2020 has been a difficult year for all of us. Lockdowns, face masks, zoom calls, those things quickly became part of our everyday lives. You might feel that you weren’t as productive as you wish in the past 365 days. You might not tick off any items off your bucket list. But honestly, surviving 2020 in itself is already a big achievement. Now that we’re in the new year, many of you would probably want to start a brand new page of your lives with good old New Year’s Resolutions.
But where should you start?
- Take it easy on yourself.
- Break it down to realistic, actionable goals.
- Consider reflections instead of resolutions.
- Some resolution ideas that you can actually achieve:
- Key takeaways.
Take it easy on yourself.
You might have the want of punishing yourself for developing unhealthy habits, overindulging or not accomplishing any of your goals and resolutions in 2020.
Intense workout and diet plans, paying off debts, traveling to new continents, those were the traditional new year’s resolutions that we have been familiar with.
But with the level of uncertainty we’re faced with, and the anxiety that has haunted all, if not most people in 2020, Author, Ruby Warrington, hopes that people will be a little kinder to themselves in the coming year.
If changes are to be made, it should be something that is self-care related, as it will make you feel better at the moment, as if you are living, and not just breathing.
Your goals should also be something that you actually want to do for yourself, rather than to please someone else. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick and focus on it.
Break it down to realistic, actionable goals.
Studies showed that more than 80% of new year’s resolutions fail, and most people tend to have abandoned them by February.
Why is that? The most common reason is because the goals they’ve set are either too broad, or too ambitious.
That said, in a recent podcast from iHeartRadio, Psychiatrist, Dr. Gail Saltz said that she doesn’t recommend for people to seek drastic behavioral changes in 2021. Because it takes a tremendous amount of effort, which hence also indicates high chances of failure.
“Setting yourself up to feel failed is not a good solution this year. Pick something bite-sized. If you accomplish it, you’ll feel good, and if you want to do more after that, no one’s stopping you”, said Saltz.
You won’t believe how much a tiny fix or habit can actually improve your mind, body and life.
Consider reflections instead of resolutions.
Reflecting on your accomplishments in the past year might also be a healthier path to take towards self-improvement.
Apart from being too broad or too ambitious, another common reason why new year’s resolutions fail is how self-critical they are to your current self.
Some think that by earning more, or shedding some extra weight, they can completely transform their lives to the better. Dr. Kelly McGonigal described this as creating a “false promise of, ‘If you change this one thing, you’ll change everything.’”
Scientific studies show that the best way to change one’s behavior is by bundling it with their current behaviors, or what is often called “stacking”.
Through reflections, you can keep the best lessons and habits you’ve learned in 2020 and stack them with new habits you wish to adopt in the new year.
Some resolution ideas that you can actually achieve.
Draw a line between work and life.
As we social-distanced from our friends and families, we got way closer to our devices, which undoubtedly means more screen time, wifi consumption and electricity usage. Working from home further blurs the line between work and personal life.
Despite still working remotely, you can set yourself a schedule on when work starts and ends. Put all your devices down when it’s your downtime. Have some time to yourself, do something that you love and give yourself a well-deserved break.
Eat healthier snacks.
Panic buying, stress eating, those were common actions a lot of us went through throughout the pandemic. Because of that, many of us also ended up consuming a lot of unhealthy or fast food.
Even if snacks have gained a bad image of causing weight gain, healthy snacks are necessary parts of your diet. It provides you with energy throughout the day and prevents you from overeating.
Walk a mile a day.
Losing 20 pounds is a common new year’s resolution. But after spending most of your days at home staring at your computer screen, it might be a little challenging to get back to exercising vigorously.
That said, you should start with smaller, more attainable goals like being able to walk, or jog a mile a day. If you don’t have much time for exercise on your schedule, you can even write resolutions like “doing a 10 minute stretch every morning”. The choice is yours.
Reconnect.
Social distancing might have left you feeling lonely or isolated. But keep in mind that everyone else around you might have experienced the exact same feelings.
Do take this opportunity to reconnect with your high school friends, your relatives, your colleagues, basically anyone whom you haven’t contacted in years. You won’t believe how much a video call can impact your well-being.
Try out a new hobby every month.
Who says that your new year’s resolutions can’t have any variety? Take the time you spend at home to do things that you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time to do, let it be read a newly published book, watch the latest movie or even develop a new skillset. The options are truly endless.
You can also explore new hobbies like gardening, or even baking.
Key takeaways.
There’s no certainty on how 2021 is going to turn out, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make the best out of it.
Remember, change needs to start within. Make sure that whatever it is that you want to commit to in 2021 is for yourself. Also remind yourselves that it’s okay to start small. Don’t estimate the power these tiny habits can have on your lives.
The above examples are some of the more general resolutions one can write. When drafting your own, don’t forget to be a little more specific so that you know exactly what you are working with throughout the year.
Have fun writing your resolutions!
