My new year's resolutions
At the turn of each year, people ask: ‘What are your new year’s resolutions?’ Each year, millions of people set themselves goals for the New Year that will inevitably be broken by January 2nd. In 2018, a Statista survey showed that only 4% of people who set themselves New Year’s resolutions actually kept them. This comes as no surprise considering the types of pressure we put ourselves under when setting New Year’s resolutions.
After the year we have had, we deserve to take our foot off the pedal and give ourselves a break with the resolutions we set. I’m sure many of us can hold our hands up to setting weight loss as a resolution, only to indulge in a full English breakfast on New Year’s Day. Instead of constantly trying to change ourselves, we should focus on loving ourselves the way we are now. We are constantly bombarded with unrealistic standards that we should supposedly be meeting 24/7 and it’s time to break free from this by changing the way we view and talk to ourselves. This means rather than setting ‘weight loss’ as a resolution, set ‘I will take better care of my body’ or ‘I will listen to my body's needs and wants’. Instead of setting ‘I will get firsts in all my assignments’, set ‘I will try my best in all my assignments and be proud of the outcome’. Instead of saying ‘I will be a more positive person’ say ‘I will try to be positive in every way that I can but also recognise that some days are harder than others’.
2020 has also taught us many life lessons about staying connected, finding pleasure in simple things and protecting loved ones. There has been a strong sense of community for many of us that I’m sure we hope will stick around long after Covid-19. Why not use this to help inspire our resolutions for 2021? A great (and realistic) resolution could be remembering to stay connected to friends, family and nature - even after the pandemic is over. Connect with those you love more, whether this be virtually or (hopefully come mid-2021) physically! Ask people how they are doing and tell them how you are doing. Try your best to open up on times when you feel low.
Another resolution could be trying to get out in nature more. When you have free time, try going on a walk, jog or bike ride and make sure to pay extra attention to the world around you while doing so. Soak in all the beauty that you would usually disregard. It is said that walking in nature helps to decrease anxiety levels as our brain enjoys shapes that we are used too (e.g. trees, roads, houses, fields etc), so maybe try doing this when you are feeling a bit overwhelmed to help untangle your thoughts. Notice how the world has been healing this past year.
Another important thing to focus our resolutions on is self-care. For some, the concept of self-care may be completely alien and somewhat daunting. But it simply means taking time (whether it be a whole day or just a quick moment) to do something that makes you feel good. This can be having a nice warm bath, reading a chapter of your favourite book or going on a walk, in nature. I think carrying out one act of self-care every day should be top of everyone’s New Year’s resolutions list.
When creating my own New Year’s resolutions, I have taken all of the above into account and have come up with the following: continue taking good care of my body, practice gratitude more, have more self-belief, and stay connected to all my loved ones. Please feel free to join me with mine or create your own - but remember to be kind to yourself when doing so!
Leah
