t tell you yet, but what I can tell you is that 2022 is not 2020 or 2021, or any other year. It’s its own year with its own set of circumstances. That simple reminder, alone, can challenge us to reframe our perspective(s). Thanks for joining me in that ❤️
Now, on to our tips! Last month we talked about boundaries and this month I want to talk about everyone’s favorite: New Year’s resolutions. We are all familiar with people who have them religiously each new year, and whether or not that’s you, I think it’s safe to say that we all have, at some point, felt the pressure of “doing something different” with the arrival of a new year. While the desire to grow and proclivity to change over time is normal, sometimes the way we approach these changes can be harmful to our mental health. Many times, the resolutions that we come up with are BIG changes — for example, going to the gym everyday, losing a certain amount of weight, quitting an undesirable habit, or picking up a new hobby. There’s nothing wrong with these goals per se, but setting resolutions like these can actually send our brain into a fear response because of the enormity of the change. Our brains have a need for certainty and consistency, so when we tell our brains that we’re going to make big changes at once (instead of small changes over time), we actually end up fighting ourselves. This is part of the reason why we often find it hard to keep our New Year’s resolutions.
So here are some ideas to try in place of resolutions:
Pick a word or phrase to live by for the year (e.g., “gratitude”, “confidence”, “generosity”)
Make a small change to a routine you already have (e.g., wake up 10 minutes earlier in the morning to spend intentionally, replace something you have for lunch with a healthier option, plan a monthly phone call or outing with a friend or loved one)
Think about how you’d like your year to feel versus things you’d like to do throughout the year
These are just a few examples of alternatives to resolutions that hopefully take away the pressure and scariness of big changes and replace it with a little more hope. Here’s to 2022! 🥂
Xoxo,
tja
